How to Care for a Charles James Dress

A 1955 "Tree" Dress of pink silk taffeta by Charles James.

This 1955 Charles James “Tree” dress was recently on view as part of the exhibit Fashion, A-Z: Highlights from the Collection of the Museum at FIT, Part Two. I am fascinated by this dress, I always am, and have been lucky enough to see it in this pink version, and also one in red, which now belongs to The Costume Institute at the Met. When I saw it this time around I couldn’t help wondering how a dress of that size is stored and maintained and I had the pleasure of doing an impromptu interview with Marjorie Jonas, Assistant Conservator at The Museum at FIT to find out the answers.

Part of Ms. Jonas’s job involves monitoring the extensive garment collection belonging to the museum. She says many of their Charles James dresses are hung but noted that the Tree dress “has an infrastructure on its own.” You can see that this dress looks like it’s standing up all by itself!

Hubba hubba, look at those built-in curves!

Ms. Jonas says a dress of this kind is often vacuumed when it is brought out of storage and prepared for an exhibit. Can’t you just see it? And if they suspect there is a moth lurking among all those folds of fabric the dress goes right into the freezer, to kill off any bugs clinging to it.

Amazing!

How’s that for draping and pleating?

Oh Charles James Tree dress, until we meet again (and I hope it won’t be too long), let me just say that I adore you!

Last Call: Fashion Illustration: A Contemporary Look

I wanted to share one more of my favorite works from the show Fashion Illustration: A Contemporary Look, now at the Brooklyn Public Library. This is formally titled “Spring 2012 Campaign” for Mitsukoshi/Japan by Anja Kroencke, but in my head I think of it as “Romantic English Girl with Doves and Peonies.” Isn’t it divine? Consider it my cyber Christmas card to you.

I think Anja’s work has been my favorite from the exhibit because every time I see a picture of hers I wish I owned it so I could put it on the walls of my apartment. She has a website if you’d like to see more of her illustrations.

Detail from a Spring 2012 illustration by the very talented Anja Kroencke.

Fashion Illustration: A Contemporary Look runs through December 1, 2012 at the Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library.

Last Call: Fashion A-Z, Part Two

A Rick Owens ensemble from 2011, left, and a 1929 dress by Jean Patou, right.

Tomorrow is the final day to see the excellent exhibit Fashion, A-Z: Highlights from the Collection of The Museum at FIT, Part Two at The Museum at FIT.

Some of these gorgeous dresses (and coats) are just what the doctor ordered as a mood lifter after all the recent woes in New York City so I thought I’d share these pictures with you.

Dresses by Pierre Balmain, 1952, left and Oscar de la Renta for Balmain, 2002, right.

A dreamy Chantilly lace dress by Olivier Theyskens for Rochas, 2004.

A 2004 Carolina Herrera dress on the left and a 1950 dress by Hollywood designer Irene, right.

A 1970 coat by Calvin Klein, left, and a 2008 coat by Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein, right. Both are FIT graduates!

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue at 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays and legal holidays

Hurricane Sandy Relief: How You Can Help

U.S. Marines help clean up the destruction in Staten Island today. Photo by Reuters.

My friend Pam at Over 50 Feeling 40 asked me last week if I knew of a place taking clothing donations for hurricane relief. I’m so glad she set me on the task of finding out because if you, like Pam, are looking for ways to help families devastated by Hurricane Sandy, please consider making a donation through Camp Olympia, here in Brooklyn. My son takes swim lessons there so they are not a charity but they want to help families in Breezy Point and the Rockaways, both in Queens, who have lost everything. Those two locations alone could be without power for weeks and another storm, this one with snow (!), is expected Wednesday.

Requested items include:

Clothes for all ages and both genders, as well as coats, sweatshirts, hats and gloves.
Blankets
Sheets
Toiletries—shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc.

You can send donations to the following address:

Hurricane Sandy Relief
c/o Camp Olympia
7304 5th Avenue
#271
Brooklyn NY 11209

Tracey, who works for Camp Olympia, is partnering with a local youth group to get supplies to the families in need and says she will deliver the donations herself. Anything you send will be greatly appreciated!

Breezy Point neighbors after seeing the wreckage of their homes. Photo by Shannon Stapleton.

How I Wear My: Hat

What do you wear in a hurricane, the likes of which hasn’t been seen in New York City since Hurricane Donna in 1960?

Well, not a hat, I can tell you that much. So I’m glad I was able to get these pictures of myself for “How I Wear My: Hat” before Hurricane Sandy came and I was glued to the TV watching news of the storm. I never think of myself as a hat person but I may have to reconsider because I love how the addition of a hat can complete a look.

Just not in a hurricane.

As you already know, parts of New York, Connecticut, and especially New Jersey have been devastated because of Hurricane Sandy. The words of Fiorello LaGuardia, who was mayor of New York City from 1934 to 1945, are once again so true. He said the two qualities New Yorkers would need to get through the Great Depression were Patience and Fortitude. We will need these qualities in droves to get through the tough days and months ahead.

To tell you the truth, I am pretty depressed because of all the storm destruction I’ve heard about and seen, but these beautiful ladies in hats help cheer me up. Aren’t they lovely?

Adrienne of The Rich Life (on a budget), gorgeous in her sun hat while in Kauai!

Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb. I love this look!

I adore Catherine’s sweater. It makes me think of the old show “Love, American Style!”

Sara of Searching for Saraspunza. I especially like the brim of this straw hat!

Jeannie of Gracefully 50 looking smokin’ hot in her hat! And her shades are off!

Hang of POUM! La Mode. I love every bit of this look.

Could Hang look any more chic? (The answer is no.)

Do join Adrienne and me for the last roundup of the year for “How I Wear My: Plaid.” It will help you get in the holiday mood and plaid is just plain fun! Send a picture to either of us by December 3, 2012.

And stop by to see what other looks in a hat Adrienne has put together.

Thanks to the fine foxes who participated this month.

P.S. If you can, won’t you make a small donation to either the Salvation Army or the Greater New York chapter of the American Red Cross? They’ve both been out in hard hit areas of all five boroughs and Long Island, giving clothes, water and hot meals to New Yorkers in need.