The more I look the more I fall in love

The details are not the details. They make the design.

                                               Charles James

Charles James is one of the brilliant world-known fashion designer of the previous century. British born, he is known as "America's First Couturier".

He is a true master of cutting and making the details really important. 

  

This photo was published in WMagazine in 2011. 

I think everybody knows his stunning evening dresses, but if we have a close look on his everyday wear  designs  - blouses, jackets, - we find perfectly cut models, which are pretty simple  with just a few  details. 

Details form highly structured aesthetics he is known for.

                  

                                                                                                    Charles James, evening dress, 1953. Metropolitan Museum of  Art, NY.

The jacket in this suit perfectly fits the bust and waist area with only one intriguing oval-shaped line. And...

                          ... one visible button in the bottom of the oval states where the waist is.  

                         ... rounded hemline copies that oval shape. 

                          ... rounded collar that rhymes with two ovals but does not copy their shape - otherwise jacket would be too rigorous,  suitable for robot, but not for human being.

Skirt is quite ordinary, there are only two partly stitched pleats coming diagonally almost from the button on the waist. They draw thin waist once again and add a little volume to hips.

All  these details could be more visible on a lady. The suit is a bit big for dummy, but it makes exploration even more interesting, doesn't it?

The longer I look at it the more beautiful it seems to me. 

                                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Charles James, suit, 1950. Metropolitan  Museum of Art, NY.                                                           

 Simple and pretty blouse. Well, it is not that simple to us now, but consider the fashion of the 50th

previous century. According to aesthetics of that time this blouse is really plain.

What important details it does have?

                                     -Lots of seams

                                     -Lots of darts for curvy silhouette          

                                     -Diagonal undercut on the waist line. 

                                     -Pockets! Pockets are inserted in the darts and attract attention to the bust.

                                     -Small bow on the neck

Neckline is even more interesting: it has angled form under the bow and it rhymes with the angled waistline. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                  Charles James, blouse, 1950. Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY. 

Compare with the jacket above - there is only one oval-shaped line.  And in any garment there is nothing frilly, nothing just for embellishment. Each and every minuscule facet is on duty to flatter the original body shape, to produce impression, to make you stand a bit straighter. 

This is what I wanted to talk about today. Details. 

         Details that make sense. 

                     Details that make the design. 

                                Details I always think about when I make clothes for people.

An luckily we have so great teachers to learn from!

You can find more about Charles James on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_James_(designer)

WMagazine about Charles James and his exhibition in 2011

http://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/2011/10/charles-james-a-genius-deconstructed/