A Life of Beauty - An animated tribute to Elizabeth Taylor

A Life of beauty - Elizabeth Taylor

This is our tribute to Elizabeth Taylor. An animated film, morphing iconic images from her youth to middle age.

Edwardian Fashion - The Gibson Girl

Camille Clifford

Edwardian Fashion - The Gibson Girl

The Gibson Girl - became the first 20th century standard of female beauty and style, named after Charles Dana Gibson, a Life Magazine illustrator whose fanciful illustrations inadvertedly created a new idealized style of Edwardian Fashion. American women in particular, tried to emulate this look through the early Edwardian era up to the beginning of the First World War. The Gibson Girl was defined as an emancipated post Victorian era woman, who wore daringly tight corsets to create an hourglass figure.She wore her hair long, and pulled it back into an updo.

Gibson Girl

Gibson Girls

Edwardian Corsets

Corset Evolution

The wished for waist size was about 18 inches, which was attained by corsetry and much pain, cutting up to 6 inches off your natural waist size - not to mention blood supply !

Corsets were typical of the period and women wore them daily, often gradually tightening the waist cords over a period of time until she achieved her desired waist size.Camille Clifford, an actress was famous for her waist size, which closely resembled Gibsons illustrations, but it was Gibsons wife, Irene Langhorne, who is generally regarded to be the original Gibson Girl. To learn everything you need to know about Edwardian figure, we defer to the excellent Fashion Era.

Irene Langhorne - The First Gibson Girl ?

The Gibson Girl Silhouette

Gone were the bustles on the arms, Edwardian dresses were now cut to slenderize the silhouette, thin sleeves,large hips, large bust separated by an impossibly thin waist. The new straight front corsets created what was termed the S-bend, which pushed the bum back and the bosom forward.Add to that mix, the latest fashionable parasol and you were ready for the public!

Edwardian Dress - 1902

The Gibson Girl Hairstyle

The Gibson Roll or Gibson Tuck is still often seen in movies like Titanic, or any period drama from Edwardian days, in particular - Downton Abbey and the original Upstairs Downstairs. Just watching either of these two dramas will give you all the Edwardian style ideas you need. Have a look at this charming film from Youtubes Aaron1912 called Edwardian Girls and then check out how to Roll your hair like a Gibson Girl.







The Gibson girl, was essentially an american icon, and was applied to young women generally. She was known as ' the new woman' - she worked independently from men, and was usually politically active, seeking the womens vote.

Downton Abbey

 In the 1948 Vogue Magazine published an interesting retrospective on Charles Dana Gibson with a recreation of his illustration from The Weaker Sex. as photographed by Horst

copyright Glamourdaze 2011

Norma Jean vs Marilyn Munroe

Norma Jean Vs Marilyn Munroe - You decide.

Personally we think it's a no brainer. Marilyn was a fantasy, magnificently played by Norma Jean Baker.
Above are images of the young Norma Jean and below of Marilyn Munroe. Finishing off with some images taken near the end of her short life, which show a more worldly wise person, perhaps the real Norma Jean again. A beautiful woman nonetheless who will forever be the Queen of Glamour.

 
The Real Norma Jean

Edwardian Fashion - Restored Two Tone Color Film

By the 1910s, womens fashion moved away from the Gibson Girl corsetted s-bend silhouette look of Edwardian Fashion, to a softer more flowing look with the new popular asian and oriental styles of the likes of Paul Poiret. A tunic over a long underskirt became the norm until the advent of the 1920's. This little film, restored in two tone color, displays the fashion of designer: Lady Lucille Duff-Gordon, who survived the Titanic along with her husband Cosmo.Thanks to Mark Green for this information.

1940's Women - X-Ray Glamour

1940's X Ray Beauty

Yes - isn't science marvellous. Now a woman can be x-rayed into radioactive beauty nirvana. Back in the 1930's and 1940's, the new radiology invention was used - a little over used perhaps, for shoe fitting with the Shoe Fitting Fluoroscope.

Shoe Fitting - X Ray Fluoroscope.

This film shows a woman 'exposing' herself in the interests of science for the new x-ray motion picture. Later we see a woman getting her ankle bones zapped supposedly to aid in the design of an accelerator pedal. That certainly should have nicely advanced her osteoporosis in the years to come.

