Shoulder Pads.......the Subject of Many Jokes Over the Decades

Shoulder pads, love em or hate em, they will never completely go away.  I was doing some research about shoulder pads and did you know that they emerged in womens' fashions in the 1930's and were made popular when Joan Crawford wore them in the film "Letty Lynton"?  Neither did I, but I bet that Birgit has seen the movie ;)

After the war, womens' fashions took on a more 'military' look and shoulder pads were found in almost all garments, except for lingerie (thank god, can you imagine).  Some were even stuffed with sawdust to give them shape.

Here is a picture of Joan Crawford with some killer shoulder pads and poof sleeves that become form fitting past the elbow and toward the wrist.  Just amazing.

Birgit here, Sorry for my lateness but since my hubby decided to redecorate the laptop with coffee, I can only edit and blog at work (shhhh). Good ole crazy Joan Crawford and her shoulder pads. She is famous for her shoulder pads but this is because she had small shoulders and super duper birthing hips! Adrian is a famous Hollywood designer(he came up with Dorothy's Wizard of Oz shoes) who created the shoulder pad to bring a balance to nutso Crawford's body style. I will showcase more of Adrian's shoulder pad designs at the end of this blog:)



Now that is a fantastic use of shoulder pads!

This picture shows how the shoulder pad kind of got out of hand..........



I guess this is what was called 'power dressing; in the 80's.  Ya, powerful is right, she looks like a linebacker in the NFL.

Hut 1! Hut 2!.... Isn't

Here is a real power dresser from the 80's, Grace Jones.  Big shoulder pads TOTALLY suit her, she seems like a really strong woman and she can carry off this look flawlessly.

Birgit again....Love Grace Jones and her angled features...she could be carved out of Mount Rushmore.

Here is an example of the perfect shoulder pad, not too big, not too small, but just enough to give some structure to this menswear jacket.  It's just too bad she forgot to wear a shirt underneath.......OMG, I am getting old.  But, that suit is killer.

The Suit's a killer, I agree, but is she bucking for a raise?? Sit up straight, put your feet together and find a blouse you hussey!..hahahaaa..yeah, it's Birgit again.



That's my little blurb about shoulder pads friends.  Just beware, they are making a comeback!

Marni
xxx

Here are my additional pics showing some of Adrian's gowns...

See those angled shoulders? Nothing is new and these are making a big comeback.

Here's Joan again...now, where is her Pepsi bottle filled with whiskey?

A classic film, The Women, with, from the left, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Norma Shearer and Joan Fontaine. If you want an all women cast with classic Adrian designs showcasing those shoulders especially the coloured piece in the middle of the film showing a fashion show, watch this film.

Hubert Givenchy

This man was and is an Icon in the fashion world who died 2 weeks ago at the age of 91 ( born February 20, 1927) on March 10, 2018. He was born with creativity in his blood and his vision was helped by his mom and grandmother. he opened his own Couture house in Paris in 1952 and soon met his muse, the wondrous Audrey Hepburn, on the set of Sabrina. He created many iconic designs for this beautiful lady as well as for Jacqueline Kennedy. He designed outfits for many big stars of the day from Marlene Dietrich to Garbo and many Baronesses and created the Balloon coat and baby doll dress. He will be missed but his designs live on.

I have way too many here but I just could not decide so I took all of these:) Hepburn and Givenchy were made for each other and they loved each other dearly. So, a bit late, but here's to you Givenchy, one of the greats from a by gone era.

Hello friends, it's Marni! Thank you Birgit for the post about Givenchy.  I really learned a lot.  It is fascinating to see how designers evolve over the course of their careers and to also learn who inspired them.  We are all influenced by something in life and in our work, and Audrey Hepburn was certainly the perfect muse, such a lady with impeccable taste and class.  And of course, Jacqueline Kennedy, another woman who personified grace and class in her choice of fashions.  Au revoir Monsieur Givenchy.

At Last!

