Fashion In Film Friday - The Black Dahlia

The 2006 film, 'The Black Dahlia' set in the 1940's was based on speculations on the true events that led to the gruesome death of Elizabeth Short whose body was found sliced in half in Leimert Park on January 15th 1947, in Los Angeles, California.  To this day, the identity of her killer has not been found and it probably never will...  Short was given the nickname 'The Black Dahlia' by the newspapers, because it was common in that era to do so in an attempt to sensationalize the headlines.

Starring Scarlett Johansson, Josh Hartnett, Hilary Swank & featuring Rose McGowan, it was directed by Brian DePalma and based on the novel by the same name.  The vintage fashions in this film were detailed and accurate of the 40's when modesty was at the forefront of every day styles.  The 'big band' era, was coming to an end but the fashions of the age of swing were staying put.  Wedged cork shoes, swing dresses, lace & taffeta evening wear, simple fabric day dresses and padded shoulder, fitted jacket skirt suits were in.  Elaborate netted hats and fox tail stoles as well as delicate angora sweaters.  Hemlines & necklines were definitely reserved.

Leaving something to the imagination was the allure of femininity and the timid seductive attraction that embodied the styles of the 1940's.






pics: allmoviephoto.com, impawards.com, movies.about.com, google.com, moviesonline.ca, archive.hippopress.com

The Risque' & Raunchy Rose McGowan

Rose McGowan was in the news today because she's taking on a new role in the popular hit t.v. series 'Law & Order SVU'.  She's been known since the beginning of her acting career back in 1992 for playing the bad girl femme fatale.

She made it more than obvious at the MTV Music Video Awards in 1996 that she was the 'real deal' when she pushed the envelope to the hilt by wearing a barely there, see through string dress and a t-back thong minus the bra as she accompanied then fiance' Marilyn Manson down the red carpet!  After viewing these pics, it's pretty hard to believe she suffers from agoraphobia (fear of wide open spaces, crowds or uncontrolled social conditions) as well as an anxiety disorder given the nature of her extrovert risque' and raunchy persona eh? By the way, I'm pretty sure that no designer would stake claim to this mess!  

This fashion disaster, poor judgement call and lack of good taste didn't cost her anything of course because this is Hollywood after all, and she went on three years after the fact to play Paige Matthews in the popular WB television series 'Charmed', taking over the role of Shannon Doherty's character opposite Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano. 

   
Her acting career was at a stand still for a bit after she finished the film 'Grindhouse' written by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino.  This gig shot her to cult icon status after she aced the leading role as the Texas go-go dancer Cherry Darling who became a one legged zombie killing heroine... 

It is said that the reason for the lag in her career was due to the fact that she was in a car accident in 2007 in which she endured serious injuries to her face and she attributes that as the reason behind her undergoing plastic surgery to repair the cut under her eye caused by her glasses at impact.  Really? take a look at these before and after pics of Ms. Gowan.  Seems to me that more than than her eye got nipped and tucked!...  It couldn't be more obvious that it was either her extremist sense of self or misplaced vanity that cost her the soft curves of her once youthful look and replaced it with the "I just got done walking through a wind tunnel" look because seriously...no one ages 20 years overnight!  

  

: spectrumculture.com , acephotos.org , rose-mcgowan.com , moviewallpaper.net , picturesplasticsurgery.com , womenrepublic.co.uk , simplydivinechaos.com