Weekend Review: Creative Dressing by Kaori O'Connor

 

Creative Dressing / Kaori O'Connor
Boston, MA: Routledge & Kegan Paul, c1981.
192 p.

This is a book from 1981 that I found at a thrift shop - I don't think it would be published today, due to the items included being on the cultural appropriation spectrum. However, it is an interesting look at what was "designer" influenced in the late 70s, and does give some insight into more traditional items of clothing and the fact that many of them are zero or low waste by design. 

It's made up of about half sewing and half knitting patterns -- I'm only commenting on the sewing ones, as I have no knowledge of knitting so can't judge those ones other than by appearance. The sewing patterns include items like a basic mock-kimono, poncho top and skirt, Balinese trousers, Indochinese jacket, Ottoman Kusak Dressing Gown, Indian shirt dress, fabric shoulder bag, Singapore Pyjamas, Tartar Khalat Coat, Chinese jacket and side slit skirt and Translyvanian Peasant Shirt. 

These are all presented on graphs ready for scaling up - that tells you how straightforward most of the pattern pieces are. Alongside these are copies of 70s chic designer outfits like a sundress, t-shirt dress, or bodysuit (among others) as well as the insertion of a few nightgowns & historical outfits. This book covers it all. 

The styling of these are so 70s and mostly really out of date; the traditional designs are of course timeless but in lovely 70s fabric and photography so you really have to look past that to the style lines. There are a bunch of designs offered by a variety of other designers in addition to the traditional items I was most interested in. But, the sizing is TINY. I think the biggest waist size for skirts & trousers was 28" as far as I could tell. And most of the items are one size, for a bust between 34-38" if they are voluminous at the waist.

If you take this as a visit to the past, it can show you a lot. And the basic outlines of classic patterns were interesting to examine. I was particularly interested in the Peasant Shirt, as the basic shape is similar to a Ukrainian vyshyvanka, which I'd like to make for myself this year. However, other than as a 70s redux I'm not sure that this book is actually all that practical for modern sewists. Also, the wholesale use of designs across multiple cultures is a bit cringe-worthy these days.  Still, I found it weirdly compelling - all that 70s glamour... Rather eye dazzling. This is one to flip through for its retro interest, but not to truly recommend. 

Weekend Review: The Beautiful Fall

The Beautiful Fall: Fashion, Genius, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris / Alicia Drake
Back Bay Books, 2006.
448 p.

I wasn't sure what to expect of this book, an in-depth study of the fashion rivalry of Yves St Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld throughout the 70s and into the 80s. But that gorgeous cover sure sucked me in!

As it turns out, I found this book enthralling and engrossing. It's based in over 500 interviews with people connected to both designers, and is written with a flowing and fast paced style, which makes it easy to read despite its nearly 450 pages.

I think it is also so fascinating because both Lagerfeld and St Laurent are a bit mysterious with huge mythic stories built up around them. St Laurent was a recluse and Lagerfeld always embellished on his past, making both of them a bit chimeric; what is the truth? Even here, with all Drake's excellent research and investigation, they both still end up with a veil of glamour and mystery surrounding them.

The book investigates the lives of both designers, from their childhoods on, leading to their huge levels of success in the 70s and especially in the case of Lagerfeld, on into the 80s. Drake also outlines the rivalry between them, and the effect it had on the social circles that they both belonged to. The two men come off as quite different in character; while St Laurent was charming, mercurial, debauched, and eventually reclusive, Lagerfeld was a constant outsider whose entire focus was his work, and he never stopped working.

But the book is really about them as individuals, and about their place as key players in the glamorous world of fashion in 70s Paris. The people who surrounded them will be well known to anyone with a passing interest in fashion -- from their business partners and muses to fashion people like models Pat Cleveland or Donna Jordan, to celebrities like Mick Jagger and Paloma Picasso, Paris was the centre of the fashionable world, and these two designers were at the top of it. There's not a heavy focus on the actual work of creating fashion, besides mentions of various important collections, or who worked for whom, and the rising and falling stars of either man. It's much more of an in-depth look at the characters of these two and how their personalities and surroundings and ambitions shaped their lives, their work, and their rivalry.

And there is a lot of gossip -- the people in these circles were unbelievably louche -- they stayed up all night dancing, pairing off, fighting viciously, taking massive amounts of drugs, throwing parties, flitting about with the trendy people of the moment, switching partners or taking others' partners for the fun of it -- you name it, you'll find it here. The elements of sexuality and the free drug use are somehow innocent before the era of crack and AIDS, though -- it was the joy of freedom in the city, especially for gay men who were just starting to be able to openly live as they pleased.

Drake captures the spirit of the era, and really digs into the stories surrounding these two men. She doesn't shy away from outlining the mental health issues that caused a lot of St Laurent's more atrocious behaviour, or from refuting Lagerfeld's ever-changing stories about his birth date and the circumstances of his upbringing (each time he told it, it changed to a more elaborate and aristocratic youth). Lagerfeld even tried to have the publication of this book halted, and succeeded in having it briefly unavailable in France; but it has certainly surpassed that slight hitch by now.

