Colour Research for Final Piece

In order to create a final piece, I first need to decide what colour pallette I will use. I have found hundreds of secondary images from the 1950s of brightly coloured dresses and contrasting colours, which I have posted on this blog as part of my research and added to my sketchbook, but the colour schemes I like the most for my final design are the more understated, classic colours.

As my final piece will be a cape, and therefore outerwear, I think it should be a more toned down colour which can be worn with most other colours without clashing, such as this beautiful design from 1955, which I found at fashion-era.com.

I love the deep navy colour on this coat, which connotes luxury and glamour without trying too hard. It is for this reason that I have decided to use the same dark blue colour in my final piece, for the bottom layer of the cape. For the top layer of the cape I will need a colour which compliments the navy blue but doesn't overpower the bottom layer, as the top layer will already be gathered with a ribbon adornment, taking enough attention already.

Here is a photograph from the 1950 February issue of Harper's Bazaar I found at myvintagevogue.com. The model wears a beautiful navy suit, but I think the outfit fades into the background when paired with the bright contrasting jewel colours of purple and ruby red. I don't want this to happen to the bottom layer of my cape, so the top layer should definately be a darker colour.

I love these black and white images. I think they are far more reminiscent of the glamour of the decade than the colour ones, perhaps because they remind me of the 'silver screen'.

 This photograph of Marilyn Monroe is from the silver screen. It is a still from the 1959 film 'Some Like It Hot' by Billy Wilder. I think the black and grey tones in it are beautiful and I would love to incorporate them in to my final piece. The sheer fabric that Marilyn wears is also very inspiring- it is interesting and sexy but still a classic design. I also like the straight lines which creep onto the transluscent black section. I will therefore look for a fabric which incorporates all of these elements- the black and the sheer section(s), and use it as the fabric for the top layer of the cape.

 I think the black fabric of the top layer will work really well with the navy layer underneath, like in this fashion photograph from 1952 which I found at myvintagevogue.com:

A history of Capes

Cloaks and Capes 1900-2000

Extract about capes in the 1950s:

The 1950's Cape

The cape emerged again as an updated fashion statement in the 1950s.  Paris designers often favoured simplified lines and for bulky tweedy, check and mohair fabrics the easy lines of a cloak were perfect to show the fabric to perfection.
A short cape was promoted in 1955 and this example shows a picture from a magazine of 1955.
This style was also adapted and used to make short mink or other fur wraps with kimono set sleeves, popular in the 1960s.

Stoles added glamour to outfits of the 1950s and early 1960s.  Stoles from this period were about glamour and style.  Stoles dressed an evening outfit and covered a bare back with shoestring straps.  Often made of slub silks or dull satins, the stole ends would sometimes be embroidered and fringed.  Contrast linings were frequently used in dramatic colour combinations such as black velvet lined with gold or perhaps emerald green thick lustrous satin.  Quality machine made cotton lace versions were also popular. 

For those with money the ultimate stole of the 1950s was the white mink stole.  But all stoles soon disappeared when the 60's mini made the look old fashioned and dated.  But for real glamour think 50's film stars with cleavage and an artfully draped stole.

The Poncho Cape

So the cloak and cape came in and out of fashion just as it had during the 19th century.  One very interesting variation on this was the poncho cape a fashion of the 1970s.  Ponchos existed in just about every possible variation from crochet versions to the more rustic, Clint Eastwood style Mexican poncho. The crochet poncho version version spawned a variation in the circular crochet granny shawls popular in the early 1970s.

The Pareo

By 1980 the poncho had morphed into the Pareo.  A long length of wool fabric, either woven or knitted, about 70 to 80 inches long and made from 60 inch to 72inch wide cloth that was slit and very lightly shaped part way up the centre fold.  Pareos were popular in the late 1980s and the 1990s and can be referred to as a wrap.  They are a great item for fancy dress use.

Stoles

Online Book: As Seen in Vogue

A very informative section on the Vogue fashion predicitons for the 1950s and a detailed analysis of the fashions that Vogue featured duing the decade.

Online Book: Couture and Commerce

Online Books: Fashions of a Decade

I'm very happy I was able to find this online book about fashion in the 1950s!

I have done lots of research in the library for my project but with an online book I can access it without having to check it out of the library or buy it. Very useful!