Sewing Hollywood History: Holiday Inn

Holiday Inn is a 1942 film featuring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire with costume design by Edith Head. That's a lot of names I really like. The song "White Christmas" came from this movie, and was so popular that they went on to make the movie White Christmas. There's all sorts of holidays mixed into this one, not just Christmas!

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"Easter Parade" Shirtwaist Dress 

Linda Mason , played by Marjorie Reynolds, is Bing Crosby's partner at the Inn, and Fred Astaire is trying to snatch her away. This scene features the song "Easter Parade" and a lot of love triangle tension. As you already know, I'm a sucker for a shirtwaist dress, and this film gave me a great chance to explore 1940s shirtwaist patterns! 

Here are some vintage patterns in a similar style: 

1. McCalls 5184, 2. Butterick 2487, 3. Simplicity 4696

"Be Careful, It's my Heart" Evening Dress 

The next dress is quite fancy, with a sheer yoke and sleeves and sweetheart neckline.  

This one was hard to find! I discovered one similar vintage pattern, a wedding dress: 

Butterick 4420

New Year's Eve Gown

The final scene of the film features the whole gang performing a New Year's Eve number at the Holiday Inn.

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I was delighted to discover that Katrina of Edelweiss Patterns sewed this dress from Sense and Sensibility's Swing Dress pattern at the start of this year! 

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That's sewing Hollywood history coming to life! I love it!

Sewing Hollywood History: Miracle on 34th Street

Thanksgiving is just around the corner here in the states, and that always reminds me of the 1947 classic Miracle on 34th Street. It begins with the iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is how my Thanksgiving always starts, too! So as you prepare to feast your stomach on turkey, let's feast our eyes on the wardrobe of Doris and Susan Walker (eh, see what I did there?).

Doris' Winter Coat 

Maureen O'Hara, playing Doris Walker, is a sensible working lady in this film, so you see lots of suits and coats. She also has some truly sensational hats.

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Here are some vintage patterns in a similar style:

1. Butterick 2128 A, 2. McCall's 5070, 3. DuBarry 5415

The second and third patterns above have some really lovely top stitching detail that would be fun to do!

Susan's Trimmed Dress 

Susan Walker, played by a little Natalie Wood, also has some darling dresses. This one features a peter pan collar, a top yoke with trim and matching trim at the waist, and a gathered skirt.

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Here are some vintage patterns in a similar style:

1. Butterick 1794, 2. Butterick 4384, 3.Simplicity 4175

Some of the trim shown on those patterns seems much to frilly for Susan. Her mother's practicality can clearly be reflected in her own wardrobe! 

I'm hoping to get a new dress sewn for Thanksgiving in a charming reproduction feedsack cotton. Here's hoping! I'm in the final four weeks of my pattern making class and we'll be doing a fashion show/exhibition in mid-December, so lots of busy sewing going on over here! 

Sewing Hollywood History: Here Comes the Groom

This month's Sewing Hollywood History is Here Comes the Groom, a 1951 film directed by Frank Capra starring Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman. I know Jane Wyman best as Aunt Polly from Pollyanna, although that was much later!

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Bing Crosby plays Pete Garvey, a foreign correspondent during WWII, who adopts two children in a Paris orphanage. He only has 5 days to marry the gal he left back home, Emmadel, or the children must return to France. The song "The Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" was written for it and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. 

Edith Head Designs Sewing Patterns

Vintage patterns for this film were very easy to find! Did you know that Edith Head, the famous costume designer for Paramount, did sewing patterns? Well, she did! 

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I am fascinated by Edith Head. She was an iconic costume designer, but also a really interesting study of a strong career woman at a time when that was exceptionally rare and difficult. But I digress. Back to the film! 

Sewing Garments from the Film

There are two Edith Head patterns printed from designs for Here Comes the Groom. 

Pete Returns at Last

The first is a lovely dress. I'd love to look closer at the construction on this one! The slit in the back is a wonderful surprise. From the pattern description, the pattern features: 

• Button-closing front with collar
• Slash pocket at left-side front
• Short sleeves with cuffs
• Four-piece skirt with open back to show top petticoat of lace
• Removable belt

In the film:

The pattern: 

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At the Rehearsal Dinner

The second is a two-piece suit Emmadel wears to the rehearsal dinner with her new fiancé, who is not Pete. Oh, the intrigue! From the pattern description, the pattern features: 

• A separate four-piece skirt with side pleat at back
• Attached belt at top
• Button-closing jacket with V-neck and collar; 3/4 sleeves with cuffs
• Attached 6-piece peplum

In the film: 

The pattern:

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See other Edith Head Sewing Patterns on the Vintage Pattern Wiki. How wonderful would it have been to see the movie, then rush out to get the sewing pattern?!

