Dressing the Stars

Costume designer Edith Head (1897-1981) secured her legacy as Hollywood's best-known costume designer when she received the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science nomination for best Costume Design for the movie Airport '77.  Head worked on more than 1,100 films, received 35 Oscar nominations, and took home eight awards.

In 1923, she was hired by Paramount Studios as a sketch designer, some say using another's sketches. By1938, Head had become that studio's chief costume designer, a position she held until 1967, when she moved to Universal Pictures.

Her first Oscar nomination came in 1949, for the 1948 film The Emperor Waltz, starring Joan Fontaine and Bing Crosby.  Head's first Oscar win came in 1950 for her work in The Heiress, starring Olivia de Haviland.

via pinterest.com

Her trademark "sunglasses" were in fact not sunglasses, but blue lensed glasses.  Using such a lens was common practice during the days of black and white movies. This gave the costumer a sense of what the color would look like on-screen. Head took this one step further and had glasses made to save herself straining to see through just a single lens.

Her career was not without controversy.  For the film Sabrina (1955 winner), Givenchy designed many of the clothes worn by Audrey Hepburn, but was uncredited.  At that time, Givenchy worked for Edith Head. When the Oscar-winning costume designer was announced, Edith Head accepted the statue without mentioning Givenchy's work.  Hepburn was appalled by the snub to her friend, and vowed she would not allow that to happen again. In 1961, Givenchy designed a Little Black Dress for the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany's. His original version showed most of Hepburn's leg, and the studio vetoed the dress.  Edith Head, still head designer, reworked the skirt and filled it with horsehair and lead weights to make it fall the way she wanted.  In this case, however, Givenchy was credited with the design and Head as "costume supervisor."

pictures via pinterest.com

In addition to The Heiress, Edith Head won Academy Awards for the following films:
All About Eve 

Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, George Sanders

photo via allposters.com

Samson and Delilah 

Hedy Lamar

via fanpix.net

A Place in the Sun

Elizabeth Taylor
fashion.telegraph.co.uk

Roman Holiday

www.britannica.com
photo by Paramount Pictures

picture via featherbyfeather.com


Sabrina

via sensefunnel.com
(some sources say this dress is a Givenchy design)


The Facts of Life

sketch for Lucille Ball,
The Facts of Life
via pinterest.com



The Sting

via behind-the-seens.com


 Many classic films list as Edith Head as Costume Designer:  Rear Window, Vertigo, The Birds, To Catch a Thief,  Sweet Charity, Notorious, Rooster Cogburn, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and White Christmas.  She is credited as the designer who put Dorothy Lamour in a sarong.

Below are a few of Head's costumes from the above mentioned films.

 via fineartamerica.com

 via pinterest.com

 Dorothy Lamour in The Hurricane, 1937

Silver Screen Collection

Grace Kelly - To Catch a Thief

via dotsilicon.com

 Katherine Hepburn in Rooster Cogburn
via nymag.com

Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant in Notorious
photo from Archive Photos/Getty Images 

Kim Novak in Vertigo

pinterest.com

Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen in White Christmas

edelweisspatterns.com

from tvtropes.org

 

 Tippi Hedren in the The Birds
www.ew.com

Shirley McClaine in Sweet Charity
journalsinclassicfilm.com

Grace Kelly in Rear Window
clothesonfilm.com

Upon winning her last Oscar for The Sting, her acceptance speech was brief: "Just imagine dressing the two handsomest men in the world and getting this.  I simply couldn't be more happy or more grateful."

Once asked who was her personal favorite actress to dress, she replied, "Grace Kelly.  She is a charming lady, a most gifted actress, and, to me, a valued friend."

Despite all her accolades and Oscars, the project of which she was most proud occurred in the late 1970s, when she designed a woman's uniform for the U. S. Coast Guard. The growing number of women in the military resulted in a need for suitable uniforms.  For this, Head received the Meritorious Public Service Award.

picture from 4yourinformation.files.wordpress.com

Here are some lovely patterns designed by Edith Head offered by members of the Pattern Patter Team on etsy.com.

Advance 8048 from  SelvedgeShop
Advance 8049 from FloradoraPresents
Advance 9296 from ErikawithaK
Prominent Designer A895 SoVintageOnEtsy

Vogue 1560 from allthepreciousthings
Vogue2040 from GreyDogVintage
Vogue 2041 from mbchills
Vogue 2220 from CloesCloset

by kinseysue on etsy

References:

biography.com

IMDb.com

fashion.allwomens.talk.com
classiq.me

Sewing Through the Cinema-Paris When it Sizzles

 by Amy~ViennasGrace

        Get your tissues ready, no not that kind of tissue silly, this isn't a tear jerker.  I'm searching sewing patterns modern and vintage to find the looks featured in classic films. Although it might not be possible to duplicate the exact look, I'll show you how to easily mimic the feeling of the style. Soon you'll see that a silver screen wardrobe is only a pattern away.

