The Scandalous Ankle

Twiggy leggings

“Hey kid, what’s with the life-preserver?”

-Back to the Future I

Orange puff, multi-colour shirt, jeans, and whacky sunnies? Dont mind if I do!

I also do love a good film and this is one of them!

An evening in Midnight blue. This cue dress is a classic cut. With a sweetheart neck and a boarding 40s design, if you are a woman gifted with curves then this is the style one should wear to compliment herself… no sticks here! This style is almost a little Agatha Christie-esc, hence shooting it in a mysterious setting to set such a mood.Complimented with some simple black Mary-Jane heels and and long evening gloves, the style is set and would be complete with an Opera Coat and 20s head band. It may be a cross of eras but in the end, we can all create our own style with those that should come back into fashion!

Inset (above, midnight blue dress), (left, Marilyn Monroe), (right, Joan Mad Men)

Think vintage! Retro Star vintage shop in Melbourne CBD, and the boyfriends shirt! Their always the most comfortable! Flip up glasses, a little ‘Mad-scientist’ and in saying that a little Doc Brown? You all know you want them!!!

Op- shopping and vintage is back! In fine form! When op-shopping used to be for people who could not afford many luxuries, it is not a real fad.

The first to note in the UK was an oxfam charity shop which opened in 1947.

Pick your stores, and know which ones always have quality things to sell and you’ll keep going back… I insist!

Photo by Benjamin

Fashion

Bring in the classic high-waisted look, think a new version of Sandy’s black outfit from ‘Grease’ and the neck scarf Grace Kelly always flaunted.

History: Inbreeding dogs

The sad history of inbreeding. 

As we know, it is not right for humans to breed to closely into their family.

Around the 1800s, when the rich had lots of money yet were still bored, instead of admiring dogs for their hunting abilities, in-breeding and pedigrees became an event for individuals to take part in. Dog shows began.

As the photos above illustrate, there has been a drastic change in how certain dogs once appeared to how they look today. The above example is of the pug, middle is the Basset hound and below the bulldog. Notice a difference?

But it is merely an example of evolution, but rather defects that have become one with the breed. In pugs, their face has become so flat and rolled that they struggle to breathe and overheat from constantly panting. Their kneecaps are born out of place and they are unable to therefore properly bend their knee. In the Basset Hound, the fat roles are obvious on their legs and drooping from their stomachs. The bulldog jaw line over the centuries has changed dramatically. On the left is the skull of one from around the 19th Century and on the right, one from the breed we know today… see the problem?

But according to the breeding handbook, if one of these breeds appeared as they did so many centuries ago, they would not be deemed correct.

History: 1921-1930

In 1922 James Joyce’s Ulysses was published, now one of the most popular English language novels in history (bottom left). Latinised from Homers ‘Odyssey’ of the late 8th Century BC.

Part I: The Telemachiad
Telemachus, Nestor, Proteus

Part II: The Odyssey
Calypso, Lotus Eaters, Hades, Aeolus, Lestrygonians, Scylla and Charybdis, Wandering Rocks, Sirens, Cyclops, Nausicaa, Oxen of the su, Circe

Part III: The Nostos
Eumaeus, Ithaca, Penelope 

In 1927, Farnsworth demonstrates his model of a working Television (middle) and Georges Lemaitre’s theory of the ‘Big Bang’ arises (bottom right). In 1928 one of the greatest discoveries took place in Fleming’s penicillin took place (top left), forever altering the treatment of bacterial infections. Edwin Hubble (top right) proposed his idea of the expanding universe in 1929, later in his honour the ‘Hubble Telescope’ would be named.

In 1929 an event that changed the world for some time took place. The US stock market crash, the Wall Street Crash, or the Great Depression took place pre World War II on October 29th. The effects were huge, in that both rich and poor suffered financially. In America unemployment rose to approximately 25% and in other countries over 30%. Crop prices dropped more than 60% so many were unable to make money let alone buy goods. by 1932 there were 6million people unemployed in America.

Fashion: 1980

From silhouette fashion, the 1980s brought about loose fitting clothing for both men and women. Ralf Lauren and Calvin Klein became renown brands in a decade when wearing them was important and deemed fashionable. Power dressing, leotards, punk and preppy were styles that both men and woman chose to wear, linking to musical influences from both heavy metal, Michael Jackson and Madonna. Doc Martens and the loose clothing that came from the rap phase were choices as well as large glasses whether they be for sun or sight. Large fitting ‘Happy’ and ‘Parachute’ pants also appeared against the leg warmer.

I cannot continue without mentioning the ‘shoulder pads’ for both men and women, big hair and face paint. Off-shoulder tops, bright colours, tight ‘skinny’ jeans and leggings were also a choice of attire… sound familiar?

Break dancing, cabbage patch dolls, roller skatching and skateboarding (made popular by one Marty McFly ‘Back to the Future’) were fads during the 80s. 

