The Evolution of Halloween

As you all know, Halloween is on Saturday and this holiday has evolved since I was a little girl. Halloween used to be about picking a cool costume and collecting as much candy as you can on Halloween night. I remember as a little girl going to Party City with my mom and picking out my costume. I would wear my costume to elementary to school enjoy the activities my teachers planned. My mom would take a million and one pictures of me in my costume to show everyone. Halloween used to be such an innocent holiday.

Now things have changed drastically. The older I got, the sluttier the costumes have become! Halloween is just an excuse for young people to get drunk and see who can wear the skimpiest costume without showing everything. Obviously we are too old to go trick or treating, but I never thought in a million years the way we celebrated Halloween would change this much.

I can bet you any amount of money that if you attend a Halloween party you will see at least two or three of the typical sexy, girly costumes. Every girl loves dressing up at some sort of scandalous cat for Halloween. I have no idea why, but I’ve noticed that it is probably the most popular costume for girls. Next, you will probably see a slutty schoolgirl costume accompanied by a very short skirt, glasses, and pink tails. After that, you’ll probably see a sexy police officer whose probably lost majority of her uniform trying to arrest you. Then, you might come across a nurse who has also forgotten half her uniform at the hospital trying to “make you feel better.” Lastly if you’re lucky, you’ll see a nun who is wear the exact opposite of what she should be wearing, if she’s wearing anything at all.

Despite all the alcohol and nudity on Halloween, stay safe and enjoy!

Style Career Fair

Today, I was lucky enough to volunteer at the Style Career Fair in New York City. Drexel sent out an email a few weeks ago asking for volunteers and I eagerly responded saying that I would love to volunteer. When I arrived, I was given a Style Career shirt and assembled bags that would later be given to the candidates who were meeting industry professionals and recruiters. I was the first shift from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, there were about fifteen to twenty other volunteers in my group. I got very lucky because my job was to help the fashion industry professionals set up their booths. This meant I got to meet many of the industry professionals at the fair. At the Style Career Fair there were twenty-five companies the companies were looking for fashion industry professions with backgrounds in: Apparel, Accessories, Footwear, Graphics, Textile and Corporate Retail. Each company had a small booth where they would conduct interviews with the candidates.

I had one of the best jobs because I got to talk to many of the recruiters and get face-to-face contact. I talked to a recruiter from H&M, who was excited that I was from Drexel and I ended up giving him my resume. I was very excited about that I was able to give him my resume. We chatted about the H&M Balmain collaboration that’s hitting the stores soon. I’m so excited and counting down the days until the collaboration hits stores and online! I also got to meet as well as set up their booths for recruiters from: Steve Madden, Kohl’s, Marc Jacobs, Talbots, Bombfell, Caleres and a few others. It was a lot of fun small talking with the recruiters and seeing how they set up each of their booths. Once the doors opened and the candidates came it got very hectic! The lines were extremely long and there were people everywhere. I was on my feet all day, which I enjoy doing because I hate sitting down for long periods of time. Only I regret wearing my black flats because my toes were killing me by the end. Oh, well I learned my lesson never to wear those flats when I’ll be running around all day for a long period of time.   

I had a great time at the Style Career Fair and got to meet a lot of interesting people. The girls who were in my volunteer group were also very nice and we took each others information. There’s always a way to connect to people wherever you go! It’s all about the people you know in the industry that’s for sure! At the end of my shift, all the volunteers were told by Style Careers that all the companies at the fair will be given our resume along with a picture of ourselves. If the companies need any interns or entry-level jobs they have a list of us (all the volunteers). I thought that was great because even though I didn’t get to formally interview the recruiters they still have my resume and picture to remember my face by. Hopefully some of these companies need entry level positions and will reach out to me.

