MOD Monday - Raquel Welch

60's sex symbol and pop culture icon, Raquel Welch was a big deal in her heyday. Born Jo Raquel Tejada in Chicago, Illinois in 1940, she was of Spanish/American descent because her father was a Bolivian immigrant.  Prior to becoming an actress, Welch was involved in acting on a small scale doing plays in her local community theatre. She worked as a cocktail waitress and also did work modeling for the department store, Neiman Marcus.  Her first taste of being behind the camera was when she landed a gig as weather girl for a San Diego television station.

In 1965, at the age of twenty five, Raquel got her first movie roll in a campy beach film that landed her a contract with 20th Century Fox, but it wasn't until the 1966 movie 'Fantastic Voyage' that she actually achieved star status.  The movie that pushed her into her own, was the remake of 'One Million Years B.C.' which she starred in wearing nothing but a fur bikini and speaking only three lines of dialect. The movie poster for the film became a best seller and made her one of the leading sex symbols of the 60's.

Welch seemed to be solely responsible for making 'cleavage' a fashion accessory in the 60's as MOD fashions were becoming more revealing once her bodacious bod was on the scene!  Ironically, in 2010 at the age of 70 and still as fab as ever, Raquel Welch wrote a book titled..."Beyond The Cleavage" which is cited as being part autobiography and part personal philosophy on every subject from dealing with the angst of youth to aging gracefully.

Denying having had any plastic surgery, she promotes that her longevity with retaining a youthful appearance has everything to do with exercise, yoga, a strict diet, a tad of hormone replacement therapy and three hours of make up in the morning.  I don't know if I particularly buy into all of this especially after seeing this photo of her with her wig tape showing?  In all reality unless she has discovered the fountain of youth or sold her soul, there is absolutely no way in 'H-E-double hockey sticks' that anyone can be 70 and look this flawless without a little help from their friends (i.e. plastic surgeon).  It just ain't happenin'!

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Fashion In Film Friday - Clueless

The 1995 movie 'Clueless' starring Alicia Silverstone & the late Brittany Murphy was surprisingly an instant box office hit given the mediocrity of the storyline.  The plot surrounds a group of Beverly Hills teenage girls who are gorgeous, popular & wealthy high school fashionistas on the hunt for the opposite sex.  This popular 90's film had the same impact on slang trends as the movie 'Valley Girls' did in the 80's.  The girls of Clueless were definitely the modern day version of 'Vals'.    

Aside from the jargon catching on, the clothing styles in 'Clueless' made it the fashion film of the year and the title was totally earned by costume designer Mona May who came up with the sixty different wardrobe changes for Silverstone's character.

May stated in an interview with Nylon Magazine that her designs for the movie Clueless were greatly influenced by runway shows.  She said the tricky part was bringing haute couture to the classroom setting & having it fit in.  Her designs for the film were fresh, outrageous & soon after the movie was released the trends were catching on.  Berets were back with a passion. Baby doll dresses with puffy sleeves, otherwise known as 'cute baby wear', micro minis with tights, slip dresses worn over t-shirts, plaid two piece mini skirt suits and thigh high stockings worn with platform Mary Jane's were big fashion fare the year this film came out... 

Although the fashion styles of the movie 'Clueless' were so sixteen years ago, elements of them pop up here and there, every now and then and sooner or later it's going to be back around again! 


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70's Vintage Punk Rock Vixen Wendy O Williams

Before there was Madonna, Lady Gaga, or any other who was considered to be a 'shock rocker' female pop star, there was a force to be reckoned with and her name was Wendy O Williams.  If you were growing up in the late seventies to early eighties, you know exactly who I'm talking about!  In July of 1978, her band 'The Plasmatics' gave it's debut performance at the infamous CBGB in New York. Williams instantly became a punk rock cult icon for the ages and had a consistent following during her career thereafter.  

If you think today's female musicians have pushed the envelope in regards to what's considered controversial or taboo, Wendy O puts them in the rank of saints compared to her on stage antics. Williams was an intense personality on every level and it came through in her lyrics, her persona and most of all her wardrobe which was mostly 'skin'.  She was big on strategically placed electrical tape.  In the early 80's she was arrested several times for simulating sex on stage, attempting battery on an officer and for perpetrating obscene conduct.  She even went as far as to perform in nothing but shaving cream on one occasion!  This chick was off the hook crazy and the crowds ate it up!

After The Plasmatics went their separate ways, Williams attempted a solo career in 1984 when she released an album titled "W.O.W" that was produced by Kiss members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley & Ace Frehley.  She also gave a shot at acting appearing in the 1986 indie film, 'Reform School Girls'.  She ended up retiring all together in 1991 and toned it down quite a bit ending up working in a health food store, citing that she was just sick of people!   

Unfortunately, Wendy O Williams stage act was not an act at all, the brash & hardcore personality she portrayed to the public, was really who she was on the inside.  In 1993 she attempted suicide by hammering a knife into her chest but she changed her mind when it just lodged in her sternum.  Another attempt occurred in 1997 with an ephedrine overdose and finally she succeeded on April 6th 1998 when she went into the woods near her home and shot herself.  She was only 48.  This vintage music vixen was the epitome of a bad girl style icon and definitely paved the way for those who followed in her footsteps, so f.y.i. it wasn't a big revelation when Amy Whinehouse, Lady Gaga or Pink rocked the tape, as the punk rock vixen queen of 'shock & awe', Wendy O Williams had 'been there and done that' when they were still in diapers!        

