Oriental Dreams

The secret world of the harems was inspiration for myths of opulence, sensuousness and indulgence.
One of the most famous stories is the one about Roxelana, Odaliske and later first wife of Süleyman the Magnificent.

"Nightfall came quickly. A eunuch escorted Hürrem to Sultan Süleyman’s bedroom. The eunuch tapped on the door three times before it opened.

“Come in my beauty,” exclaimed the Sultan as the door shut tight behind them.

When morning came Sultan Süleyman danced out of bed and began preparing for his day. He then noticed Hürrem’s morning stir, and suddenly dropped everything to rejoin her in bed.

“Hürrem,” he said, “come back tonight and every night. I have fallen in love with you!""
found here
Hermann Fenner Behmer
Bridgman
Francesco Paolo Michetti
Ingres

Gone With The Wind

“The Curtain Dress, symbol of Scarlett’s will to survive, was worn in three scenes: the jail scene in which Scarlett asks Rhett for financial assistance, the scene in which Scarlett walks through the Atlanta streets with Mammy, and the scene in which Scarlett meets Frank Kennedy.

Also known as the Drapery Dress and the Portieres Dress, the dress has a moss green velvet over-skirt that parts in the front to reveal a chartreuse velvet underskirt. It has fitted sleeves with a semi-cape on the left shoulder and a drapery cord belt.The color of the dress presented Plunkett with several problems. It had to suit the color of Vivien Leigh’s eyes and it had to conform to Technicolor specifications. Furthermore, it had to look as if it were made from the draperies at Tara. So the dress was aged as if the sun had faded the material.

The replica of the green curtain dress worn by Scarlett O’Hara was made of 16 yards of Italian cotton velveteen. The silk tassels and cording were reproduced by Scalamandre of New York. The dress took over 200 hours to complete, from April 22 to July 8, 1986. The original is also housed at the Ransom Center.

Replication Project Director: Sister Mary Elizabeth Joyce, Incarnate Word College, San Antonio, Texas

Designers: Carrie Harrell and Jan Hevenor”

Pin-Up Girls Befor And After

A little peek into Mr Elvgren's studio.



found here

Beautiful Mother Russia

Anna Pavlova wearing a Kokoshnik.


Between 1800 and 1880.

"Headdresses, or kokoshniks had the greatest abundance of ornamentation of any type of garment in Russia. They were most often made of damask woven with gilt metallic threads or velvet with gold embroidery. The wealthy peasant class often decorated their kokoshniks with pearls and gemstones. The headdresses worn by maidens exposed their hair, considered a prize possession in Russian culture. They were often accompanied by a venchik, a forehead covering made of fabric or metal. Married women were required to cover their hair entirely lest they be considered immodest. The double-headed imperial eagle is common to many cultures throughout history, most notably Byzantium. The dual heads were meant represent the secular and religious sovereignty of the monarch, as well as power over the East and West. This headdress is spectacular both in size and rendering. The dense decoration as well as the Russian heraldic symbol creates a sense of grandeur and importance."

I found this through this super amazing tumblr-blog: "The Ornamented Being".
A tour de force through fashion- and costume-history (mostly from 15th til 20th century).

The InfiniteVariety Of Marchesa Casati

Tilda Swinton photographed by Paolo Roversi for the Acne-Magazine. She is styled as one of the most intriguing ladies in the history of art and fashion: Marchesa Casati. She was strangely captivating, fascinatingly odd, shy and extravagant, possessive and generous... a Chimera.


"I want to be a living work of art!" - Luisa Casati -


The real Marchesa Casati. The "blurred" picture was made by Man Ray.
You can read more about her absolutely thrilling life in the biography by Ryersson and Yaccarino, or get a feeling for the period with the book: "Kokain", by Pitigrilli.

"But her alchemy was much more complex, producing many other marvels. By what fire did she transmute the substance of her life into beauties of such moving power?

She demonstrated how true it is that all enchantment is a madness induced with art.

But what was the real essence of this creature?

Was she aware of her continuous metamorphosis, or was she impenetrable to herself, excluded from her own mystery?"

- Gabriele D'Annunzio - (italian poet and her long-time lover)

Sisters Of The Cross Of Shame

Sisters of the Cross of Shame
by Dana Burnet (1888)

The Sisters of the Cross of Shame,
They smile along the night;
Their houses stand with shuttered souls
And painted eyes of light.

Their houses look with scarlet eyes
Upon a world of sin;
And every man cries, “Woe, alas!”
And every man goes in.

The sober Senate meets at noon,
To pass the Woman’s Law,
The portly Churchmen vote to stem
The torrent with a straw.

The Sister of the Cross of Shame,
She smiles beneath her cloud—
(She does not laugh till ten o’clock,
And then she laughs too loud.)

And still she hears the throb of feet
Upon the scarlet stair,
And still she dons the cloak of shame
That is not hers to wear.

The sons of saintly women come
To kiss the Cross of Shame;
Before them, in another time,
Their worthy fathers came.…

And no man tells his son the truth,
Lest he should speak of sin;
And every man cries, “Woe, alas!”
And every man goes in.

found here

Kiss The Boy!

Sha la la la la la
Don't be scared
You got the mood prepared
Go on and kiss the girl
Sha la la la la la
Don't stop now
Don't try to hide it how
You want to kiss the girl

She Was Larger Than Life

"From the moment I was six I felt sexy. And let me tell you it was hell, sheer hell, waiting to do something about it."
"There comes a time in every woman's life when the only thing that helps is a glass of champagne."
"I want to die with my high heels on, still in action."

"I have been uncompromising, peppery, intractable, monomaniacal, tactless, volatile and ofttimes disagreeable. I suppose I'm larger than life."

-Bette Davis- Bette Davis

Adorned Heads

Some ideas for your Casual Friday outfit...

Scupltured Hair

A Private Moment...

Pictures by Weegee.

Dressy Is The Word

African Identity

Yinka Shonibare is a UK-based artist, who moved to Lagos/Nigeria at the age of three, and studied arts in England. His work is about race and class, identity, globalisation and colonialism, history and presence.