Girl of the Hour: Billie Samuels
06/02/2012 § 4 Comments
Billie Samuels, kick-ass girl cyclist, 4 July 1934.
Via The Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday 5 July 1934:
CYCLING.
GIRL’S RECORD ATTEMPT.
Miss Billie Samuels started on her attack on the women’s record from Sydney to Melbourne, held by Miss Valsa Barbour, at 10 o’clock yesterday morning. She will ride to a schedule which will bring her to the Melbourne G.P.O. at 2 p.m. on Saturday, a total time of 3 days 7 hours. This is about three hours faster than the present record. Miss Samuels provides for stoppages of about four hours in Goulburn (132 miles), five hours in Holbrook (333 miles), and five hours in Seymour, Victoria (501 miles), in addition to regular meal stoppages of about 30 to 40 minutes every 40 or 50 miles.
Miss Samuels arrived at Moss Vale at 4.39 p.m., almost 2 hours ahead of schedule time. She encountered rain from Camden to Moss Vale, but is looking fit. Miss Samuels resumed her ride three-quarters of an hour later.
Images via the State Library of New South Wales.
Previous Persons of the Hour:
Photographer Gerda Taro
Race car enthusiast, sailor and playboy Briggs Swift Cunningham II
QC Loves: Photographer Ditte Isager
29/01/2012 § 1 Comment
From Isager’s series, Horse Riders Journal, Fall 2011
Horse Riders Journal, Spring 2011
Fashion and dressage? Consider me signed up.
Loving this photography series by Ditte Isager.
Photographer born and raised in Copenhagen Denmark. Living in NYC since 2006. Shooting interiors, personalities, lifestyle and travel. The style is simple nordic. Working with contrast in materials, light, color and objects. Inspiration comes from the light in the Dutch masters, storytelling and effects from motion pictures and the style, character and layers of NY.
The Ivy Coed {Jil Sander Pre-Fall 2012}
23/01/2012 § 2 Comments
Taking design inspiration from the mid-century American college student isn’t particularly innovative these days. In fact, it can sometimes seem like designers are perennially stuck in those hallowed years between childhood and adulthood, where the most pressing matters of the day are studying for a midterm or rushing the right house. Particularly if said years are spent in one of the more storied institutions, such as the colleges of the Ivy League. This was perhaps most recently and significantly evidenced by the recent reissue and popularity of Teruyoshi Hayashida’s 1965 book Take Ivy, a collection photographs of Ivy style, and its appearance in bookstores and J.Crew stores alike.
But here is where we shall take a step back, because we should note that the conversation above is truly about men and menswear (and perhaps menswear-influenced womenswear by extension). When was the last time we’ve seen the college coed honored, and not as a caricature — not as a girl in boy’s clothing — but truly female? Honestly, I cannot recall, sadly. Which is why the Jil Sander Pre-fall 2012 collection is so exciting to me.
For Jil Sander, designer Raf Simons has honored the collegiate woman. Not content to merely reproduce — the quagmire that menswear frequently finds itself mired in — Simons’s reinvention of familiar forms is refreshing and startlingly well-executed, especially in the case of outerwear. The presentation of the designs in a campaign that echoes Hayashida’s photographs, in group portraits that recall sororities and ladies’ clubs, is a stroke of genius and I couldn’t resist pulling up a few real ones. You know me.
SMU sorority, taken by John Dominis, 1951.
Alpha Kappa Alpha at Howard University, Washington, D.C.
Taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1946.
Vassar College.
Bryn Mawr. Taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt , 1956.
Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority at University of Kansas, Lawrence.
Taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1939.
Vassar College.
Vassar College.
Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority, University of Kansas, Lawrence.
Taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1939.
Wellesley College, taken by Nina Leen, 1949.
Images via Vogue, the Vassar Archives, and the LIFE Archives.
Style Icon: Anjelica Huston
16/01/2012 § 3 Comments
Spirit animal.
The number of girlcrushes that fondly claim the lovely Anjelica Huston must number in the majillions. I came to this realization after searching for images for this Style Icon post, and noticing the abundance of posts and the repetition of many well-loved photographs of Ms. Huston. So here, I’ve tried to offer a few new images to the mix, pulled mostly from her career as a model in Vogue via youthquakers and from a collection shot by Life Magazine on the set of her first film, A Walk with Love and Death, in 1969 (she’s 18 in the photos).
I have always loved the versatility and originality that Anjelica embodies. I love that she is a tall lady. That she is darkly handsome in a non-conventional manner. That she tends to make off-beat character choices. That she gets even more beautiful as she gets older. That she was involved with Jack Nicholson for over fifteen years. That she is a third generation Oscar winner. Ah, and her voice…
For further Anjelica love, check out Allison and Diana‘s posts.
You can also wander through the youthshakers archive.
