1960s Fashion Inspiration: Who Are You Polly Maggoo?

From Criterion: After nearly a decade as American Vogue‘s most subversive fashion photographer, William Klein made this wild, pseudovérité incursion into the world of Parisian haute couture. Elegant, scathing humor ties together the various strands of this alternately glamorous and grotesque portrait of American in Paris Polly Maggoo (Dorothy MacGowan), an Alice in Wonderland supermodel who becomes the pinup plaything of media hounds and the fragmented fantasy of haunted Prince Igor (Sami Frey). Klein’s first fiction film is a daring deflation of cultural pretensions and institutions, dressed up in brilliant black and white.

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This is one of the penultimate fashion movies of the 1960s. According to William Klein, Dorothy MacGowan retired from modeling after this movie was released. The amazing Peggy Moffitt also puts in a few cameos (see below). All screen caps were done by me - please enjoy! Please click on the images for a closer view - it's worth it!

French New Wave Treasury @ Etsy

I've been using Etsy since 2006 and finally got around the creating a treasury this morning. The theme is French New Wave cinema:

Be sure to click on the screen capture to see it full-size. Also, here's the link to the actual treasury!

Images from Collection Elegance Paris, 1966

Here are a few images that I've scanned from Collection Elegance Paris - an amazing fabric catalog from 1966 which features all sorts of gorgeous designer clothes. What's really neat is that there are swatches for every single piece of fabric shown in the catalog - everything from Irish linen to Italian wool! And these fabrics were insanely expensive for the time - $12.50 per yard for Italian wool in 1966!

Model striking an iconic 1960s pose.

Lovely suit in teal linen with a polka dot blouse.

The scalloped collar on this jacket is to die for!

I love the matching green hat, large green glasses and floral brooch.

Such a pretty pink pleated dress!

White double-breasted coat with green piping = LOVE.

On the sewing front, I've been busy finishing up a few UFOs (unfinished objects). Most of them are projects that I just lost interest in halfway through, but I'm tired of the clutter so my goal is to finish them by the end of the month! There is a blouse from a Simplicity Cynthia Rowley pattern, a 4-panel skirt from a 1970s pattern, and a 1940s blouse with a bow collar. I will be posting them as I finish!

There's a Chill in the Air!

From a 1968 Mademoiselle magazine: amazing sweaters, wool skirts, scarves and hats!

A Little 1960s Inspiration....Just Because!

I have a bad habit of saving random images onto my computer without keeping track of where they came from. I saved all of these images because they are connected to the 1960s in one way or another and, well, I LOVE 1960s fashion.

When I lived in Los Angeles many many years ago, I was fortunate enough to attend a 1960s "Mods and Rockers" themed film festival at the Egyptian Theatre. I had already been long-obsessed with 1960s pop culture, but this specific event is what inspired me to teach myself how to sew with the hope that I would eventually be able to make my own 1960s style dresses. Hopefully you will find these images as inspiring as I have!

Models from the 1966 film Where Are You, Polly Maggoo?

Mia Farrow during the filming of Rosemary's Baby.

Twiggy wearing the most exquisite babydoll mini dress!

Amazing 1960s color block dress.

Lush red babydoll dress with all of the most drool-worthy details (sheer balloon sleeves, pintucked bodice, buttons and a bow!).

Linen color block dress with a keyhole peek-a-boo bodice.

Sylvie Vartan wearing a snappy Peter Pan collar dress and jacket.

I love oddly-shaped collars like this one! These were used heavily during the 1960s, especially on little girls' dresses.

Detail of a stunning layered petal petal bodice from a 1960s Vogue Couturier pattern.

Completed Project: 1960s Plaid Mod Blouse

I actually finished this blouse several days ago, but put off taking photos until yesterday. Taking photos is one of my least favorite things to do. My camera is an older one, and if I try to take photos without a flash, the resulting photos always turn out blurry (thus two mildly blurry photos below). The finished garments always look much lovelier in person, so my photos never do them justice. Sigh!

Here is the mod blouse that I made from the pattern and fabric shown at the end of this post. This is an almost perfect blouse! I successfully lined up all of the plaids at the front and the sides. I did, however, manage to mess up the cuffs at the very last minute. Instead of affixing the button to the under lap extension and the buttonhole to the overlap, I switched them. I didn't realize the error until after I had made and cut the buttonhole. So the cuffs are backwards (and are sticking out and look like men's dress shirt cuffs). However, unless you are a sewer, I think it's pretty unnoticeable. It has rather boxy fit and will look much better tucked into a fitted skirt or a pair of trousers (both of which I have yet to make!).

