There are many things I enjoyed the film Glorious 39 (and I do recommend watching it). To keep this post somewhat concise on focus on the not only gorgeous, but clever costume design.Romola Garai stars in the film as Anne Keyes (also nicknamed Glorious by her brother, Ralph). The. While the rest of the characters dress in a largely muted palette of browns and mauve, with the occasional crisp black or white, Anne dresses almost entirely in primary colors: vivid yellow, striking red, and bright blue. The costuming draws our eye to Anne, making her distinct and noticeable in every scene. She stands out from the scenery and from the family; in many ways she physically does not appear to belong. The other characters harmonize sartorially and in other ways; Anne is a dissonant chord. Her clothes only serve to illustrate how her thoughts and heart are also out of sync with her family. Even her friend Gilbert is dressed to be a better fit for her family. Another nice detail is how Ralph's wardrobe echoes his father's so precisely. Ralph is literally dressed as a younger version of his father and one could conclude that Ralph is mirroring his father in other ways as well.
The wardrobe is just one detail of the film I enjoyed and beyond the symbolic implications of it, I really enjoy Romola's costumes from a style inspiration standpoint; it's definitely an era I'd love to channel some this fall. The entire film is rather ominous and gets downright dark at certain points, but so supremely well done that it escapes melodrama.
Glorious 39, screenshots by me
Glorious 39, screenshots by me
Anyone who has read this blog for even a fleeting period of time knows that I am not a tee shirt and jeans (or shorts) kind of person. Nothing against that kind person, after all everyone has value and I enjoy different perspectives, but it's not me. It was someone I tried to be once; I spent much of high school in a uniform of jeans and tee shirts, but these sartorial decisions were driven by a desire to not call attention to myself and a self-consciousness over my pale (often bruised and bitten) legs. As I've gotten more comfortable with expressing myself through clothes I've donated nearly every tee shirt and thrust all jeans to the back of my wardrobe. However, on occasion, it is nice to choose a comfy tee and an easy pair of shorts. It's also nice to know I'm choosing those items now not from self-consciousness, but rather for variety.
The illustrations of Marin Zasly seamless blend the art of illustration with the sartorial details a fashion-lover delights in; neither detail dominates or detracts from the drawings as a whole. As much as I love art for art's sake, I do find myself honing in on illustrations that feature such lovely details like polka blouses and furry neck-muffs...
Could it please be February and would someone ask me to be their valentine? Because I think this dress would work perfectly under those circumstances. It's much more suited for a silly little date than exploring abandoned trains and getting frightened by pigeons (that fly out of nowhere!). My father helped me shoot these pictures; it was his idea to climb into another abandoned rail car to get this angle. I really love that he suggested it because the colors inside the train are so lovely and wouldn't be seen otherwise.
Another Saturday, another remix! I wasn't sure of this dress when I first got it (from Modcloth over a year ago); it's an unusual color for me and the shape is not at all typical of my style, but it's become quite the standby. Here's a few ways I've worn it in the past.
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