Fashion for Beauty’s Sake

I think of fashion as a form of art and beauty for our world. And I use beauty as a way to keep myself attuned to what is wonderful and to keep myself from focusing on fear. That is a wordy line to simply tell you about a few fashion films set in the 1950’s that actually have lousy plots but are worthy of a look-see if you want to enjoy lush fashion.

Always on the prowl for books to purge, I happened across one I’ve had for years and years. It is a book entitled Fashion published by Japan’s Kyoto Costume Institute. I actually have three versions of this book and each one takes up a lot of space on my bookshelves. But gently turning the pages of the book as if for the first time and not the fortieth, I became captivated all over again by the art and skill that makes up an exquisite dress…mostly ball gowns. The unusual colors, the flow of fabric, and the sculpture of each piece set my heart aglow and made me slow down and feel calm and peaceful. I have always loved and admired beautiful gowns even if I have never worn one, except perhaps my wedding dress. Maybe it like a ball gown.

Thus, I started revisiting some fashion films that I’ve seen once but dismissed because I didn’t care for the plot or the characters. This time, I studied the parade of alluring frocks and laughed off the parts of the movies that irked me. I have a list for you here but do want to say that there are many fine films with fashion and interesting stories. In fact, some of my favorite ones actually have fashion shows built into the movie which really steal my heart. But here are some odd ones with lovely, lovely dresses which I have been watching only for the sake of the beauty of  fashion:

Phantom Thread 

I found dress designer Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) a detestable human being. In fact, all three of the main characters were punishable in their own ways but the clothes were riveting. I especially loved the unusual colors of some of the dresses and the camera shots created Old Masters in every frame they were highlighted in.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

I love Lesley Manville who played Mrs. Harris (and played Woodcock’s frightening sister in Phantom Thread) but this version of the Paul Gallico novel left me unfulfilled. There was simply too much drama – the ongoing sideline French love story that I didn’t really care about, the burned dress, the Paris garbage strike, etc. But again, the gowns were superb, rich with silks, voile, swishy taffeta in the same wonderful 1950’s hues as Phantom Thread and that made this a good film to watch at least a few more times this winter.

The Dressmaker

The dresses in this film are simply magnetic and that’s what drew me to it at first. Kate Winslet’s chiseled red dress was stunning as were the other gowns she created in the plot. But it’s truly a sad story about a native daughter who returns to the place she was bullied and hurt and it’s about a very tragic village and not about the fashion which turned out to be only a supporting character. I didn’t hate The Dressmaker and only visited it once in the past. But now I watch it for the comic relief (which is extensive) and the outre and seductive dresses.

Most Honorable Mention:

The Ladies in Black

THIS was a charming film! Again, 1950’s fashion but with an adorable uplifting plot. Plenty of ballgowns and plenty of built-in fashion shows in Magda’s famous Model Gown Department on the third floor of Goode’s Department Store.

~

We can’t always turn away from the troubles of the world but we can escape into frivolous fun fashion this winter – hypnotic dresses with interesting and bold colors made of sumptuous fabrics in otherwise not-so-great films (IMHO).