Costume Designers: The Exhibitionists

          In the last 100 years since the invention and acceptance of the washing machine, there has been over a 1,000 fold decrease in bespoke and handmade clothing. Beyond the initial higher design cost for something made-to-measure, there is a higher regular use in terms of maintenance both from dry cleaning and ironing. It is something that I give a lot of thought to as Liz Claiborne built an empire that her successor burned to the ground in a few years on the idea that clothing can and should be both good quality and easy care. But that is a discussion for another day.
            Today we are talking about THEATER! Specifically, how amazing I think that costume designers who design for the stage are. My favorite guilty pleasures often come to me thanks to my girl friend, Heather, who let's me borrow her brain from time to time. She's completely into custom and bespoke wear and if I came back rich and didn't have to sing for my supper, the first thing I would do is kidnap her to set-up a custom clothing shop where we made over the top fashion every day with no thought of money. Well, everyone has to have a fantasy. Since I don't see anyone giving me 100k to create works of beauty, I will stick to the practical for now. It's also hard when a custom suit made-to-measure takes roughly 20-30 times more to create plus fitting time compared to a ready-to-wear version.
            However, I always respect my fellow designers who seem to be able to manage what I never could which is making theater and costume one-offs pay. So, I get to watch these beautiful people on tv make things I dream of having the time to do a full-scale production run of. My current favorite is the popular tv show Game of Thrones costume designer, Michele Clapton. I encourage you to go check out her as she's done masterpiece theatre for years for all you snobby types.
She even weaves her own fabric....wow...hardcore.Yum, however...while her pieces have inspired collections, most of the other series I watch for clothing in them generally have to do with the specific quality in cut, not a specific designer. This is mostly because there are several great costume houses which farm out their period collections so it's sometimes hard to detect if you are seeing the actual work of the costume designer's needle trade or simply their ability to beg or borrow from the great houses.

               Take Downton Abbey which I was so into, only to find the pieces were in large part borrowed by Susannah Buxton from various houses instead of all assembled by her. I can't blame her as that show is full of costume changes, but it did make me decide to look less critically at costume designers for stage as few of them probably have the time or inclination to draft hundreds of costumes from scratch every few weeks. I try not to judge people for working smarter, everyone makes sacrifices to pay the bills. I have a portfolio of discarded projects I loved that got tossed for more practical ones. So I love to watch shows as it lets me dream. Alright, besides Game of Thrones, here's 3 more shows I love to watch for the clothing previews:

     Sherlock Holmes which I watch for Holmes's clothing, specifically his coats

     Suits which I watch for all the male lawyers suits. The women's wovens on the other hand are horribly unflattering and seem to result in boob wads which is so prego. BUT the suits are yum.

   Covert Affairs which is all about some hot shoes and zipper dresses. Those things look so impractical, but I love how this show takes risks.


Ok, have a great day and enjoy a little theater from me to you.

Textile Friday: The Fashion 40%

       Ahhh, fashion...the wardrobe spark that makes you, you. This is your voice to express your taste. The hardest, most fickle part of building a wardrobe. Most fashionistas, stylists, and who's who scramble each year to pull out the trends for the season. If you watch the runways, people will talk about this or that being in. How, every 6 months you throw everything away and start over. While this is not true for your core wardrobe, it is often true for a handful of "in" items that are in every season. 99% of the waste and fun of the fashion industry comes from "fashion." Fashion is the little things that make you, you. Think of style as the canvas and fashion as the paint. Fashion is the flirty shoes you have for your date night, your favorite bracelet cuff you wear with your jeans, the hot little top you just can't live without.
         Style.com makes a great "shopping guide" you can see here. These cute earrings are from their spring guide. It will tell you what prints are in and accessories. In general, fashion has a 2 1/2 year turn cycle so you will need to buy 1 piece every season to stay current. This will be 40% of you overall shopping budget. However, the point of fashion is to express your taste not slavishly follow what the "experts" say. In general taste changes with time. The you of today will not necessarily like the things you do 5 years later. And that's fine.
         If you are in love with butterflies, or a particular movie, or something in particular speaks to you, buy it. Don't second guess yourself. This season I'm into the concept of lunch escapes, this fall it will be something different. Fashion accessories are traditionally:

1. Jewelry- Your watch, earrings, necklace, bracelet, etc. Many people will buy an entire set (matching necklace, bracelet, and earrings) instead of just 1 or 2 pieces at time. There's some really great jewelry talent in the area. This is something I particularly love to shop for at arts and crafts shows as a small unique piece of wearable art.

2. Hats- Come and go. Some people never wear them, some people are never without them. Hats in general are the fastest changing items of fashion. They provide a perception of elongating the face so people with short necks or particularly round faces often do well with hats. Choose a hat that goes with your face.

3. Summer Bag- While your everyday leather bag should be the highest quality you can buy, many people have a second summer cloth bag or purse to drag to the park or on vacation that they will switch out every few years. It is often wise to have your bag complimentary to your spring scarf in case the weather leads you to a cross over.

4. Fashion Shoes- I like to think of these as flirty date shoes. But then I have like 12 pairs so no comment. The women's shoe department is called the "shark tank" in retail for a reason. Many guys have summer sandals or tennis shoes.

5. Athletic workout gear- Have a favorite sport, budget it in your fashion wardrobe part. Athletic gear rarely works as long as core wardrobe. Much of it today has spandex which tends to fall apart.

6. Sexy Lingerie/Swimwear- Summer swim trucks or that hot little number? Apply here.

7. Scarves/Prints- Many of the season's prints are lovely on a silk scarf and much cheaper than in a dress. These go really great if lighter colored to flatter your face in the spring when you're washed out from the pale winter season.

8. Winter Scarves, Gloves, Mittens, and Specialty Wear- Alright, I've mentioned the basics, now remember that accessories vary according to your taste. If you live in the tropics, you may want to pick up some beach sarongs, or in New York...a beautiful pair of leather gloves.

             Whatever you buy, enjoy. This is my grandfather's gift to me. I hope that it will keep you in good company as well. I miss him very much and this is my regift to you, my readers of a small portion of the wisdom he lent me. Have a great week and check in next week when we go motorcycle racing.