Who knew that not having seen Gone With The Wind before the age of 23-years-old would draw such gasps of horror? But everyone I've mentioned it to over the last few days has been absolutely horrified. I'm fully aware that it's a classic but I just never got round to taking the time to watch it. Now that I have, though, I say do it! Even if it's just to swoon over Clark Gable - I'm sorry, George who? I was so smitten Clooney wouldn't have gotten a look in. Rhett Butler is the original not-so-silver fox.
Apart from the handsome man though I was totally taken by the costumes in it. Of course, you're probably not going to catch me walking down the street in this tidy ensemble:
But you've got to admire Scarlett for her loyalty to fashion if not for her utter thriftiness - this is the famous velvet 'curtain' dress she had made in the midst of the American civil war when fashion was very much an unneccessary luxury. Ok, so maybe I wouldn't wear the curtain creation but I LOVE this similar Dior Couture A/W 2004-5 piece:
Doubt I'd be able to make that out of a pair of curtains, mind you.
It got me thinking though, about how much of today's styles are indebted to fashions of bygone eras. I recently bought the book Vintage Fashion (foreword by Zandra Rhodes - you can find it here: Vintage Fashion) which tracks the evolution of fashion throughout the 20th century - every new shape and lifted hemline is covered and backed up by some amazing fashion photography. My favourite is this vintage Tom Brigance outfit:
Look familiar? Yes, we're still coveting fashions long after their first debut - this is the perfect vintage Americana outfit seen in so many S/S 2012 shows. It makes me wonder what legacy 2012 will be leaving for the future.
For a look at some of the silver screen's other famous costumes check out Vogue's article on the new V&A exhibit coming in October - Hollywood Costumes
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