I found this more than just gossipy, though; Drake, a journalist, is able to capture something special. There is a depth and a warmth to the telling that makes every character compelling, every lost soul a  tragedy; there is a melancholy that doesn't slide into sentimentalism, or stop her from revealing the ugly sides as well as the beauty and achievement.  It was a good read beyond just being a fashion bio -- it's a cultural history of this era and captures so much. The writing style suits the story and keeps the detail from being overwhelming, instead it is paced just right. I think that the level of primary research she did, via so many interviews, added to the complexity of her portrayals and the authority that comes through in her storytelling.

There is a centre insert of some black & white photos, a handful. When I think of Lagerfeld I think of his latest incarnation with white hair, sunglasses and high collars, but there are images of him throughout his career in his many guises. It's a nice collection of images of some of the most important and most frequently mentioned players in the story, and adds to the reading experience.

As far as designer bios go, this is one of the best I've read. I really enjoyed it, despite shaking my head at the lifestyles of their social circles and the kinds of things they got up to regularly. If you like fashion history that is also an investigation into the psyche of a designer and their milieu, I think you'd like this one a lot too.

Weekend Review: The Illustrated Hassle-Free make your own clothes book

The Illustrated Hassle-Free Make Your Own Clothes Book /
Sharon Rosenberg & Joan Wiener
San Francisco: Straight Arrow Books, c1971.
154 p.

I couldn't believe it when I saw this book at Open Library -- I remember this book from an old library collection, I read it probably 30 years ago. It cracked me up!

Rereading it now, it's not as loosey-goosey as I'd recalled. Less so than the most recent book I reviewed from the late 60s, by a fashion designer! This book still recommends and talks about details like facings and hems, although the clothes are kind of popover hippie styles.

And boy oh boy, is this book groovy! The authors want to put the power back into your hands to make your own clothes, for many reasons that you might imagine a hippie commune kind of person would share. The blurb is charmingly quirky and so, so 70s.

Here is the straight-up dope on how to make your own clothing. With or without patterns, machines, or fancy materials—anyone can do it! Got some old clothes that you love and that fit well? Use them as patterns for new ones. Want something new and spectacular, something that fits right along where your head is moving? Cut up, remodel, add on, and let your old stuff evolve!

Also:

There are actually some useful ideas and designs, though. Even if the pattern diagrams are all wonkily hand drawn, they are still readable and clear. The patterns are pretty simple; lots of quick body measurements and a caftan, poncho, skirt, tunic or bikini is yours. They do share ideas like adding hoods to kaftans, or extra neckline details, or trim - lots of ways to make things look a little more complex.

I did find this one had enough detail that you could tell the authors actually sewed, though. And I liked their approach to mending and upcycling -- a quick wedge of fabric in your jean seams and you've got yourself some groovy bell bottoms. A bit of embroidery -- even better. They do have some instruction for more complicated things like set in sleeves, nonetheless. And good basics like how to choose the right fabric for your project.

If you want to make up some simple silhouettes by hand, and want a bit of earnest anti-capitalism at the same time, with charming 70s hand done illustrations, check this one out! I actually feel that this one is more than a period piece, that you could actually use their instructions to get something wearable even now. Avoid the garish florals or groovy velvets perhaps, but the looser fitting silhouettes can still be worn.

There is a good section near the end on making belts, scarves, pouches, bags etc from the smaller offcuts, and using them for children's clothes and toys as well. Lots of thought about recycling and reducing waste, and much of it still very useful.

I recall that I thought of this one as a bit too dated when I first read it; but it has been so long since I first saw it that I now think of it as charmingly retro! It has been really enjoyable to revisit it thanks to Open Library. 

That 70s Thing

For some reason, a couple of weeks ago I had an overpowering urge to make a 70s style long vest. I was feeling nostalgic about a thrifted, long, knit vest that I had in the early 90s (long gone) which was pea green, cream and orange -- I wore the heck out of that thing. It was nicer than it sounds ;)

I had the perfect lightweight, stretchy sweater knit in my stash, picked up last year on sale at my local Fabricland, just enough for this vest. I'd bought it originally because I loved the colours and thought I could make a cardi or something like that at some point. This was the time to use it!

I had some difficulty figuring out which pattern to use, though. The shape of the vest was very specific in my mind, to reflect that old original piece. Which meant no modern waterfall or shawl collar, just unfussy finishing. I thought about using a cardigan pattern and lowering the armscye a little, or adapting something else, but finally I came across this wardrobe pattern in my pattern stash, Simplicity 1593.

This vest was essentially what I wanted, with only a narrow band finishing the front edges. So I went for it.

This was an easy sew, even with the soft and springy knit. I used a narrow zigzag (.5 wide, 2.5 long) in the perfect grey that just disappeared into the fabric. I cut it with no alterations -- even though I'm only 5'2" and usually shorten everything, I wanted a really long duster style vest. The only thing I did which was not in the instructions was to sew the shoulder seams with some seam binding to limit the stretch, and I also topstitched down all the seam allowances -- because you can't see the topstitching at all I thought this would be the best way to keep the inside looking neat, as it is quite visible when I move around.

I really love this piece -- it turned out exactly as I had pictured it, which doesn't happen too often! I also wore it exactly as I'd pictured it, with my favourite basic dress, Kwik Sew 3559 (which I only made just before Christmas but have worn many times since - it goes with everything). I added a fabulous thrifted necklace in the perfect colours, and also my favourite thrifted shoes. So all in all I was feeling quite fabulously 70s today, in the best possible way.