16/08/2011

Vintage Inspiration: People Will Talk

I watched one of Cary Grant's less famous films the other day, "People Will Talk" (1951), written by Joseph Manciewicz who you might know better as the writer/director of "All About Eve" (1950). Jeanne Crain co-stars,  and wears some gorgeous early 50s outfits, like this military-influenced coat and tailored dress:


But there was one dress that really caught my eye:



The dress structure is simple enough: a sweetheart halterneck tea dress, but what really makes it is a small lace overlay which drapes over the shoulders to a point in the middle of the back (unattached to the back of the dress, rather like a sailor style collar). I wonder if it might be quite easy to recreate this with a strapless dress, and a small square lace scarf. It could be pinned with a brooch on each side of the chest to hold in place. One would only need a Cary Grant on the arm to complete the look.

C x

2 comments:

  1. Oh how I love old black and white films! A while ago I went to see The Big Sleep at the Odeon in Manchester and it was amazing. Lauren Bacall had some AMAZING outfits (as well as a rather delectable black beret) and Humphrey Bogart was just fantastic. I think the quality of the acting mattered so much more then before HD and 3D and special affects came along. It was just the acting and the costumes - my kind of films. I haven't seen people will talk but will have to give it a watch now!

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  2. I happened to stumble across it on Sky Anytime if you have it, although it was under the "disappearing soon" tab but hopefully it's still there.

    The Big Sleep = Glorious!

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