Years Of Monroe

  I began exploring the 1940's running through to the 1960's as these were the years that curves made their comeback. Underwear and shape wear were designed to give women extra volume and shaping under their clothes; as it were in the 1800's. Waistlines rose once again to exaggerate the smallest point of the torso and create bigger his and bust. Fur, lace and flowers continues their reign as the most commonly used decor; with new man-made fabrics being introduced including PVC and faux leather. Polka dots, lace and feathers created most of the drama and often, all three were used in one hat/bag. Accessories such as parasols, belts and gloves were made as thin and streamline as possible in order to create the illusion that the wearer was bigger than in reality. Shoes became chunkier, with higher heels in order to strengthen the calves and make the ladies' bottom appear larger. I was inspired by the interesting shapes used in headwear, with down-turned brims, turbans and berets being common. Curved shapes seemed to be layered onto almost all accessories displayed in the sourcebook; creating unique silhouettes not seen on the market before. The designs I created reflects these unusual shapes, I feel. I tried to use layering and geometric shapes to reflect the styles during this era. Ruching and turban styles were an interesting concept to me and so played a part in my ideas.