Rabbit Hole: Yasmin Le Bon for Ralph Lauren Fall 1985
03/01/2012 § 1 Comment
I know this campaign is nearly 30 years old and all, but can someone please invent a time machine and bring me back every single thing Yasmin Le Bon is wearing in these photos from the 1985 Ralph Lauren fall campaign? The pleated stirrup pant, the paisley scarf and the herringbone duster are the most urgently needed items, if you have to prioritize. Many thanks.
All images via the Style Registry.
The Duke of Beaufort’s Hunt, 1949
23/12/2011 § 2 Comments
Photos of the Duke of Beaufort’s Hunt, March 1949, at Badminton House in Gloucestershire, England. The Beaufort is one of the oldest and largest fox hunts in England. Founded by the 1st Duke of Beaufort in 1682, later heads of the House of Beaufort have all either hunted or occupied The Beaufort’s mastership, and the hounds, kennels and stables are still held by the family. The 11th and current Duke of Beaufort, David Robert Somerset, currently occupies the mastership of the pack and acts as its patron.
Two unfortunate things about these photos. First, the pictures are not captioned so I have no idea who is who — but I do know that the 10th Duke of Beaufort isn’t shown. Second, as the pictures are in black and white, you don’t get to notice the distinctive livery color of the Duke’s Hunt. Instead of wearing the traditional red, the huntsman and whippers-in wear green, while the subscribers wear blue coats with buff facings (you can notice the buff facings, though).
Aside from that, they’re really great. I especially love the ladies sitting sidesaddle with their top hats, and the servants navigating their way around the horses with their silver trays. Lovely. It’s no accident I’ve been finding myself looking for a beaver fur top hat of my own…
A lovely illustration of the Beaufort Hunt I found over at The Anglophile:
And a few images of the Duke of Beaufort’s Hunt today:
To learn more about the Duke of Beaufort’s Hunt, head over to their website here.
I’m also excited to mention that I’ve started my own club.
More on that in a bit…
All other images via LIFE and Beaufort Hunt.
Style Icons: The Women of the Wild Bunch
21/12/2011 § Leave a comment
Image via Tomboy Style.
Because I had a number of flights over the last couple of weeks, I had the opportunity to revisit some of my favorite films. One of them yielded a bit of style inspiration in a roundabout manner and it has been on my mind for days now. The film? Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, starring Robert Redford as Sundance, Paul Newman as Butch. If you haven’t yet seen the film, I highly recommend you make the time — it’s even on iTunes, in fact. Loosely based on true events, the film follows real-life turn of the century bank and train robbers Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, members of the Wild Bunch and the Hole in the Wall Gang, through a series of heists and concurrent efforts to outrun the law. Katharine Ross plays Etta Place, a woman who was companion to the Sundance Kid and traveled with both men across the country and to South America. There are only two known pictures of the real Etta Place — in fact, it’s actually not even clear that Etta Place was her real name — and she vanished without a trace around 1909. Quite the mystery.
The real Etta Place, with the Sundance Kid
At its heart, the film is about the relationship between Butch and Sundance and the chemistry between Newman and Redford is spot on. But I couldn’t help but be drawn to Etta Place, the school teacher who somehow became enmeshed with two of the most prolific thieves in history. My favorite scenes are when Etta dresses a bit boyishly, but truth be told, she spends most of the film in very proper and very ladylike attire, usually complete with hats and gloves. (Sidenote: The costumes in this film are a.MAY.zing.)
Image via The Selvedge Yard
A bit of further research led to an unexpected discovery. While the film version of the Wild Bunch was men-only (with the tangential exception of Etta), there were in fact, a few female members of the gang. Most notorious among these women, was Laura Bullion, “The Rose of the Wild Bunch.”
Laura Bullion’s 1901 mugshot
Far be it from me to glorify any real-life criminals, but I was taken aback by Laura’s mugshot and the scatty details of her life. Born in 1876 to an outlaw father, she is linked romantically to Ben Kilpatrick, also a member of the Wild Bunch. Her crimes tended toward robbery, prostitution, and forgery, for which she ended up spending almost 4 years in jail around the turn of the century. After serving her time, she eventually moved to Memphis, where she posed as a war widow under assumed names and oddly domesticated herself, becoming a seamstress, drapery maker and interior decorator. She died in 1961, the last living member of the Wild Bunch and last person to have actually known Etta Place.
The 1901 mugshot is arresting. It’s almost like she dares you to look away. Her gaze is all hardness and resolve. For a woman at that time to choose such an unconventional lifestyle, one can only guess what her life must have been like, growing up surrounded by criminals. Also, can we please note the bow tie?!