Friends......as I may have previously hinted at, technology is not always my friend.  I may or may not have had a slight wobble with a few computer issues over the past several days.  And no, those were not bad words coming from me at all Birgit.......hahaha!

So now, on to some really good stuff.

I have recently discovered Tom Ford and his incredible work.  Mr. Ford knows how to design for a woman’s body and how to flatter it, even when designing for the current menswear trend in women’s fashions.  He also loves an animal print.......yay!  I do too!  Now, the colours of some of the prints are a bit wild, no pun intended, but the structure and the fit and shape are spot on.  Just look at how the fabrics skim the body in all the right places.  And of course, there is a lot of shimmer.......love me some shimmer and glitter and sequins.

Birgit is in the house...the Tom Ford house and he is a man of many colours as one can see here but he is also a film director, writer and producer of 2 Oscar nominated films, A Single Man (excellent) and Nocturnal Animals(unnerving but excellent). I love his style and Marni expressed it perfectly since she knows how to sew and all I can do is sew on a button.

Okay, it’s Marni now...... Birgit, you can sew on buttons?  You have been holding out on me!








And.......purses!!!!!

And the minimal styling is perfection, a few accessories here and there, nothing to take away from the patterns and colours.

Now, please allow me a few minutes to pick myself up off of the floor.......swoon........

Marni
xxx

Love the shimmer and sequins especially the shimmery Star Trek leggings in the second picture...I would wear that in a heart beat...with a long top to cover up my BIF..aka Bum in Front. I love the sequined beaded top in the 3rd pic and I LOVE that purse!! I would love to have that purse...drool!

A New Week for Fashion

We are now into our second week of fashion blogging, nitpicking, critiquing, loving and general fun about this industry. So  here  are my favourites followed by, bleccch, not so favourites and then...Oprah.

Hello friends!  It's Marni and I would just like to say that I LOVE Birgit's line above.....'favourites followed by, BLECCCH, not so favourites and then...OPRAH'.  Made me bust out laughing....;)

The jury is a bit out on the grey but, for some reason, I am really attracted to this. I think it fits so well on her and I love the black design with the little bow. I also love the colouring probably because I create cards and often use distress inks so maybe that is it.

It's Marni again and I agree Birgit, my favourite part is the distress ink-like fabric, love the complementary colours of red and green.  For some reason I am really into complementary colours these days.  It does have the rather plunging neckline that you and I have spoken about many, many times and made LOTS of faces about (hahaha), so I don't totally love it, but there are parts that are quite beautiful.  I like that her hair is styled in a sleek manner, curls or poufs wouldn't do with this look.

It fits in all the right places and it is all a glitter with a tiny belt which just seals the deal for me. A classic.

It's Marni again and YES, this is VERY classy.  LOVE the belt too Birgit, it's just enough to draw the eye to see her perfect figure.

I love this and this is my favourite look for the week! I can't believe this is Gerri Halliwell but she looks like a star from the 1960's with the sparkle and shine, the boots and the bright yellow purse and umbrella. I love the coat and hope the fur is fake..it better be.

OMG - I had no idea at first that this was GERRI!  Wow!  You go girl, this is a great look on you.  And Birgit, absolutely, it better be fake fur because you know how I feel too.......

Now on to the dreck...

OK Rooney is cutting edge but this look makes her look pregnant and frumpy. The top part looks off with one ruffle pointing up and the other off to the side much like boobs can do. The pants sit a bit below or maybe the waist of the frou is too high but those pants don't seem to fit well in the vajaja  area and they look too long.

Um, ya, I agree, WTH?  Not cutting edge at all........more like something that was left on the cutting room floor in the design area........UGH!

Oh look! It's the Britney, where the lampost, look. Really nothing new here and this look, that she seems to love, must go in her one closet marked "slut dresses".

Oh lord.......put it back in your closet Brittany with all of the other same shape, same colour, same everything dresses.  Come on girl, you are beautiful, this does NOT do you justice!