Photo taken with a flash to show the details of the fabric, which has a lovely color combination. There are sparkly gold lines that are a part of the plaid that you can't see in the other photos. A flash is good for something, I suppose!

Showing off one of the backwards cuffs with a contrasting button that I made from bits of the leftover plaid fabric.

The one addition that I had to make. Since the fabric is pretty lightweight, the top corner kept popping out from under the collar. I had to sew on a snap to keep it in place and it's invisible under the collar.

It only took me 4 hours from start to finish to make this blouse. The fabric is a lightweight cotton plaid cotton that I purchased from Jo-Ann's for $3.00 (labeled as a juvenile novelty fabric!) and the collar and cuffs are made from mustard yellow quilter's cotton. Total cost, including buttons: just under $6.00.

And here is a wrinkled muslin that I made of the Burda Style Marilyn trousers! Amazingly, the only alteration I need to make is to let out the waistband by 1"! Everything else fits perfectly...I was pretty shocked! For anyone who wants to make these, the construction is super-easy. Although it's a muslin and I quickly machine sewed what I would usually finish by hand (like the waistband and the hem), they only took 2 hours to make.

I'm in love with the pleats! These have a very low vote on Burda Style right now - only 2 out of 5 stars. I don't understand why since they are a classic trouser design. The tapered legs, which are the trendiest thing about them, could be easily adjusted for a fuller fit. I have a curvier figure and the high waist and pleats work for me. In other words, they don't make me look huge which is what I believe a lot of others think these trousers will ultimately do.

Joan Holloway....BEFORE Joan Holloway!

I found this vintage Advance sewing pattern about a year ago and saved it because the illustration of the lady in blue reminded me so much of Joan Holloway from Mad Men. She has literally the same hairstyle (plus the red hair!) and, of course, this is an early 1960s Mad Men era pattern! What do you think of the uncanny resemblance?

Patterns of the Week (Returns!)

Here is the re-launch of my annual "patterns of the week" post! All of these patterns are from my Etsy favorites list and they are all pretty much too cool for school!

I'm going to let you in on a little secret - I don't really like to wear dresses very often. I think it's the perpetual tomboy in me who yearns to constantly wear denim trousers and t-shirts. I do love skirts, though, so this pattern offers the perfect compromise. $10.00 from bluettecourt.

Super-cool mid 1960s pattern inspired by Mondrian color blocking that was popularized in clothing by Yves St. Laurent. $14.99 from Mysweetiepiepie.

The dress is kind of plain, but that trapeze jacket with the Peter Pan collar and bow tie closure is cute-as-can-be!!! Only $6.00 from C8H10N4O2.

I'm a huge fan of blouses/tops with yokes. Plus, this is a 1970s pattern, so it's been hard to resist buying this one! $4.95 from BlueCatVintage.

Sigh...how I LOVE 1970s Betsey Johnson sewing patterns! $15.00 from SophieBeatrice.

I couldn't resist spreading the word about this discontinued Alexander Henry fabric with a 1970s models theme. I have no idea what you would make from it since the print is kind of busy (maybe a purse or a throw pillow), but I still love it because it's truly bizarre! $10.50 per yard from enzedr.

Vintage Sewing Ephemera on Etsy!

Here are a few pieces of vintage sewing ephemera that I found on Etsy tonight! If I could, I would buy them all but, since I can't, I want to share them with the world!

At one time, home sewing was so prevalent that Simplicity published a magazine for "domestic science" students. I imagine this was given away free of charge to a ton of home ec students in 1961! Found at GlassOfFashion.

Eeeee - a plaid jacket with contrasting yokes, hood and cuffs! I can barely contain my excitement about this!!! I'm completely serious. For a mere $15.00, this 1974 issue of Burda magazine will supply you with 64 patterns! Found at PatternPyg.

A neat-o collection of McCall's and Simplicity fashion news magazines (another freebie given away at fabric stores). Found at GoodAndOld.

"Leisure, Fashion and Sewing." That is just so perfect! This particular issue of Swedish sewing magazine Elna has full-size patterns for a pinafore dress and wide-leg trousers among several others! Found at VintageVice.

Saving the best for last. Yes, I am in awe of the strawberry border print fabric that was used to make this smock top/dress. And the good news is that, if you buy this issue of Golden Hands Monthly, you will be able to make your own version of this smock top/dress since a multi-size pattern is included! Found at LuckyGirlTrading.