Swing Fashionista » 1930s

Vintage photographer in focus: Fabulous Elmer Fryer

Michelle — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:55:15 +0000

Elmer Fryer was another wonderful photographer of Hollywood stars and celebrities. When I think of vintage Hollywood – Fryer and Hurrell always come to mind instantly. Fryer joined Warner in 1929 and during the 1930s he took portraits of Bette Davis, Kay Francis, Barbara Stanwyck, Myrna Loy, Louise Brooks, Loretta Young, Ann Dvorak, James Cagney, Errol Flynn, Henry Fonda and many other Warner Brothers stars. Sadly, Fryer died young at age 46, only 3 years after he left Warner Brothers in 1941. But, he left us a wonderful legacy to share in his photography.

I love the way Fryer designed his shots by using poses to suit the subject and to enhance their beauty. He seemed to have an uncanny sense of style and there is such an elegance to his work, especially with his use of black and white props, clothing and deep shadows. I adore the shot of Errol Flynn as I think it captures his personality perfectly – the handsome, cheeky, Aussie larrikin.

* All pics are linked back to their original sources

Vintage photographer in focus: Simply stunning Steichen

Michelle — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:26:21 +0000

I was pulling out some of my books on vintage photography today and was reminded of how much I love Edward Steichen. I adore his simple lines and the way uses shadow and light. Steichen’s photos of gowns designed by Paul Poiret in the magazine Art et Décoration in 1911 are some of the very first modern fashion photographs and he helped define an era of glamour and elegance. Along with fashion work, he also photographed stunning portraits of movie stars and well-known faces of the day including Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo, Anna May Wong, Pola Negri, Loretta Young, Lilian Gish, Amelia Earhart and Joan Crawford. Hope you enjoy these classic images.

http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/steichen/

Vintage colour swatch…yowza yellow

Michelle — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:23:18 +0000

So, I thought I would do something fun and write a regular post every 2 weeks that focuses on a particular colour. I will also include pics showing all sorts of vintage fashion items that were produced in varying shades of that colour, hopefully to inspire some new outfit combinations in the future and some possible purchases.

Yellow: I chose yellow today because I was inpsired by a superb pale buttery yellow, early 1940s dress in my collection, and funnily enough – a 40s handbag to match. Not a colour I would probably wear myself, but lovely nontheless.

In my mind, yellow clothing always screams warm weather and sunny days. So, since it is summer here in Perth, a yellow gathering of items it will be for this post And oh so many shades…from canary and lemon to mustard, pale yellow and daffodil! Have also included one modern item in this group…but it is very worthy of being here

* Please note that all photos are linked back to their original source.

1930s Men’s fashion snap shots: 1

Michelle — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:00:49 +0000

Everyday men of the 1930s. Such wonderful shots of men relaxing, going about their everyday business and hanging out with friends. Even the casual clothing of the day never looks just ‘thrown together’. The various pieces of each ensemble always appear to be chosen with care. I LOVE the third pic from the top. Those chaps look like they are having a ball! Thanks to The Sartorialist for the last 4 pics.

Photo: Brian Hilligoss

Photo: Tin Trunk

Merry Christmas!

Michelle — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 07:21:24 +0000

Just a wee note from me for the holidays. Look forward to writing more articles and sharing my love of all things vintage with you in 2012. Have a safe Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Michelle

Vintage Christmas cuties…

Michelle — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:30:58 +0000

Just because it’s the festive season…and these are all so lovely. The 1st Carole Lombard pic (2nd row right) is simply stunning. Can you guess who the first lovely lady is? It’s Lucille Ball.

Vintage colour swatch…burgundy beauties

Michelle — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 07:38:57 +0000

So, I thought I would do something fun and start writing a regular post every 2 weeks that focuses on a particular colour. I will also include pics showing all sorts of vintage fashion items that were produced in varying shades of that colour, hopefully to inspire some new outfit combinations in the future.

