Did you know that Sylvia Plath dreamed of being a fashion editor at “the intellectual fashion magazine” Mademoiselle? She did manage to be chosen out of many young women from Smith College to be one of the special guest editors during the summer of 1953. This is a fascinating book by Elizabeth Winder about what the fashion world was like at this time in New York City, and to be a young woman in that environment. It’s a part of Sylvia Plath’s life that most do not know about. I highly recommend this book you.
Tag Archives: Fashion
Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953
Filed under Books
DO NOT MISS THE CURRENT EXHIBIT AT THE LEGION OF HONOR: It was wonderful!
This current exhibit has a perfect range and amount (not too many and not too little) of clothing that represents the often neglected history of important American designers. Most of the designers included in this exhibit changed the course of not only how American women dressed, but also influenced European designers as well. High Style: The Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection 
Attention All Knitters
If you are a knitter (or even if you are not) be sure to visit Piedmont Yarn. Recently acquired by cheerful and enthusiastic new owners, they carry a wide variety of yarn and accessories related to all aspects of knitting. They continue to offer knitting group/classes for knitters at every level while adding a one to one service that assists knitters who are stuck or need help with a special knitting project.
I really enjoy seeing and touching the different types of beautiful yarn (alpaca, wool, mohair, etc), even though I don’t have the knitting talent….so far!
Filed under Stores
It’s Not Too Late If You Missed Charles James
For those of you that did not have the opportunity to see one of the Metropolitan Museum of New York’s costume Institute’s most highly attended and successful exhibit, Charles James (see review), take heart because he is one of many other important American designers that is going to be included in a new exhibit coming to San Francisco (March 14 – July 19, 2015) called High Style: The Brooklyn Museum of Costume Collection.
This special exhibit will display some of Charles James’s brilliant creations, as well as original sketches and pro-type muslins that reveal the details of his masterfully executed gowns. These examples are all part of the exhibit’s theme, which traces the evolution of fashion from 1920 to 1980. Special attention is made to the pioneering American women designers working in the 1930s and 1940s, such as Bonnie Cashin, Elizabeth Hawes, and Claire McCardell, and their male counterparts, including Norman Norell, Mainbocher, and Gilbert Adrian. This upcoming exhibit is destined to be a huge success, especially in the sense that many of the most brilliant American designers of this period are largely unknown to those outside of the fashion world.
New YSL Movie Review
I am sorry to say that I was very disappointed with the recently released movie about Yves Saint Laurent (YSL). I felt it focused too much on what went wrong in his life, as opposed to all that went right! Sometimes out of the bad news comes good; this negative experience suddenly reminded me of a 2 disc DVD documentary about him that I purchased in 2008. It was at the De Young Museum when they had a fantastic exhibition of his clothing. If you want to know more about Yves Saint Laurent, either about the man himself or about how he worked, this documentary includes both. By using rare footage of him being interviewed and designing, it is a valuable peek into the life and work of one of the most influential designers in the history of fashion.
Filed under Movies
Out Loud: Judith Thurman on Fashion
Just discovered a fantastic podcast of Judith Thurman (author of the Charles James article).
Click Here to listen to the Judith Thurman podcast.
Filed under Video/Podcast
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