Paris When it Sizzles, 1964 Romance Comedy~

Gabrielle Simpson is hired as a young assistant for Richard Benson, a Hollywood screenwriter.  The young and carefree assistant helps Richard get over his writer's block by acting out the possible plots for his upcoming 

film. The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower

With

Audrey Hepburn as Gabrielle Simpson/Gabby 

William Holden as Richard Benson/Rick

Let me just say for the record, this movie is not a favorite of mine. The story line is not that appealing to me, so it's a good thing I'm not a 1960s movie critic. On the other hand Audrey, Audrey, Audrey...need I say more?  There isn't a thing this gal ever wore that wasn't timeless fashion. There are 5 main dresses worn by Audrey in this film.  The gorgeous candy color tutti-frutti-sherbert colors are the perfect canvas for the high fashion simplistic designs from an obviously inspired Hubert de Givenchy.

FEATURING each and every dress by GIVENCHY

The first time we see Audrey in Paris When it Sizzles, she is wearing this pistachio collarless 3/4 length sleeve jacket, with a subtle waist shape lending to a more feminine silhouette, than just a typical boxy jacket.  Hitting perfectly above large flap pockets on her front pleat skirt. The front pleat gives a hint of the bell shaped skirt that is about to become quite s design feature of this film. (behind Audrey of course)

To recreate this look, focus on the jacket following the contour of the waist and hitting slightly at high hip line. The 3/4 lenth also is a plus and keeping it collarless is the big key. The skirt with a curve shape, but not too pencil skirt, pleats will help with this shaping. The more modern pattern here has a boxier style jacket but the symmetrical pleats give a similar shape. 

          patternshop McCall's 5734                                                              RetroFlos Butterick 2435

Two 1960 Vogue patterns one designed by Jacques Heim ( from 1967) and the other by Christian Dior (from 1965) are a slightly off track.  But I just couldn't pass up sharing, they both have such a great 1960s Paris feel.  Either one of these suits would be a fabulous suit substitute for Audrey's pistachio suit, and let us just agree, they have both have Paris written all over them, literally. We should all have one or two suits like this in our closet. go sew it girl! 

DecadesofCharm Vogue 1711                                                retromonkeys Vogue 1484

Here is Audrey in her Ooh-la-la Nightie, It's sweet and it is cute and the most perfect shade of sweet dream blue.  Lace sleeves..got to say it again ooh-la-la, so Paris!

Need I say more, this one is almost a perfect match, I would live in this glamorous night gown as my new around the house fashion.  Hi UPS driver,  Hello PTO parents, well maybe not PTO parents....I'm wearing it! 

SewingPatternStore Vogue 5725

Audrey wears this fabulous tangerine dress throughout a large portion of the film.  Now I have to admit this was a hard style to find a sewing pattern to match all the design elements.  It has a slit neckline, full wing collar, and the back...well it's a quite unexpected contrast, with a soft back drape, the perfect "watch me walk away" statement.  The bodice is fitted and the skirt is a soft version of a bell shape, gathered yet not exaggerated.  

 Being that finding a dress pattern to match both the style features of the front and style features of the back, I focused on the draped back and finding a dress pattern that is sleeveless or cap sleeves. Wow the glamorous patterns I found, take a look! 

Allthepreciousthings Vogue 1045                                                     RomasMaison Vogue 4112

Fragolina Butterick 7653                                                       SoVintageOnEtsy Simplicity 6218                                                 

Here she is in the perfect sleeveless coconut white dress, it must be a slightly stiffer fabric than the tangerine dress, the bell shape is perfectly executed and is simple design at its finest. She has a lavender to give a little color accent to this beautiful crisp white dress.  I think this dress sets a new standard,  we should all be on the hunt for the perfect LWD (little white dress).  go sew it girl!

Pretty perfect fit with this Givenchy pattern from 4 years after the film.  He and Audrey were very close friends and I think he had her in mind with almost every one of his designs.

VirtualVintage Vogue 1700

This pink cotton candy dress makes a quick show to finish off the film.  Again the high fashion bell shaped skirt on this cocktail ensemble, accented by a side waist bow. 

It is a rare thing to see bell shaped skirts anywhere outside of high end designer fashion. This look is easy to obtain though vintage sewing patterns. You will be the talk and envy of all your fashion guru friends. Here's your chance, I love the look and even if you are not ready to express your style with a bell shaped skirt, here are many options with a more fitted skirt and the lovely overblouse like Audrey Hepburn in Paris When it Sizzles.

 allthepreciousthings Simplicity 3662                                     FriskyScissors Advance 9714

PatternsFromThePast Simplicity 5020                                retromonkeys Simplicity 6174

                                    Sydcam123 Vogue 4213              DejaVuPatterns Advance 9583

How can you get all this style into your closet? I told you, pull out your tissues! Pattern tissue that is, go sew it girl!

Here is just a few of the Vintage Sewing Patterns designed by Givenchy, all available from the Fabulous Pattern Pattern Team on Etsy

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TREASURY ON ETSY

Here's another treasury inspired by Paris When it Sizzles, featuring some Pattern Patter Team Vintage Sewing Patterns, along with other fun Etsy finds.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW TREASURY ON ETSY

The relationship between Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy lasted through decades.  The fashion will last a lifetime.