Interestingly, as I researched more female outlaws, I came to notice how frequently their sexual activities and partners were mentioned — distinctly different from the characterizations of their male outlaw counterparts — and how the accounts that were made at the time have a distinct impact on the accounts that are written today. It is interesting to note that these women were frequently made out to be sexual deviants, loose women, and/or prostitutes — defined by that all too-familiar double-standard. Not only did they break the laws of the land, but since they shirked sexual mores with abandon, society made it clear they were outsiders. Perhaps even more so than male outlaws.
From Laura and Etta, I’m taking a sense of rebellion and adventure.
But I will leave it to them to break the laws.
LIFE Archives: The Rabbit Hunt
09/12/2011 § 6 Comments
A rabbit hunt somewhere in Britain in 1950 seems perfectly apropos after the chilly weather that descended upon New York today, does it not? Lovely tweed and leather and even a lady in a tie. This hunt was shot for LIFE Magazine by William J. Sumits, but I have been unable to find the accompanying article. In any event, the small wooly dogs — the Sealyham Terrier — seem to be the central focus, but I was quite drawn to the hunting party’s clothes. Of course.
Embrace your modern huntress in this lovely herringbone overcoat, these knickerbocker pants — both by Rugby, this tie by Pierrepont Hicks, these riding boots by Frye, this pretty lavender wool scarf from J.Press (on sale!), and these leather driving gloves from Dents. Dandy it up a bit by adding a vintage brooch and a leather and chrome liquor caddy from Orvis. Tally-ho!
All images via the LIFE Archive.
Style Icon: Amelia Earhart
30/11/2011 § 8 Comments
“The best things of mankind are as useless as Amelia Earhart’s adventure. Such persons…prove that man is no mere creature of his habits, no mere automaton, no mere cog in the collective machine but that in the dust of which he is made there is also fire, lighted now and then by great winds from the sky.” –Walter Lippmann
“Please know that I am aware of the hazards. I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be a challenge to others.” –Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart (July 24, 1897 – disappeared in 1937) is arguably the most famous aviatrix in history. The first woman to cross the Atlantic solo, and only the second person to do it successfully, the notoriety from Earhart’s many feats in the air were trumped only by the mystery surrounding the loss of her plane while she attempted to circumnavigate the globe in 1937. (You can read the article about her disappearance that ran in the July 19, 1937 issue of LIFE Magazine here, it also has a great photo-log of the trip. It’s been my goal to find this issue to add to my collection, but no such luck yet.)
I have long been an admirer of Earhart’s adventuresome spirit, tenacity and courage — and also her wardrobe. Her staples: a perfect pleated trouser, a crisp dress shirt, a pretty scarf, a well-worn bomber jacket and hardworking boots. Her signature elements: a bit of tousled hair, a scrubbed-clean face, a devil-may-care attitude, and an endearingly scrunched-up Mona Lisa smile.
“Adventure is worthwhile in itself.” –Amelia Earhart
Smithsonian curator Dorothy Cochrane and aircraft restorer Karl Heinzel discuss early aviation, aeronautical technology and Earhart’s Lockheed Vega, the plane she crossed the Atlantic in, which is on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
New Addition: San Fernando Valley Mercantile Co. 16″ Tool Bag
27/11/2011 § 5 Comments
I’ve not returned from Buenos Aires just yet, but I thought I would do a brief post from the Southern Hemisphere on what’s turned out to be my favorite travelling companion from the past few weeks. In October, I posted about my trip to the Rose Bowl Flea in California to visit The San Fernando Valley Mercantile Co. and meet founder Warren Schummer. Aside from having a lovely visit, I also put in an order for one of their handsome 16″ tool bags. I was very pleased to receive it before I jetted off for South America and it’s been absolutely great on the trip.
Large enough to fit a MacBook Air, several guidebooks, a Louis Vuitton Pochette, Kate Spade Lacey wallet, a Nikon D60 (and its bag and cords), a few other bits and bobs, and somehow still fit under the seat in front of me, this bag is made for travel. With a firm board bottom and metal feet, it also keeps its shape beautifully when not quite so fully stuffed. I especially liked the detachable shoulder strap, which I usually wore cross-body to keep my hands free. It definitely came in handy while rambling around the antiques market of San Telmo in Buenos Aires, where the photos were taken.
The leather was quite blond when I received it, but after only a few weeks it’s already aging nicely. I’m definitely looking forward to years of use from this handsome bag — and of course, many more trips around the world with it. If you’d like your own bag from this very limited run, all completely handmade in Southern California, head here.
You’ll notice two small alterations on my bag, courtesy of Warren: the addition of a small snap at the top to keep it securely closed and — and! — my monogram just below that. If you ask him very very nicely, he might be able to fix yours up as well.
Don’t forget to also check out the rest of The SFV Mercantile shop here, as well as the store blog, and Warren’s awesome Vintage Workwear blog.
All photographs courtesy of Erin Rickards, who is a great photographer and even greater friend, but sadly is without a website. She did just start Instagramming, though. If you’d like to follow her there, her username is @ericka22.
Quite Continental 