Sporteen Skirt with a Surprise

At first glance this skirt simply looked like a nice early 1950s straight skirt in a lovely  color and with an interesting button placement.  But then I noticed the belt.  It was a golf tee holder.

By that time the seller was starting to unbutton the skirt, which is not a skirt at all.

It is actually a culotte or divided skirt, but  it is cleverly disguised by the stitched pleats.  The back is also stitched, and it just looks like an inverted pleat.

This was not a new idea in the 1950s.  Before it was acceptable for women to wear trousers, there were all kinds of ingenious ways to make a skirt have two legs.  I have an example from the 1910s in my collection, and it is quite similar to this 1950s culotte skirt.

I really don’t know a thing about Sporteens, except that the listings that I’ve found of items for sale with the label are overwhelmingly skirts.   I also found a 1944 ad for a jacket and matching skirt.

And here is a very similar one, but without the buttons, from California sportswear designer De De Johnson, 1952

 

 

Vintage Miscellany – June 9, 2013

Bertha Wagner looks like she is having a pleasant ride on her bicycle.  By the time this photo was taken in 1917, the big bicycle craze was over.  This form of transportation that was so important just a few years earlier was rapidly being supplanted by the automobile.

*  In 1894, Annie “Londonderry” Cohen Kopchovsky decided to ride a bicycle around the world.  This site tells the fascinating story.

*  The BBC has an interesting story about what is probably the first fashion book.  It is the record of what  Matthaeus Schwarz, an accountant in  Augsburg, Germany wore starting in 1520.

*   Threads of Feeling, the show that featured the scraps of fabric that were used to identify children at the Foundling Hospital in 18th century London, is now at Colonial Williamsburg.  Now through September 1, 2014.

*   There’s more on that fascinating Irene Saltern archive at American Age Fashion.

*   People have been picnicking for a very long time.  Listen to a short history at NPR.

*  Advance notice:  Costumes from Downton Abbey will be on display at Winterthur (Delaware) March 1, 2014 through January 4, 2015.

*   Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, California, will be having an Icons and Idols fashion auction on October 11 and 12.  Featured will be items from the estate of William Travilla.

*  This blogger looks for the inspiration for modern fashion in art and fashion of the past.  Part Nouveau.

*  ArtSpace has an interesting article about the rise of fashion exhibitions.  It explores the fashion as serious art angle, and asks some hard questions about the corporate influence we so often see in conjunction with fashion exhibitions.

*  And finally, Colin McDowell tells us what is wrong with fashion today, and it is plenty.

Vintage Shopping – Mooresville, NC

One of the great things about antique stores it that they are often located in the best buildings.  I love getting to go into an old mill or barn, or as in this case, old turn of the 20th century stores.  This mall is located in three joined buildings, all with the same arrangement of the upper floor being open in the middle like a balcony.  Very little seems to have been done to these great old stores, and shopping in them is almost like stepping back in time.

I love running across this old print.  It always makes me smile!

This shoe display was simply beautiful.  It’s enough to make a person want to open a shop just so she could justify its purchase.

I collect these cardboard movie star hangers from the 1960s, but I passed on Sophia and Michael.  The condition was pretty bad, but even worse, they were not priced.  Had they been a very reasonable price, I’d have picked them up, but in an antique mall if an item is not priced then usually the person at the counter has to track down the seller to ask the price.  It just was not worth the hassle, especially since there was a big chance I’d not want them anyway.

These were a set of old curtains.  I loved the print, but hanging in windows does more than just fade fabric.  It makes it brittle.  Again, these were not priced, or I might have gotten them for pillows for the patio.

Interesting!

Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes at the National Gallery of Art

The main reason I took a side trip to Washington, DC was to see this exhibition, Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes: When Art Danced with Music.   Ever since I saw some of the costumes at the  Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut in 2006, I’ve been interested in how the costumes of the Ballets Russes influenced the fashions of the 1910s and 1920s.  So when I heard that this exhibition was to be held at the National Gallery of Art, I was pretty excited.  Originally organized by and shown at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, it was a big hit there in 2010.

I’m not going to beat around the bush.  This is a must-see exhibition if you are interested in the art, music, ballet, and fashion of the 1910s and 1920s.  The story of how Serge Diaghilev assembled the best of the avant-garde to transform ballet is a fascinating one, and the National Gallery tells it in a very engaging manner.  The exhibition is multilayered, with not just the costumes and props that are on exhibit, but using them in combination with the original drawings, artworks that were an influence, historic photographs, and film clips of the actual dances (but not from the original 1909-1929 productions because Diaghilev did not permit filming).

I’m not going to try to tell the entire story of the Ballets Russes, as it would make this post much too long.  For a brief  overview, the V&A site has a nice page that was made for the original exhibition.

Diaghilev and John Brown, New York, 1916. Photograph by Bain News Service. Collection of Ms. Anna and Mr. Leonid Winestein

There is a one hour film that shows continuously that one needs to view before entering the exhibition.  It tells the story of how Serge Diaghilev, who was not a dancer, not a musician, nor an artist, was able to put together his incredible ensemble.  Born into a wealthy Russian family that lost its fortune due to the political upheavals in early 20th century Russia, he left his home in St. Petersburg in 1906, and eventually decided that what Western Europe needed was a good dose of Russian culture.  He was just the man to supply it.

