by Donna Klein The Musical Beauty of My Fair Lady Being a part of the cast and crew of this musical has been a been a fun and educational experience, but the most fun is dressing the part. Whether we're flower girls, opera or Ascot patrons, servants, ball attendees, or Alfred P. Doolittle's cronies, we're [...]
by Donna Klein Celebrate 60 Years of the Musical, My Fair Lady This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Broadway debut of My Fair Lady, Lerner and Loewe's Tony Award-winning musical. This blog and the one following talks about My Fair Lady and what its like to be in the cast as preparations [...]
by Donna Klein Part 1 Post-Edwardian Aftermath Lily's shyness and lack of confidence were so pronounced that she suffered from paralyzing stage fright. Although she had a string of hits following the run of The Merry Widow, she often missed performances because she was unable to overcome her fears. She became known as 'a part-time [...]
by Donna Klein Little Elsie - talent and beauty Lily Elsie came into this world as Elsie Hodder on April 8, 1886. Her mother was Charlotte Elizabeth Hodder, a dressmaker who operated a lodging house in Armley. Leeds, Yorkshire. Less is known about her father, although the obituary of Arthur Borrows, a one-time opera tenor, [...]
Here, there, everywhere hats... Edwardian women must have spent most of their time dressing for whatever came next in their day/night. It wasn't unusual for upper-class women to have at least six changes of clothing for a weekend outing. One needed to dress for shooting, hunting, lounging, promenading, dining, and more. No accessory was more [...]
Hair vs. Hats As the Victorian era neared its end, hair was as reined in as the clothing. Small hats complemented the fashion of the day. But, as the 1890s drew to a close, hair grew larger (rock bands of the 1980s had nothing on these ladies) and hats followed suit. We may have Charles [...]
1870 was the year of the train, and it was not the one that runs on tracks. Ball gowns sported long beautiful trains and within three years only walking dresses remained floor-length. The soft bustle was also riding high in 1870. While there was some fullness at the front of the skirt, most of it was [...]
Skirt Hems Widen through Creative Use of Petticoats As the Romantic era in fashion came to a close in the 1830s and evolved into what we consider Victorian era, emphasis returned to the natural waistline. Corsets were back in fashion and the ankle-length skirt took on a bell shape, becoming so full that numerous petticoats [...]
by Donna Klein Bodice defines the Waistline 1870s to 1890s At the beginning of the 1870s, most bodices extended to the natural waistline. A tunic (overskirt) was often fitted over the bodice using a belt featuring a large bow in the back. It was during this time that a detachable basque, or very [...]