So we go from slut look to my worst...Ruth Wilson is so pretty but why does she feel the need to dress like she works as a daycare worker. She could do so much better like wear a ballet flat, don't tuck in the pullover. it's just...sad.

Oh Ruth............I can't, I just can't.

Now for Oprah...

I love the colour, her figure looks great. I don't mind the black mesh on her shoulders but something seems off about this dress. First, the hem is too long, if she had it shortened by 2 inches it would have elongated her look better. I really don't get what that black thing is on her right shoulder..is that supposed to be long locks? A black sock stuck to her dress? a black snake? So there are my week's selctions...I shall pass this on to Marni for her comments.

Birgit, I agree, colour is fantastic, and if only the hem was shortened a tiny bit it would highlight the whole shape much better AND we would see those fabulous legs Oprah!  Come on.....now I know you may be trying to act all 'possibly' presidential and everything, but that does NOT mean that you have to dress so conservatively with that length. 

Here are my picks for the 2018 Oscar fashions that made me shake my head and say:

UM.........No.............

St. Vincent:  So first of all, I had no clue who this young lady was, probably because I am getting up there in years, and secondly, I was concerned that a parrot was going to jump out from underneath the black fabric that seemed to be sitting on her one shoulder like it was covering a bird cage.  There is just way too much going on, too many different shapes and angles that make it look like a few pieces from a few different looks were kind of glued together and made into a garment.  Either that or I am just old............ 😉
You are not old Marni, you just have great fashion sense and this is just plain ugly. I think she just left David Copperfield's show and forgot to give the birdcage, hidden under that big black flap, back to Copperfield. What the hell is that droopy piece in front of her ..um...pussy galore? Very sill indeed.

Emma Stone:  I really like Emma Stone, and normally she looks stunning, but this look is just weird.  It seems like menswear for women is 'in' right now or trending, but this look is a disaster.  The pants are okay, JUST okay, but the rest seems to have been thrown together haphazardly.  To be honest, when I saw some footage of Emma in black and white while wearing this outfit I thought, Oh wow, she is rocking the menswear!  I don't know why the footage was in black and white, but it looked a LOT better than it does in colour.  Sorry Emma..........
Emma was just lounging at home and forgot the time, so she had to come in her fancy pajamas to the awards. She is colourblind as well since she just threw anything together. Here's an idea Emma, it's the Oscars not late night with Jimmy Fallon.

Maya Rudolph:  Speechless, well almost.  And those who know me, know that doesn't happen very often.  My biggest questions are WHY and WHAT IS THAT?  I can't tell if that is a dress or a sort of jump suit.  When Maya walked on the stage, it looked like it was a jump suit because I could sort of see pant legs?  I don't know.  I know that I complain that some people show too much skin, etc., but I think this is taking a bit far.  I am just BEYOND confused...........but I DO know that I don't like it at all and I have picked this outfit as the WORST dressed of the 2018 Oscars.
Yup..I agree, this is the worst and I wonder if she can even move her neck since she is wrapped like a mummy. In fact, I thought Weinstein might have been around so she wore this get up as her own chastity dress. Fire your fashion person because this is an epic fail.

Completely UNsure..............but, he said he LOVES it, so good on him for feeling so comfortable and not giving a hoot what other people think.

Adam Rippon:  I wasn't a fan of the bondage wear and the lack of socks, and I was all ready to criticize, but you know what?  Adam loved his look and he said it made him feel great wearing the outfit.  To paraphrase what Adam said on Twitter, he thinks that people should be able to wear what they want and not care about what others think, and for that I applaud him.  I am the type of person who is all too concerned about what others think, so good for you Adam.  And judging by the pictures that I have seen of him from the Oscars, he does feel great, and that is the best feeling in the world.

Oh I can criticise...good for him to wear what he wants but I think he forgot his whip and chains. This look is dreadful from the bondage get up up top to the who cares for socks and let's throw on some velcro shoes on at the last minute...Blecchhh.

