Tippy and her raven

via: stirredstraightup.blogspot.com/2011/06/bird-in-hand.html

Victorian Gothic literature - "The Grave - A Poem"

I came across this beautiful blog (Graphicsfairy) through another very inspiring blog called jasminstudiocrafts. If you are an artist/designer who works with mixed media, it is always very grateful to find people who collect amazing stuff and don't mind to share it for free. I have seen people on places like for example etsy, charging for images that
a. have not been manipulated or "worked" by themselves
...and B. they are clearly free and copyright-free because I had already seen them somewhere else before.
Anyway, among beautiful "halloween" and lots of other victorian pictures, engravings and illustrations. The following two got my attention.
They belong to a book published in London in 1808. Titled "The Grave, a poem", it features pictures depicting dead bodies with their respective souls. The one below, it says:
"The soul hovering over the body reluctantly parting with life...how wishfully she looks on all she's leaving, now no longer her's"
I have to point out that the cover of the book has been slightly "photoshop-ed" by the the blogger (She covered the genitals of the man with a leaf, as he was completely naked in the original cover) I don't mind her doing that but I have to say, I find that strange, very un-typical of victorian times actually, as they used to cover anything they could....
I wonder how many celtic carvings have been sabotaged in the name of "modesty"!.

Have a look at these two blogs, they deserve a visit.
http://jasminstudiocrafts.blogspot.com/
http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/

Elizabeth Taylor, R.I.P

1930s, the decade of Glamour

After the "tomboy" look of the 1920s, there was a return to a more grown-up and sexier look that will characterize not only the 30s but also the 40s and 50s.
In the 30s clothes were still simple but feminine and became even more sophisticated and glamorous at night.
Feminine curves were highlighted through the use of the bias-cut in dresses (this technique allowed the fabric to drape better and therefore the garment would fit like a glove, similar to the effect that jersey/stretch fabric offers).

Through the mid-1930s, the natural waistline was often accompanied by emphasis on an empire line. Short bolero jackets, capelets, and dresses cut with fitted midriffs or seams below the bust increased the focus on breadth at the shoulder. By the late '30s, emphasis was moving to the back, with halter necklines and high-necked but backless evening gowns with sleeves. Evening dresses with matching jackets were worn to the theatre, nighclubs, and elegant restaurants.

Skirts remained at mid-calf length for day, but the end of the 1930s Paris designers were showing fuller skirts reaching just below the knee; this practical length (without the wasteful fullness) would remain in style for day dresses through the war years.

ACCESSORIES

Gloves were "enormously important" in this period. Evening gowns were accompanied by elbow length gloves, and day costumes were worn with short or opera-length gloves of fabric or leather.

Another key piece in the 30s was fur: extravagants pieces of fur decorating the garments or worn as wraps or coats were the final touch to finish that sophisticated look.

HAIR

Short hair remained fashionable in the early 1930s, but gradually hair was worn longer in soft or hard curls.

Hats were worn for most occasions, almost always tipped to one side and decorated with bits of net veiling, feathers, ribbons, or brooches.

Info taken from this link: wikipedia

Retro is back!

After having apeek to the last catwalks, I'm so thrilled for this winter to come! (I've never been a summer person ayway....maybe 'cause I'm spanish and sunlight is not a big deal to me).

Anyway, after last winter's doom and gloom we will still expect more drama but this time with a stronger vintage "allure". As I said in my previous post, the current crisis shares too many similarities with the Great Depression (hence the strong 1930s influences in next winter's collections). If you look carefully at some collections the silouettes, textures and colours are very depression like. Even so more than the characteristic opulent Old Hollywood style of the same era. If you don't know what 1930s fashion is exactly, I will explain it in my next post.

For the moment, enjoy this very 1930s-Film Noir dramatic picture on the left.

(picture of the gorgeous burlesque performance Lydia LoveLace, photographed by Nik Pickard). (Hope they don't mind that I use this stunning picture)