Sewing Hollywood History: Pillow Talk

This month's Sewing Hollywood History is Pillow Talk, a real classic in my book. This 1959 film was Doris Day and Rock Hudson's first romantic comedy together.

Jan Morrow, played by Day, shares a party line with a real womanizer, Brad Allen played by Hudson. Through a series of antics, Brad ends up pretending to be a Texas rancher so he can woo Jan without her really knowing who he is. It's a peach of a film.

Around the Apartment: A Peignoir

Much of the film takes place in Jan's apartment where she is desperately trying to get Brad to give her a moment to use the phone. Consequently, we get to see some fun 1950s loungewear, like this lovely pale blue peignoir.

Here are some vintage patterns in a similar style. 

1. McCall's 1700, 2. Butterick 6997, 3. Vogue 8448

Around the Office: A Suit

Jan works as an interior decorator, and in true Doris Day fashion, has some spectacular suits for the office. This royal blue one is a particular beauty, a sheath dress with a short jacket worn over it. And will you look at that hat?! 

Here are some vintage patterns in a similar style. 

1. Advance 8780, 2. Butterick 9313, 3. Simplicity 3109

You're in luck if you love that hat because look what I found! Poppycock Vintage, my favorite vintage hat Etsy store, has a similar one on sale! 

Fur hat from Poppycock Vintage. 

If you stitch you up a suit from one of those patterns, you could look just like Doris Day in Pillow Talk!

Sewing Holllywood History: The Glenn Miller Story

Oh, The Glenn Miller Story. This has been a favorite of mine for ages. It couples two things that I absolutely adore:

1. Glenn Miller's music. My grandmother drove us to and from school every day, and she loved big band and the old crooners. Glen Miller was a particular favorite and is one of mine now, too.
2. Jimmy Stewart. He makes my heart go pitter patter.

The lead lady in this film is the adorable June Allyson playing Glenn Miller's wife, Helen. The movie starts in 1929 and runs until 1944,but was filmed in 1954. I think you can see some of the influences of the 1950s in the wardrobe at the end of the film. 

The spotlight dress for this film is is a lovely chevron-patterned number. Helen wears it at a party towards the end of the film where Glenn plays "Pennsylvania 6-500" for her for the first time. 

Features of the dress: 

• Silk satin collar and cuffs on sleeves. 
• Button-down front with lots of delicate little buttons. 
• Very full skirt!
• Skirt is multiple panels and stripes are matched in a chevron pattern.

Here are some vintage patterns in a similar style.

1. Advance 6896, 2. Vogue 8606, 3. McCalls 8935, 4. Simplicity 2617

       

See it in the Movie 

Here's the clip from the movie with the dress. It's so wonderful when it twirls! 

Sewing Hollywood History: What Lucy Wore in The Long, Long Trailer

Watching old movies is one of my favorite places to get sewing inspiration. I thought I'd start a new series matching patterns with looks from some great old films. Maybe it will inspire you to create something great!

The Long, Long Trailer 

The Long, Long Trailer is a 1954 film staring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. They play Nicky and Tracy, newlyweds who decide to buy a very large motor home to begin their life together. What follows is a serious of unfortunate disasters that will send you reeling in giggles. My personal favorite involves the keepsake rocks Tracy is determined to keep from each stop they make. 

The Proposal

In the very beginning of the movie, just as Nicky is about to propose, Tracy (Lucille Ball) is wearing a fabulous dress with a  plunging neckline, shawl collar, and buttons down the front. 

Here are some vintage patterns in a similar style.

1. Simplicity 3931, 2. Vogue 6791

Did you know that you can buy a tape with loops for all those buttons in a row? They're called "bridal loops" and what a time saver! Susan Khalje sells it in her store. 

Bridal loops for the buttons.

Going Away

Tracy's going away dress from the wedding is a fun polka-dot suit. The skirt looks to be a circle skirt (maybe I am just seeing these everywhere now) made out a few panels sewn together. 

The jacket is referred to as a "weskit" in the patterns below, which was a new term to me! Apparently it's just an informal term for a waistcoat. It's a phonetic spelling dating from the 1850s and usually refers to a vest. 

Here are some vintage patterns in a similar style. Apparently Advance was really into the weskit!

1. Advance 5496, 2. Advance 5749, 3. Advance 6072, 4. Simplicity 4533

Have you seen this fun film? I'm a sucker for anything with Lucille Ball.