Monday Mischief...On a Tuesday: Fashion and Film

Yesterday was spent recovering from a very fun girl's weekend in Kansas City, so I was lax in my blogging duties! OOPS!

This is going to be a somewhat random post, but I wanted to share my thoughts on something I have been contemplating lately, namely: films. I have noticed that I am extremely picky about movies. I rarely "love" a movie, and I'm often disappointed in other movies that people seem to like. I think I have certain aesthetic expectations about movies, and my "eyes" get bored very easily -- does that make sense?



The movies I most love are the ones with a strong visual statement [and an interesting story doesn't hurt]. I pay very close attention to elements like costumes, colors, sets, lighting effects, music and mood. I also really tend to dislike gritty realism -- I figure, who needs to pay to watch it when it surrounds us? I don't find the representation of people's pain and anguish entertaining. But, then again, I love films like "Kill Bill," that are criticized for being extremely violent. Maybe I feel violence is acceptable if it is glamorized and unrealistic? I guess it doesn't hurt that it is Uma Thurman kicking ass in an awesome yellow jumpsuit!!



Speaking of awesome outfits in films, why isn't there more written about fashion and film? Where are the good blogs on this topic? If anyone knows, please pass on the wisdom!



I did recently discover a new Brazilian site called "Filme + Fashion," which focuses on the relationship and interplay between film and fashion. If you don't speak Portuguese, you will have to use the translation on Google, but it is still worth checking out for updates and articles on this fascinating connection. Some films they have mentioned lately that I am dying to see include: Blonde Venus [with Marlene Dietrich], Coco Avant Chanel [about the life of Chanel], Picnic at Hanging Rock [supposedly the movie that influenced Sofia Coppola], and the new Grey Gardens film [with Drew Barrymore].



And of course, if you're a movie lover, Film Stills is an amazing site. In some ways, I almost enjoy looking at beautiful or provocative stills more than I like actually watching the movie.



What is your take on this subject, my dear readers? Are visual elements important to you when considering a film? What are some of the most beautiful or visually engaging movies you have seen? I think I need to start being more proactive about researching films I would actually be inspired by!
[By the way, the images in this post are from some of my favorites: Marie Antoinette, Blade Runner, Legend, Orlando, Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Dogville...to name a few]

New Spring and Summer Items at A Single Charm Vintage!

Cute rompers...pretty blouses...and more...

Book Cover Archive

I've mentioned before that I have a tendency to judge a book by its cover [quite literally]. The Book Cover Archive is, for me, like window-shopping for books. I imagine that if the cover is inspiring, the book must be too. Let's start shopping for some new summer reads...

I Want Candy...on My Clothes.

Just a quick post about this new top I received in the mail yesterday from the very- talented Kanaro: I love it!! I tend to be drawn more to dark colors and neutrals, but there is just something about this top I couldn't resist. It looks like it is covered in yummy little gumdrops, and it just feels like summer incarnate. So sweet! Thanks Kanaro!

A Charming "Peep" into the Past: The Victorian Stanhope

I always get rather giddy when I buy an antique. Not to sound corny, but there is just something about owning a piece of history that gives me chills [the good kind]. You never need an antique, you just want it. It is often instinctual and irresistible -- the siren call of the past? For me, it feels less like owning something and more like taking care of something that needs love.

This past weekend, after browsing lustfully through the beautiful antique jewelry in Wicked Darling's shop, I was overcome with curiosity and an unexplainable desire to own this bizarre, but lovely trinket pictured above. It is called a Stanhope [dating from around 1900], and it is a miniature photographic lens inside of a pendant...



I had never even heard of Stanhopes before this discovery, so I was surprised to learn that they were popular trinkets in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Each one contains several tiny photographs, and in order to view them, you hold the Stanhope up to a light and peep through the tiny hold in the end [they were also referred to as "peeps"]. The Victorians were quite enamored by photography, so it makes sense that these fairly inexpensive novelty items would have been popular with travelers and tourists. The one I purchased from Wicked Darling has 4 photos of Niagara Falls inside [probably purchased by a couple on their honeymoon!?].



This image of a Ferris Wheel is an enlargement of a microphotograph used inside of a Stanhope.



In 1862, a man named Rene Dagron established a factory in France to produce Stanhopes, which were then sold all over Europe and and the U.S. Stanhopes could be found inside a wide variety of objects, including: crosses, writing equipment, jewelry, smoking paraphernalia, perfume bottles, and more. To learn more about Stanhopes, check out this website on their history and manufacturing.

These are a few lovely Stanhopes for sale on ebay right now:






Examples of other "peeps" from the Stanhopes website and Camera Oddities:

This is an enlarged image of the the lens of a Stanhope that Wicked Darling was gracious enough to send me. It is truly such an amazing invention!

I cannot wait to receive my own little "peep" into the past...I will definitely take photos when it arrives!