That's all for now friends.........back later with some more fashions.

Marni

Birgit here and I must add 2 more that I think are just plain dreadful. I love dissing bad gowns..

I now know where my 1991 drapes went to. This is a serious WTF moment. I love Zac Posen but he must have been looking at his mom's drapes or something to make this mess.

I miss going on hayrides. I wonder if she took some allergy meds before wearing this get up. I know, I know...Christian Dior killed Cousin It from the Adam's family to create this gown. Poor Cousin It, may he, or she, rest in peace.

This was so much fun:)

Oscars 2018 Fashion

As you know, the 2018 Oscars were held a few nights ago.  Due to my extremely limited computer knowledge, I have been unable to post anything to our BRAND NEW blog until, if this works, right now........;)

So here goes!  Did you guys enjoy the Oscars?  I am not really into movies, but I am into the fashions.  I watch the red carpet, tune in for the opening, and then change the channel while I go through all of the arrivals in more detail on TMZ and TooFab.  The next day, my partner in crime Birgit and I, go through the fashions in much more detail and pretend we are on a tv show and that we know everything about design, etc.  It's so fun!  So here are a few people who I thought were:

Best Dressed:  2018 Oscars

Molly Sims:  Makeup, hair, accessories, dress, and tailoring are all impeccable.
Birgit here and I agree with everything written here but I am tired of the deep V going down to the naval. Less cleavage for moi.

Leslie Mann:  Wow............I love the texture of the fabric.  The colour goes so well with Leslie's beautiful complexion and the purple coloured ring is a fantastic shade to complement the dress.  I think the fact that Leslie is not wearing a necklace is fine, I personally wouldn't want to be distracted from the delicate design in the fabric, because that is really the stand out aspect of the gown.  The drape in the fabric is exquisite as well, everything falls and flows just as it should.  And did I mention that I love Zac Posen!
Birgit here again-Love this dress with this beautiful fabric that, I think, is organza?? I, too, love Zac Posen but I love necklaces and would have had her wear one but it could not be a statement piece as the dress must be the statement.

Jennifer Garner:  My FAVOURITE of the 2018 Oscars...........the colour, the fit, the draping, all absolute perfection.  Her makeup, hair, and accessories are all spot on too.
Birgit here again and love, love, love this dress and would love to wear this but, of course, I would need a few sizes larger and a corset tight enough to make me pass out.  This is a fantastic colour!

Thanks friends!  Isn't this fun?

Marni

I(Birgit) am adding a couple more that I think is beautiful

This is a beautiful gown by Reem Acra that is simple yet dramatic with those dramatic sleeves and $4 million in jewels that highlight the dress.

I am not one at all for yellow but this dress by Rodarte works for me from the simple style with the pretty glitter and no long train, thankfully... and I love that necklace. This is one blonde that shines wearing this colour.

Chadwick Boseman looks fine in this dramatic ensemble by Givenchy. I love the long jacket with the intricate silver applique and those funky shoes! Very nice indeed

OK this rocking babe is over 70 and look at her bod! A simple dress accentuated by those incredible jewels by Harry Winston. Diamonds and sapphires worth over 3 mil...Stunning!

So there's my 2 cents worth and it is fun!

Two Friends With a Passion 4 Fashion

Welcome to our blog!  We are two friends who most definitely LOVE to chat about fashion.  We may not always like what people are wearing and what is trending in the fashion world, but we most definitely always have an opinion.  Sometimes we agree with each other and sometimes we REALLY disagree on our 'likes' and 'dislikes', that's what makes our long-standing friendship so much fun!  

So please join us on this amazing, fashionable ride......you never know where we may end up!

Oh, and feel free to add your comments to our pics, our critiques, etc., we would LOVE to hear from you.

I'm Marni and I'm Birgit, and we are your hosts on 'Passion 4 Fashion'!