The Glorious V&A

I recently finished university at the University of Glasgow. On my way back to the States, I was able to enjoy a sojourn of a few days in London. On the top of my list was to visit the V&A - the Victoria & Albert Museum, on account of their fabulous clothing collection. I had been there before, several years earlier, and wanted another chance to gape at the gorgeous costumes.

Unfortunately, I cannot include a picture of every piece of clothing I saw, but I will try to narrow it down to the really excellent ones. 

This lovely, voluminous women's smock is from circa 1620-1640.

A close-up of the smock.

Most of their collection ranged from the 18th century up to the current day. I'll be focussing on the 18th century up to the1940s. 

My camera didn't capture the way in which this court dress sparkled. The gold in the dress shone beautifully. 

A close-up of the dress, circa 1755-1760.

Robe, circa 1775.

Glorious shoes from about 1800.

This is not a very good picture, but this is one of my favourite dresses from the 1820s. AND it's Scottish! It's a evening dress, but also a mourning dress. Black velvet!

Another glimpse of the 1820s dress, as well as a lovely turban/ bonnet in the foreground.

A lovely dress of the late 1830s.

Underclothing from the 1830s. What was so fascinating about the petticoat was that it had straps! My sister Heather (who was with me) thought maybe it would make the tying on the sleeve-puffs easier. 

A beautiful pelisse from the 1820s.

A close-up of the sleeve.

This man's waistcoat was hand-embroidered by his daughter. Written in ink in the lining, it says, "E. A. Atkinson when 11 1/4 years old worked this for her affectionate papa in the summer of 1846."

This sweet wedding dress is typical of the 1840s style.

The 1860s isn't my favourite fashion period, but I was really impressed by this bodice, and an example of the remaining material hanging behind it. What a stunning design!

Another impressive example from the late 1860s. 

Sorry for all those turn-of-the century enthusiasts, but I didn't take any pictures of those, and sadly they had no 1910s examples about. So we're jumping to the 1920s with this daring velvet gown. I would love to see how this looks on - and in motion. Gorgeous!

This is also from the 1920s, but very sweet and old-fashioned, called a Robe de Style. 

What a stunning coat! Also 1920s.

I love this simple Art Deco gown.

A Georges Barbier fashion fan.

A lovely linen tennis dress. Also 1920s.

A Shiaparelli gown from the 1930s.

This suit from the 1940s was stunning - with the jacket cut straight, and the dress cut on the bias. Swoon!

A stunning Dior ensemble. This was the finished effect, but the jacket could be removed to have a plain bodice in the same material. Beneath the bodice and the skirt was a sort-of corset attached to a  petticoat. Stunning!

The corset & petticoat.

The matching bodice.

And don't forget the shoes!

The fashion collection at the V&A is enormous. I did not include all of the gowns that I took pictures of, and not all of their collection can be displayed at one time. In previous visits I have seen equally stunning gowns. It certainly is an inspiration for all those who are fashionably minded. They also have a very good online catalogue, which provides better pictures than mine above.

Lauren Bacall, Film Legend

I've been meaning to dedicate a post to Lauren Bacall for quite some time, but for some reason it has never happened. So, due to the passing on of this remarkable woman, I am now going to attempt to accomplish my goal.

Look at the fit of this dress! She is showing absolutely no skin and yet you couldn't find a sexier, more sultry picture!

She was able to embody femininity and toughness at the same time.

In my life I have been affected by many actresses throughout the history of cinema. I first truly discovered Lauren Bacall when I was in High School and she quickly became my favorite. My friends and I were especially fond of The Big Sleep, and I'm pretty sure we watched it on a monthly basis. (Above is a clip from the movie. I just love her singing voice!) She was such a strong, feminine and assertive woman (both onscreen and off); the perfect role model for any girl in her teens. I think since she came into my life at such an impressionable time, she holds a special place in my heart. More-so than almost any other actress.

Here are three of her early modeling photos. So lovely!

My favorite!

She started out as a model and was discovered by Hollywood when she was placed on the cover of Bazaar magazine. Remarkably, her first movie was To Have and Have Not where she met her future husband Humphrey Bogart. They were married a year later in 1945 and remained so until his death in 1957. Of course, there's no way for me to know what their relationship was truly like, but to me they seem like the greatest Hollywood couple!

Hello! You can't get much better than this!

I love this snap shot of the two of them!

She died yesterday, August 12, 2014, of a stroke at the age of 89. She was always uncomfortable with the title of "film legend" that was given her by the American Film Institute. She said in 2005, "To me, a legend is something that is not on the earth." So, I guess she can now finally claim her right to the title. For me, she will always be the best example of strength, beauty, femininity and pluck. Thank you, Lauren Bacall!

No one looked better in full-legged trousers than she did!

I think this is from the same photo-shoot as the first picture. I especially love her hair!