Fashion on Film

The Prisoner

Posted on by The Girl
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Portmeirion Village

A few days in Snowdonia, North Wales, but not mountain climbing! I went with my family to Portmeirion, where the cult British series The Prisoner was filmed. My choice of outfits hopefully reflect the era and were inspired by the series. As a seaside village, stripes and summer blazers feature quite heavily. As I visited in February, when I went exploring I wore a boxy wool coat. Block colours are also obvious in The Prisoner, keeping lines clean and simple too.

It was filmed around the same time as The Avengers (with Steed and Emma Peel). I think the orange boat neck and baker-boy cap are very Emma Peel.

Day 1
Day 1

Striped roll-neck, Blazer and bright blue courdroy A-line skirt.

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Day 2- With a similar jacket to The Prisoner and a badge!

Breton stripes, A-line skirt and Chelsea boots and Baker boy cap keep the Sixties in mind. All from the high street recently.

Kurt Geiger shoes
Evening outfit
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For a meal out at the castle (which is used as the hospital in The Prisoner) I wore a mint A-line dress with low heeled pointed Mary Janes (Kurt Geiger). I made the dress from an original Sixties pattern, in thin sweatshirt fabric.

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I made the boat neck orange top based on a Marilyn Monroe photo shoot from 1962, and this style is easy to wear. I’ll have to make it in more colours.

We stayed in the Toll House, Portmeirion. The photos were taken here.

Gilda dress

Posted on by The Girl

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Rita Hayworth wears this simply stunning black floor length evening dress in the film noir Gilda. Gilda wears this dress to the nightclub to make her old flame jealous and provoke a reaction, since they keep falling out. During the scene she sings ‘Put the Blame on Mame’ and removes one glove, burlesque style.

As seen in the photo, the dress is accessorised with long black satin gloves and peep toe shoes. In the film Gilda also wears a diamond necklace close to the collar bone.Some shots show her with a fur stole or coat.

I envy the amazing fit of clothes on film, especially from the 30’s to the 50’s.While the original appears to have been black, I think she would have looked amazing in emerald green, especially with her famous red hair.

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This is my dress rehearsal for a dance I was going to, and below, the photos with my hair and make-up done.

I am wearing a vintage diamanté necklace from my Nanna, sheer gloves from What Katie Did, peep toe heels with a slight platform. The girls in the Forties did platforms first! 

I found this dress on http://www.thecelebritydresses.com. I can recommend their ASOS collection, as this dress proves. They offer made to measure and ready to wear sizes as well as a choice of colours.

Her hair has had the curls brushed out to give more volume, and lots of pomade or hairspray must have been used to keep the smoothness. While Gila sings, you can see her hair get more curls.

The Forties glamorous make-up focused on a bold lip and more natural looking eyes. This was Hollywood, so false eyelashes were used to lengthen the lashes, but not to thicken them.

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Gilda dress

Now for the party!