In Russia, Diaghilev had worked as a promoter of the arts, and had even published a magazine, World of Art.  He was friends with many of Russia’s artists composers and performers, so he was in a good position to call upon their talents.  From the beginning of the Ballets Russes in 1909, he had the support of Russians such as artists Léon Bakst and Natalia Goncharova, composers Sergei Prokofiev and  Igor Stravinsky, and dancers Anna Pavlova and Nijinsky.

The Ballets Russes was a tremendous hit, and even during WWI the troupe continued working by touring North and South America.  I find it amusing that the Ballets Russe never performed in Russia, but the people of Knoxville, Tennessee (about 90 miles from my home) were able to attend a performance in their town in 1916.

After the war, Diaghilev was able to bring in more artists to work on sets and costumes, including Picasso, Sonia and Robert Delaunay, and Matisse.  Coco Chanel was also involved,  making the costumes for Le Train bleu which were sporting clothes.

In 1929 Serge Diaghilev died.  He had never accumulated a fortune, as all the money the company made was put into the next production.  It was said that Chanel paid for his funeral and burial.

After the death of Diaghilev, the Ballets Russes disbanded and the dancers went on to be stars in other ballet companies, often using the old Ballets Russes dances and costumes.  A group called the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo was formed in 1938 by some of the former members.  The influence of the Ballets Russes was far-reaching and many of the writings I’ve read credit Diaghilev with pretty much inventing the modern ballet.

I’m indebted to the press office of the National Gallery of Art for the use of these photos of the exhibits.   Photos were not allowed, but these are much nicer than what I would have been able to take.  Most can be enlarged by clicking.

Please do not  put these photos from my site on Pinterest nor on Tumblr.

Léon Bakst, Costume for the Rose from The Spirit of the Rose, designed in 1911, fabricated 1922
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT, The J. Herbert Callister Fund, the Florence Paull Berger Fund, the Costume and Textile Purchase Fund, and the Costume and Textile Flood Fund

This costume was originally designed for dancer Vaslav Nijinsky but this version is later, from 1922.  The costumes often had to be replaced due to the hard wear on them.

Auguste Bert, Vaslav Nijinsky in The Spirit of the Rose, 1911
gelatin silver print
V&A, London, Gift of Richard Buckle and Annette Page

This is Nijinsky wearing the costume as it was made for him in 1911.  The petals were applied with him wearing the costume.

Jean Cocteau, Vaslav Nijinsky from The Spirit of the Rose, poster for the opening season of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris, 1913
V&A, London, Gift of Mademoiselle Lucienne Astruc and Richard Buckle in memory of the collaboration between Diaghilev and Gabriel Astruc

And here we see the costume as rendered by artist Jean Cocteau in a poster for a performance of The Spirit of the Rose.

Nicholas Roerich, Costume for a Polovtsian Warrior from Prince Igor, c. 1909
silk ground, silk ikat fabric, cotton metal disks, skullcap embroidered in polychrome thread
V&A, London

A lot of thought and care went into all the costumes, not just those of the principal dancers.  The designer, Nicholas Roerich, sourced authentic ikat fabrics for various Polovtsian dancers’ costumes, whose clashing colorful costumes were an important part of the overall spectacle.

Léon Bakst, Costume design for Vaslav Nijinsky as the Faun from The Afternoon of a Faun, 1912
graphite, tempera and gold paint on laid charcoal paper
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT, The Ella Gallup Sumner and Mary Catlin Sumner Collection Fund

The Afternoon of of a Faun was danced and choreographed by Nijinsky, and was an even bigger venture into the avant-garde.  The costume for the Faun was mainly painted onto tights and body.

Léon Bakst, Costume for a Nymph from The Afternoon of a Faun, c. 1912
silk chiffon, paint, lamé, metallic ribbon, cotton
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

This costume was worn by one of the Nymphs.  The ballet represented characters on a Greek vase brought to life, and the movements were intentionally two-dimensional.  The first audiences to see it were understandably confused.  Along with the costumes and artwork, the National Gallery has little theaters set up throughout so that many of the dances as interpreted by more modern dance companies can be viewed.  The Afternoon of the Faun still looks very modern.

Mikhail Larionov, Costume for the Buffoon’s Wife from The Tale of the Buffoon, 1921
cane-stiffened felt and cotton
V&A, London Photo © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Léon Bakst, Costume for a Dancing Girl or Odalisque from Scheherazade, c. 1910
rayon, silk, metallic and other paint, metallic and rayon braid, gelatine paillettes, glass beads,metal fasteners, wire
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

It was the ballet, Scheherazade, in 1910 that set off the fad for Orientalism in fashion.  Paul Poiret always claimed that the Ballets Russes had no influence on him whatsoever, but I think he was protesting a little too loudly.

