OMG That Stitching!

If you've done any historical clothing research, you've probably come across the omgthatdress! tumblr, and subsequently wasted several ____s (fill in appropriate time-related word) looking at all the dress p0rn (and possibly spent a great deal of time cursing the lack of references for some of the older pictures -- sure, you're telling me it's a dress from the 1830s, but I swear that sleeve looks more 1840s than anything, and you don't have any links to the original source! Curse you with curses, so foul and cursed!). Well, last week I got to check out the Resplendent Dress from Southeastern Europe: A History in Layers exhibit at the UCLA Fowler Museum, and it was like omgthateyelet! omgthatembroidery! omgthatsoutache! omgthatlace! omgthatcouching! left and right.

See that expanse of gold? It's all tiny metallic threads couched onto the surface so densely as to obscure the actual fabric surface!

Apologies for the fuzzy iPhone snaps! It was pretty dimly lit in the museum. This is a different outfit, but gives a better view of the couching. Now just picture those little loopy lines filling an entire jacket, like in the picture before this!

It's just incredible how intricate the designs are! 

Couching done with black threads instead of gold. 

How fantastic would it be to swoosh around in this full-skirted jacket!

There were some pretty fabulous examples of other handwork too. This outfit was trimmed with intricate eyelet borders.

The method used to make these textured flowers is so cool -- little strips of stiff paper are wrapped with metallic thread and sewn to the fabric, making a raised surface like embossing. 

Gorgeous lace and embroidery on a bonnet. 

Look at that cutwork!! 

It was fantastic seeing such gorgeous handiwork up close, and marveling at the tiny stitches and amount of detail that went into these festival clothes. What heirlooms they must be! I don't have the patience for this kind of thing, so I'm even more appreciative of the fact that these girls spent so much time on these garments.

I was also a fan of the simple background that the exhibit director chose. I love it when little things like that enhance a museum experience. 

And then a couple of days ago, Sandra of Brown Paper Pattern met up with me to go check out the FIDM Museum's Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Travel & Fashion exhibit. I'm always excited when I get to check out extant vintage and antique gowns, and this exhibit, though tiny, was a treat because 1) the garments weren't roped off or behind glass, so we got to examine them up close (all the while keeping in mind the Arrested Development motto "No touching!!"), and 2) Sandra was with me! I usually go to these exhibits by myself or with non-sewers, so it was a nice change to have someone to exclaim with about things like...

This 1960s coordinated traveling suit and luggage! And the very non-PC fur stole. 

We marveled at the topstitching and clever seamlines...

...the bound buttonholes made in knit fabric, and the matching custom covered buttons!

The "invisible" hem allowance was a whopping six inches! Can you imagine a modern pattern calling for that much extra fabric? 

The topstitched seam on the front of the dress continues onto the back. Lovely. 

Another gorgeous travel set. 

I know I keep saying everything is fantastic and intricate and all, but it really is! Look at that contrast piping and edge!

The suitcase has a shoe compartment and a compartment for hanging tops. It was meant to be a coordinated traveling wardrobe, with mix-and-match spotted, solid, and checked tops and skirts, plus a reversible vest.

This 1920s outfit is pretty unremarkable. It's kind of all the things I hate about the 20s, all shapeless and weird floral prints...

But! I found it extremely reassuring that whoever it was who sewed this, totally botched the bound neckline! Hah, I'm not the only person who has issues with chiffon!

They had one older garment, too! The museum labeled this as 1904, but it looks more like an earlier silhouette to me.  This is more natural form  bustle Victorian and less S-bend Edwardian-puffed-sleeves, right? 

Neat back pleat detail on the jacket. See what I mean about getting to walk all around the dresses and get up close? 

Cuff detail. Sandra and I were both of the opinion that the silk moire looked quite a bit like some awful modern polyester...funny how that was a desirable look back then! 

Nice buttonholes, darts, and bobbly buttons. 

There were a few more outfits, but most of my photos were pretty bad. Still, I had to include this one with not only the coordinated luggage, but also picnic basket and thermos!

Unfortunately, both exhibits are closing quite soon; Resplendent Dress is closing tomorrow, and Travel & Fashion is closing on July 19. I always seem to check out these costume/fashion exhibits right at the end of their run! I'll miss having the FIDM Museum so close by once we move up to NorCal, but thankfully the De Young and Legion of Honor are pretty awesome too. Still, the Oscar and Emmy award-winning costumes exhibits have been some of the highlights of my two years in TCOCC. And of course, it's sadder to leave the little sewing community down here! The ladies of Stitch in the Ditch have been wonderful and welcoming; if you're in the LA area, I highly recommend their company!

Victorian, Edwardian, and Modern Costumes from CUT!

Yesterday I showed you some of the earlier era gowns from the Bowers Museum's CUT! Costumes and the Cinema exhibit. Here are the post-Romantic era costumes:

Once again, underpinnings are important. Have a cage crinoline. 

And a lobster tail bustle. 

I love it when they put in details nobody's likely to see, like the lace and tiny tucks on these drawers. 

Structure underneath the gown is required to get the amount of poof in Carlotta's dress from Phantom of the Opera.
Although this seems to need another petticoat, judging from the line going across the skirt.