The Women - A Study in Fashion of 1939

At its peak in 1939, The Women was described as being a “thoroughly nasty picture." While today we would consider this movie to be quite tame, it was ahead of its time as far as script, plot, and costuming goes.  Composed of an entirely female cast of over 130 roles (even most of the animals were female), The Women acts as a sociological investigation of Park Avenue’s elite women of the 1930s.  Leading Ladies Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Paulette Goddard, and Joan Fontaine let go of their former sympathetic and innocent characters and “leaped at the chance to be vixens."  The women dissect their best friends’ private lives and reputations daily over casual luncheons or while at the salon and are absolutely intriguing to watch their performances heightened through brilliant use of costumes.

While it was very original for its time, today the plot surrounding a gossiping group of friends and marital affairs seems rather predictable and cliché.  No film like this had ever been done before, so the innovation is clear when compared to other pieces from this period.  George Cukor, director, was quoted as having said that “the costumes bore little importance in the film."  It seems fair to say, however, that most anyone who has seen the film will disagree with this statement.  The costuming was used to define the personalities of the core characters.  Norma Shearer's character always looks tailored and put together to show her sophistication and poise while Joan Crawford's character is often shown in tacky fashions to further prove that she is not a natural part of this upscale lifestyle.

The film is shot almost entirely in black and white, aside from a few minutes known as “The Technicolor fashion show sequence” which really showcased costume designer, Adrian’s talents and use of color.  Cukor, again, criticized this sequence “as it did nothing to advance the plot."  While this is true in regards to the plot, this sequence was very important to fashion at the time.  It truly gave viewers a better understanding of how these designs would look in person and contributed greatly to mainstream fashion of the time.

Above shows an ensemble from the fashion show sequence on the left and an advertisement for Bergdorf Goodman on the right from Vogue, October 1939.  This side by side comparison shows how this style of dress (hooded, maxi dress, overflowing with fabric draping) rose in popularity immediately after the film’s release.  Not only was fashion affected by this film, but so was home furnishings. 

Here you can see an image from the fashion show sequence of the model laying out a yellow scarf as a picnic blanket.  This led to the Vogue advertisement next to it selling yellow bed-linens.
One of the most innovative trends, at the time, is still even popular today: Jungle Red.  This is the color of  nail polish that one of the most gossipy characters convinced all other members of her posse to wear from her manicurist.  Even from a black and white film, this color’s popularity exploded and is still around today, as can be seen below with a modern version of this color nail polish by NARS. 

Other trends that remain popular or have recently come into popularity today are items such as long dresses, capes, excess use of draping and flowing fabric, and low-cut back dresses.

The film’s use of fashion to describe its characters greatly influenced mainstream fashion of the time.  It made viewers believe that they could live that luxurious lifestyle if they looked the part, so they went out and found outfits that helped them to do this.  The technicolor fashion show sequence was pivotal to this as it showed women what the dresses and outfits would actually look like in person.

Immortal Beauty at Drexel University

--> As a former intern at Drexel’s Robert & Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection, I was so excited when the Immortal Beauty highlights exhibition finally opened! With a date range that includes the mid-1500s up until the present, the incredibly curated selection of items within the gallery showcases the variety of beautiful pieces our collection has.

While volunteering at the public opening last Friday, I was able to peruse the exhibit multiple times, taking as long as I wanted to look at each piece. Having been an intern and volunteering from time to time, I am in awe of what the FHCC has accomplished. I’ve walked through the aisles of our vault numerous times, but there’s nothing like seeing a garment properly dressed on a perfectly customized mannequin – it really gives the piece life.

Perhaps the most special garment out on display is a gorgeous coral Givenchy gown previously owned and worn by Philadelphia’s own Grace Kelly. (And, if you watch the video playing in the gallery, you can see images of Her Serene Highness wearing it!)

My personal favorite, however, is a deep plum dress featured near the entrance to the exhibit. During my internship, I came across it in storage and found that it had a Drexel connection, along with being simply beautiful. As it turns out, there is a portrait of the owner wearing the skirt with an evening version of the bodice in Main Building – I have yet to see it myself, but am curious as to what this woman looked like.

I don’t want to give too many details so as to spoil the experience, though! If you live in the area or will be in the area between now and December 14th, I would highly suggest visiting the exhibition in our Pearlstein Gallery.