Natalia Goncharova, Costume for a Red Spotted Fish from Sadko, 1916
silk with appliqué, lamé, and paint
Dansmuseet – Museum Rolf de Maré Stockholm
© 2013 Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York/ADAGP, Paris.

Sonia Delaunay, Costume for title role from Cleopatra, 1918
silk, sequins, mirror and beads, wool yarn, metallic thread braid, lamé
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Costume Council Fund
© Pracusa 2012003 Digital Image © 2013 Museum Associates/LACMA. Licensed by Art Resource, NY

If you are familiar with the work of Sonia Delaunay, then you can see her theories of color at work in this costume.  The exhibition also has the original sketch, which I forgot to request, but you can see it on the Metropolitian website.

Alexandre Benois, Set model for Les Sylphides, 1909
gouache, watercolor, pencil and chalk on card, with bamboo supports
V&A, London

Just so you will know that it was not just costumes, this is a three-dimensional model for the set of Les Sylphides.  Click to see how wonderful it is.

Natalia Goncharova, Back cloth for the final Coronation scene from The Firebird, 1926
painted canvas
V&A, London © 2013 Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York/ADAGP, Paris. Photo © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

My favorite object was not a costume, but was this back cloth from The Firebird.  Even if you have not clicked to enlarge any of the other photos, you must see the larger version.  When I stepped into the room where this cloth was hung, my breath was literally taken away.  It is so large that the museum had to raise the ceiling in the room.  To get a better look at its size, here is a photo with people standing before it.

This is just a very small taste of the exhibition.  I spent hours, absorbed in the world of Diaghilev and his wonderful Ballets Russes.  Then I had to buy the exhibition book.

And a little extra:

Today the costumes and set materials from the Ballets Russes are scattered across the world in museums and in private collections.   You can look at the credits of the photos I’ve used to see a few of the collections that have Ballets Russes material.  For years, many of the costumes and sets had been in storage, and in 1967 the first of many auctions was held.  Over the next several decades the Victoria and Albert Museum amassed the largest collection of artifacts, but other museums such as the  Wadsworth Atheneum and the National Gallery of Australia have noteworthy collections.  You might be interested that the Australian collection was mostly bought in 1973 by an eleven-year-old boy.  Well, sort of.

Helanca and Larkwood Stockings, 1958

Since I posted those white stockings last week, I thought I might follow up with an ad showing the colors available in 1958.  Stocking makers had experimented with color in the heels, toes and seams of stockings in the early 1950s, but 1958 seems to be the year they tried to sell stockings to match one’s dress or skirt.  I’m a bit too young to remember what women were wearing in 1958, but somehow I can’t picture colored legs.  But that was the time of the horrible sack dress, so who knows?  Anybody?

Helanca was a type of nylon yarn developed by a Swiss company.  It was seen mainly in tights, leotards and sweaters.

Early 1920s Bathing Suit ~ J.C. Penney Co.

This early 1920s bathing suit was a lucky Ruby Lane find.  I sometimes forget about Ruby Lane, and that is a shame because for the most part the sellers do a good job of categorizing the merchandise, therefore making searching and browsing easy.   And while the site does allow clothing that is 20 years or older, they do not have a 1980s nor a 1990s category, so unlike etsy where it seems so much of the clothing in the vintage category is younger than my 16 year old dog Spooky, most of the Ruby Lane vintage category is filled with real vintage items.  On the downside, they do not allow “Used or previously worn underwear or swimsuits,”  and all items newer than 1945 must have a label.

So how did I happen to find such a great swimsuit on Ruby Lane?  Maybe the excellent condition led the seller to think it was unworn.  Yes, let’s just assume that was it.

I love it when something arrives and it just totally exceeds my expectations.  The color is so rich, and I’m crazy about the nod to nautical in the collar and white trim.  I love how the overskirt is dropped below the waist, just like a 1920s frock would be.

This is actually the oldest J.C. Penney label I’ve ever seen.  James Cash Penney opened his first store in 1902, but the name J.C. Penney Co. dates from 1913.

Souvenir of Southern California

I usually don’t collect souvenir scarves, as they are so common, and the quality is usually quite bad.  But I could not resist this great cotton scarf that shows scenes of how to spend a Southern California vacation. There’s golf and wine and sunbathing and the desert.  So how to place a date on something like this?

There are plenty of clues, starting with the place names.  Some, like Arrowhead (Lake) and (Hotel de) Coronado were not very helpful as their lifespans cover many decades.   But then there is the (Cafe) Trocadero, which opened in 1934 and closed in 1946.  That gave me the best timeframe from just the places named.

There is also the evidence within the illustrations.

The two women in sunhats above are straight from the 1930s, while the swimsuits in the drawing below looks more like the 1950s.  But remember, this a Southern California.  People wanted it to look more movie star, more glamorous.

Horse racing became a big draw in 1934 with the opening of the Santa Anita race track.

Al Levy Died in 1941, but his famous tavern continued in business after his death.

My best guess is mid to late 1930s.  Is there anything I’ve missed?