The back of Carlotta's dress.

I'd never heard of The Land of the Blind, but this is a Red Dress, capital letters deserved. Ridiculously difficult to photograph, though. 

A bit less voluminous: classic bustle gown from Portrait of a Lady. 

The frilly back.  

More smocking goodness, from Miss Potter. 

Scarlett's Johansson's dress from The Prestige.

If ever a dress looked like a wedding cake, this would be it. 

Moving onto the Edwardian era: Uma Thurman's military-inspired outfit from The Golden Bowl. 

I believe this was an original Edwardian piece layered over a new underdress. Oh, that pouter pigeon front! 

Kate Winslet's dressing gown from Finding Neverland. 

First thought: absolutely breathtaking. Second thought: good golly, that must be a beast to move around in. 

Seriously. That. Detailing. 

Maggie Smith's dress from Gosford Park and a beaded gorgeousness from Mrs. Dalloway. 

Teens era. This coral dress could be from Downton Abbey, except that it's actually from In Love and War.

The most modern thing I took a picture of: a gorgeous teal-gray bias cut gown, but I don't remember what movie it's from! I want to (and Mr. Cation wants me to) make a gown like this so badly. 

For an aspiring costumer like myself, it was like two hours of heaven. I took so many pictures, hoping to capture all the exquisite details, but unfortunately the dim lighting made some of them quite fuzzy. Next time, I'm bringing a sketchbook! It's funny, since I've become interested in costumes and historical fashion, I've gone to so many more museums (and been more interested once I'm there!). From the De Young's Gaultier and Nureyev costume exhibits, to the Legion of Honor's Cult of Beauty exhibit, to the incomparable V&A, and of course the FIDM museum's yearly award-winning-costume exhibits, an interest in clothing has given a focus to my museum attendance.

Even a scrimshaw exhibit has fashion bits in it! Look at that classic Romantic era gown. Apparently, whalers used to use Godey's Lady's Book as source material for their carvings. Who would have thought?!

See, I've always believed strongly in the importance of museums; my dad started us young on going to look at art and science museums, but there was never really anything I particularly wanted to see of my own accord. Now, instead of cursorily checking out museums because I should, I actually enjoy going (what a revolutionary thought!). Costume exhibits are especially fun, but even having a rudimentary grasp of historical fashion has given me a framework to hang actual history on, if you know what I mean. I'm learning so much more about world history now that I need to research things like the textile industry, peasant life, and political statements through clothing color. If only I had discovered this earlier, who knows, I might be a history teacher instead of a science teacher! This just gives me more reason to keep incorporating things beyond the curriculum/textbook, because one never knows what might catch a student's eye and inspire more learning. Here's to not being a lazy teacher! 

CUT! Costume and the Cinema Exhibit at Bowers Museum

Fanny Campbell, female pirate, 19th century scrimshaw. Perfect for the "By the Sea" HSF challenge, right?

I've been traveling so much for work, and Mr. Cation has been so busy wrapping up his thesis project for school, we haven't had much time for dates. So this past Saturday, we took some time to go check out the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana together. Okay, I'll admit that it was really my idea, since a costume exhibit isn't really Mr. Cation's idea of fun, but it was still nice to have some downtime together. Plus, we both really liked the scrimshaw exhibit. Anyway, I thought I'd share some of the photos I took of the lovely, lovely costumes. I'm going to split this into two posts, though, since there are quite a few photos! 

I'm so glad they emphasized the importance of underpinnings! 

The conical torso and panniers. 

Panniers are definitely required for this 17th century dress from The Last King.

The back of the Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent's dress, from Ever After. Dubiously set in the Renaissance era.  Check out those gorgeous pleats, though, and the little tassel hanging down from the storm flap collar. 

Captain John Smith's costume from The New World, possibly the worst film ever recommended by Mick LaSalle. 

Slightly more exciting captain: Jack Sparrow, from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. 

And now for some prettiness: this light blue Georgian gown, complete with screenprinting and embroidery, from The Duchess. 

Absolutely enormous poofy bustle. 

Love the detailing on the sleeves!

And of course, we can't forget Lady G's iconic dress.

This is enough to make me want to sew bound buttonholes. 

The guys got to wear pretty things in The Duchess too. 

...and in Casanova, too. 

Check out the fantastically huge cuffs! Swoon.

More loveliness from that era, but from Goya's Ghosts.  

From the same movie.

Moving forward several decades, here's the Regency era gown that Marianne Dashwood wore in Sense and Sensibility. 

Jane Eyre's Romantic era wedding gown from the 1996 version. Look at that smocking!

Moving along to the 1850s and Little Dorrit. 

Whew! That's a lot of pictures! And that's only the costumes up to the Victorian era; I'll post the later era stuff tomorrow. My only gripe is that it was so dark in the exhibit hall, it was difficult to get good pictures. That, and the weird spotlighting washed out a lot of my detail shots. Still, you get an idea of how amazing these outfits are, and how much work went into making them. It makes me want to sew up costumes from every era; thankfully, my stashbusting commitment reins me in a bit, since I don't have appropriate fabrics or patterns for most of it. That's probably a good thing, though, as the sewing room closet is already full enough of costumes as it is.