And so it begins.....

I am a classic film geek, in love with the stories and the costumes and the characters.  As a little girl I would go to the library and check out the Fred and Ginger movies, go home a watch and dance and pretend that I was one of the glamorous characters.  On rainy Sundays, I would sit in the basement and watch the Thin Man movies on PBS. This started my love of vintage, of glamour and of dramatics. 

As a little girl I would sit on the sewing room floor, while my mother made dresses, costumes and play clothes for my sister and I.  She would let me play with the buttons, trim and ribbons.  As I got older I would take sewing lessons and take costuming courses in school, but soon sewing fell by the wayside.  I was working and living in an apartment where there was no room for a sewing table.  When I moved into my own home and had the space, I started to sew again.  It had been a few years, and I was a little rusty but it slowly came back to me.  Now I live for the moment I get home from my daylight slave job and can start stitching into the night. 

These two passions of mine are now combined in a project I call "Miss World's Project Marilyn".  I read an article in Vanity Fair http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2012/01/sketch-to-still-my-week-with-marilyn-vintage-undergarments-michelle-williams on the costuming of the film "My Week with Marilyn".  I was excited to read how the pieces were recreated from photographs and was inspired to recreated some of Marilyn's iconic looks myself.

My inspiration was further fuelled by a book purchased for me by my mum. "Dressing Marilyn" by Andrew Hansford with Karen Homer.  Its full of wonderful photographs, sketches and details on the garment construction.  After reading through this book I became determined to get to stitchin' and making some dresses.

 Book Cover photographed by myself

pg. 94 the pattern for the dahlia costume from "How to Marry a Millionaire"

Now with the encouragement of Welder Boyfriend and my trusty sewing assistant Artie, I am embarking on my own journey to recreate and draw inspiration from these iconic looks.  Not all the garments can be recreations (its just not practical for me to wear floor length gowns) but I hope to draw inspiration and embody the feel of the original garment.   

My trusty assistant Artie helping me make trousers

So bear with me whilst I figure out this blog thing and stay tuned for my interpretation of some of her recognisable costumes and items from Marilyn's personal wardrobe.

~Miss World