Burgundy. It’s rich, dark, sensual and one of my favourite clothing colours, along with darker greens, browns, rusts, reds, black and navy. I’m not much of ‘bright colour’ girl (much to my father’s disgust…he always comments that I ‘wear too much black’) and I tend to accessorise with brighter pieces or wear a bright shirt with darker skirt/trousers etc. Burgundy usually screams winter and autumn to me but I do have items in cottons and linens in lighter shades and funnily enough; a pair of vintage suede burgundy lace up oxford shoes! Hope you enjoy this collection.

Top Picks: Ralph Lauren Spring 2012

Sharon — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 02:16:59 +0000

Ralph Lauren fully embracing the 1920s trend for the season, in anticipation of Baz Luhrman’s The Great Gatsby…

1930s beach and lounging pyjamas…how I love thee

Michelle — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 01:54:35 +0000

As a lover of 1930s fashion, in my humble opinion one of the most stylish garments to emerge from the 20s and 30s were beach or ‘lounge’ pyjamas. They just ooze elegance and sophistication and are visually very iconic. Until the 1920s, pyjamas were pretty much only worn as sleepwear, then sometime in the 1920s they made their way outdoors as a cover-up over swimming costumes on the beaches of the French Riveria. When crepe pyjamas were first worn at the seaside, trouser wearing women were rare sight and still very much confined to beach and promenade areas.

The trend took off all over the globe (the photo above is from the UK) and beach pyjamas soon also became casual-wear for less formal outdoor events in the warmer months. Many women took to wearing them around the home as ‘lounging pyjamas’ when entertaining or just relaxing.

In the 1920s, beach or lounge pajamas were usually a top and trouser set with matching jacket. By the 1930s, one-piece, jumpsuit-style pajamas were very popular and many featured a very wide leg. Fabric like shantung, linen or cotton was accepted for the for beach and lounging pajamas, but as they became widely popular in the 1930s, many were also available in rayon. Pyjamas were made in an amazing array of bold colors and patterns, as you will see in some of pictures and old advertisements I have added here. Many of the patterns were influenced by Japanese and Chinese art which was seen as very exotic at that time.

With lounge pyjamas a new category of clothing emereged: resort wear. With it’s bright designs and lightweight fabrics, resort wear was all about relaxing and holidaying and even today, when viewing the elegant vintage posters advertising these garments, I immediately think of luxury yachts, beaches, boardwalks and sunny weather. I have a wonderful 1930s Australian travel poster advertising Bondi Beach and all the women illustrated wearing beach pyjamas. With our weather here in Oz – they must have a been a blessing back in the day

Stars like Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford had a lot to do with making lounging pyjamas extremely popular worldwide as they donned them in several of their movies during the 1930s and women everywhere took notice.

I hope you enjoy some of my favourite images here. I regularly wear and own many pairs of high-waisted, flowy, wide legged trousers, which I find extremely flattering, so I’m a big fan of beach pyjamas. Which reminds me; I am still to make a pair from a Wearing History pattern (below) that I purchased early this year. My friend Lauren has done a wonderful job of putting this pattern together, so if you love lounging PJs, you can now indulge yoursel. Also, thanks to La Mode Pyjama for her wonderful blog containing a collection of beautiful photos, vintage advertising, posters and patterns of beach and lounging PJs. It’s where I pilfered some of these pics from

Carl Erickson Fashion Illustration

Sharon — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:40:52 +0000

Carl Erickson (1891 – 1958) was an American fashion and advertising illustrator from the 1910s through to the 1940s. At the peak of his career, he signed his work “Eric” and was known by this name. He worked a great deal for Vogue in the 1930s and 40s. He had a reputation for being obsessively hardworking. He only ever sketched from live models. For each illustration that appeared in a magazine, he had made dozens of studies. And he was known for bringing his sketchbook with him everywhere he went – to the restaurant, to the theatre – and capturing the elegance he saw around him.