1940s X-ray of womans shoe

The 1950's Womans Beauty Salon

1950's womans beauty salon

Here we have an archive film exploring the mysteries of a 1950's woman's beauty salon, and though still run by men - it was the 1950's after all -  there is a noticeable absence of the usual patronizing narrator in this film compared to many of the 1950's beauty instruction films of that era.

Nail care 1950s style

The way to beauty in the 1950's was not the most attractive.But the admiring glances were worth it. The 1950s woman went  to the beauty shop for special facial treatments, bringing a look of health and youth.
A manicurist shaped and polished a woman's nails to accentuate the length and gracefulness of long tapering fingers. Knowledge of skincare and facial structure was something a beautician learned as an apprentice. Her fingers were the tools with which she always worked. The direction in which they moved - the rhythm of the massage performed another kind of beauty magic.The beauty of a 1950's woman's hands were as important to her as her face, hair and clothing - if she was to feel well dressed and at ease.



Instant download 1950's beauty guides from Vintage Make-up Guide.

1920's Women in Colour - Beautiful

Not very often does one come across color imagery of women's fashion and dress looks from the 1920's, but the National Geographic Stock Online have some stunning color photographs for sale of late 1920s women from different parts of the world - all taken around the same time period.
Feast your eyes on these examples.

1920's woman in Oxford - 1928 - Clifford R Adams - National Geographic

Two young 1920s women - Belfast - 1928 - National Geographic - Clifford R Adams

1920s Flapper - National geographic- Neal P Davis

Two Flappers - Arizona - 1929 - National Geographic - Clifford r adams

Mexican woman - Brownsville Texas - National Geographic

Two 1920s women buying ice cream - Cornwall 1928 - National Geographic

Two german women - 1929 - Cologne - Wilhelm Tobien - National Geographic

1920s woman - Glouchester, mass - National Geographic

Women Archers - Austin Texas - 1928 - National Geographic

Woman - Isle of Wight - 1928 - National Geographic

Two 1920s women - Laredo Texas - Cliffors R Adams - National Geographic

 The last one is my favourtite - it's like a French master. And there's so much more over at National Geographic. Enjoy.
To get the 1920s Make-up look - visit Vintage Make-up Guides !

Rare 1930's Colour Fashion Film

Presenting some of the ' latest ' Paris creations from early 1930's womens dress. Gowns and Frocks by King's El Centro, California, 1931.Originally broadcast by Fashion Features Studios.

1930's Spring suit - worn by Miss Phyllis Crane

1930's Fashion Show  - Colour Archive Film

Notice the tailored cutaway and clever stitching.Also, note that the tuck in blouse and lining of the jacket carry out a fine stripe, which promises to be very good this spring.

1930's Afternoon Frock - worn by Miss Mary Philbin.

This model is an adaptation of a Chanel, featuring the new length, the moulded hip line and the high waist. It is fashioned from imported net, printed in a dainty green and white design.A soft caped collar enhances the shoulder line.

1930's Sports suit - worn by Miss Polly Walker

A lovely rose shade.This three piece ensemble is ideal for sport wear. Notice the new blouse long jacket, fitting snuggly over the hips when buttoned. Won't this be ideal on the lakes this spring?

You can download original vintage make-up and beauty guides now.
Learn the art of 1920's make-up, 1930's make-up, 1940's make-up and 1950's women's make-up and beauty styles

Copyright Glamourdaze 2011

Jane Russell and that infamous Bra !

Source - Wikipedia

 Jane Russell RIP

Jane Russell passed away today at the sprightly age of 89 years.
She shot to fame in Howard Hughes film The Outlaw, but is best remembered we think today in her
dazzling performance alongside Marilyn Munroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
To paraphrase  Marlene Dietrich - She was some kinda Dame ! 

Regarding the infamous 'lift and separate' underwired bra designed by Howard Hughes in The Outlaw, Jane Russell recently revealed that she never wore ' the horrible thing' and in fact wore her own bras throughout the entire film, adding tissues to cover unsightly lines. Hughes, by all accounts never knew the difference.
RIP Jane .
Glamourdaze 2011