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The Summer Of Love - June 1967

Forty four years ago, in June of 1967, over 100,000 people migrated to the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco in what was known as a 'hippie rebellion'.  Many young people traveled from across the world to be a part of this event which promised them the opportunity to cast off social conservatism & experiment openly without reprecussions, basically in the areas of psychotropics, free love (i.e. promiscuous sex) and of course rock n' roll!  There was no formal advertisement for this gathering, it all came together by word of mouth that spanned a huge distance and diversity of individuals.  The most positive thing that arose from this was the idea of 'unity, love & acceptance' for all of humanity...That's the part I like best! 

I know some of the history of 'The Summer Of Love' first hand because of my now reformed, once die hard hippie, Uncle Noel who said it was given the name to offset the negative impression the media was pushing for, of it being a drug infused, hairy hippie orgy.  Of course, for all intents and purposes it pretty much was exactly just that, no matter how much they attempted to sugar coat it!...   

A fashion trend arose from this decade called 'bohemian' which is a combination of the anything goes style of the hippie movement sprinkled with a little bit of nomad and topped off with a pinch of free spirited gypsy.  This vintage style will never be out of style as it has lasted the span of four decades having not changed very much from the beginning of its origin.  The allure is that the wearer does not conform to the norms of fashion or society for that matter and in turn to some extent becomes a 'rebel'... Boho-Chic entails everything colorful, flowing, comfortable & can even incorporate mix matched prints into style choices.  It's the same now as it was then and is absolutely one of the most simple trends to keep up with because it never really changes...

Of all the eras of clothing I personally find appealing, I'm all about the Mod early 60's thru to the late vintage Hippie 60's to early 70's because of the non-comformity of the fashions.  What is your favorite style era?


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Brigitte Bardot...Sex Kitten Of The 50's & 60's

There were many female celebrities who sparked the 'women's movement' with their overt sense of sexuality and that was way before pop icon Madonna did  back in the 50's & 60's & Brigitte Bardot, was most definitely one of them!  Born in Paris, France, Brigitte was a voluptuous beauty who's body image had a major impact on fashion.  

  
A neckline style was even named after her...the 'Bardot' which is a wide open neck exposing both shoulders and a whole lot more!

Her early desire was to be a dancer but soon found fame in acting, becoming known world wide after starring in the sexy thriller 'And God Created Woman'.  The film pushed censorship boundaries but as usual..sex always sells however, I have to laugh at the idea of 'a torrid tropical dance' being considered as risque considering what we see on the screen nowadays, let alone at home on our own televisions!

Besides the neckline style, Bardot is said to have been solely responsible for the rise in the popularity of the bikini, as well as the vintage beehive hairstyle.  She was called 'bikini girl' because pretty much all of the movies she starred in from the beginning had her portraying naughty sex kittens who pranced around in hardly anything!  As her career progressed she flashed some B&B (boobs & bunns) quite often and even agreed to do a rape scene. 

In her elder years, Brigitte has been in the tabloids on both a positive and negative note.  Positive because she's an animal activist and negative because unfortunately this once beautiful woman is a profound racist who was convicted on June 10th 2004 for 'inciting racial hatred'.  A true example of how sometimes 'beauty is only skin deep'...

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Fashion In Film Friday

When you think of movies that inspire fashion, how can you not think of Carrie, Miranda, Sam & Charlotte, the wonderful witty women of Sex And The City? Oh, and let's not forget the 'fashions' which have been said to have a character spot status of their own!  The first episode of the popular HBO hit series was aired on June 6th 1998 and was based partly on Candace Bushnells' novels of the same name.  Her books were compiled from articles she had written for the New York Observer and she admits that her main character, Carrie Bradshaw a.k.a. Sarah Jessica Parker, is in fact her alter ego.

  
Besides the obvious that the story line primarily dealt with scenarios relating to 'women's issues' in regards to men and sex, 'Sex And The City' was all about fashion!  In both the series and the two mainstream movies, these girls always remained in rare style form.  Who they've worn and what they've worn is too vast to mention in it's entirety given that there have been over a decade of episodes, but Oscar de' la Renta and Monolo Blahnik pieces were always in the mix for sure.      

Each character had her own unique flair.  Carrie was uptown chic and fearless with her fashion choices pairing thrift store vinrage with haute' couture.  Charlotte was reserved, cutesy and feminine and was all about matching her bag with her shoes.  Miranda gave rise to corporate chic and women's tailored suits and last but certainly not least the bold and bawdy Samantha exuded sex appeal and confidence to the max with her dare to bare flair!

This show gave a quirky yet realistic insight into the way women perceive men, relationships, fashion and everything in between however, as much as I enjoyed the entertainment, I could never get past the far fetched concept of how Carrie Bradshaw was able to live in New York City on a newspaper columnist's budget while all at the same time being able to party at A-list clubs every night and have money left over to buy haute' couture?  


The most intriguing part of the series is that each week, the ladies of 'Sex And The City' gave us a glimpse of the diversity that each of us has inside ourselves...  The prude, the free spirit, the goal oriented career woman and the bodacious bad girl!


Which one are you?...as for me, I'll never tell ;)   




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