Female music artists such as Janet Jackson, Blondie, Madonna and Cyndi Lauper set fashion trends for women whilst Michael Hutchence, George Michael, Duran Duran, and Queen to name a few, were male artists displaying 80s fashion. Oh

Michael Jackson below… he’s the one in the middle!

The power look with not only men in suits but women wearing both pant suits and big shouldered jackets, represented the working woman.

History: 1911-1920

So what happened during this decade? In 1911, Ernest Rutherford discovered the Atomic theory; in that atoms have positive charges in a single nucleus surrounded by negative electrons.

In 1912, the unsinkable ship the Titanic (which I hope you are all aware of… hint, there was no naked woman on a couch) did just the opposite, it sunk. Unlike the recent event of the capsizing of the Costa Concordia off Italy, the Captain went down with his ship.

Leaving on the 10th of April 1912 from Southampton with 2,224 passengers on board, at 11.40pm on the 14th of April the Titanic tragically struck an iceberg sinking at 2.20am the following morning. It only had 20 lifeboats. 710 survived, whilst 1514 were lost including the ships Captain Edward J. Smith. 

In 1913 on a lighter note, Ford produced its first moving assembly line. Yet for those who may have survived the Titanic tragedy, perhaps their luck had been used when 1914 came around. The Great War of 1914 began arguably due to the assassination of Arch Duke Ferdinand of Austria-Hungry by Princip a young Serbian in June. Austria-Hungry demands Serbia arrests the members of the group The Black Hand, Serbia refuses, Austria-Hungry declares war on Serbia late July. On the first of August Germany declared war on Russia, then France followed by Moltke ordering the Schlieffen Plan (Germany’s strategic plan) to be put into play. On August 4th, German troops entered Belgium and Britain declared war on Germany. 

The sides took the form of the Allies (Triple Entente; UK, Russia and France) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungry and Italy).

The ‘exciting’ time of war was from a 21st Century point of view, rather upsetting. On the 17th of August, Lord Kitchener calls for 100, 000 men to join the war front.

To see so many young men wanting to sign up to fight for their country, not knowing what war really was (only those who fought the Balkan War a few years prior did). 

To name a few events in the war; in April 1915 the Germans used gas at Ypres, the Allied land at the major to say ‘stuff-up’ that was Gallipoli (as they were given the wrong instructions!).

In May the Lusitania (a ‘civilian’ ship) was sunk by the Germans (perfect propaganda for the British to inflate hate amongst the American people seeing many Americans were lost: at one point the British claimed German children were given a day off to celebrate the sinking) killing of its 1,959 passengers, a devastating 1,195 people.

Moving along, Italy’s jumpy attitude to the war was demonstrated with her declaring war on Austria-Hungry in May 1915, followed by Germany’s first ‘Zeppelin’ raid on London which continued throughout. The ‘Tank’ arrived with its first demonstration to British leaders in September 1915 (put into play September 15th 1916), and on the 2nd of February 1916 Britain introduced conscription. Lord Kitchener was killed at sea in June whilst Hindenburg became the German Chief of Staff. November 18th 1916 the Somme Offensive ends (b.July) resulting in the losses of 400,000 to 500,000 men. In December 1916 Lloyd George became the British Prime Minister taking over from  Herbert Asquith. In 1917 The Zimmerman Telegram (a German proposal to Mexico to declare war on America) was intercepted by the British and in turn led to the US entering war in April. Maria Bochkareva of Russia formed the Women’s Battalion of ‘death’ in May 1917 (only to be disbanded by the Bolsheviks in November) before US troops arrived in France in June. Greece joins in declaring war on the Central Powers in June, when King George V with a German names decides to change it to ‘Windsor’ from ‘Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.’ The German Spring Offences commenced in March 1918, when in October the Allied capture the Hindenburg Line. Kaiser Wilhelm II who always wanted his ‘place in the sun,’ abdicated in November. At the beginning of 1919 the Paris Peace conference took place when on the 28th of June the ‘Treaty of Versailles’ was signed.

In 1918 British Women were given the right to vote, followed by the US in 1920.

Fashion

With the eruption of war, the 1940s changed very quickly especially for women. With shortages of everything, including men, life in wartime was a struggle. Women came out of the kitchens and the tight dresses of the late thirties, and into factories, garages, and overalls. In 1941, the style of the frock, was changed to a military type look, used by materials allowing the garment to last several seasons. 

Silk and wool were the main materials which were mainly needed for homefront clothing. The vintage clothing of 1940, was made from rayon, synthetic jersey and other manmade fabrics. There were no longer trimmings and the tailoring was made magnificently. France lost the leadership in leading fashion during this decade due to German occupation, until 1944 when they regained power in the freedom fight.

America looked to their own designers to make ready-to-wear clothing, using materials such as gingham, cotton and denim, innate with brightly coloured playsuits.

 After the war with rationing continuing for another eight years, the fashion did not change until 1947. Here Christian Dior unveiled the American softened silhouette presage which changed the mood dramatically.