Fashion Film: Brideshead Revisited

I watched Brideshead Revisited on Saturday and I have to say I was blown away by the fashion. The film is based on the Evelyn Waugh novel set in 1930s UK and Italy. It's a classic epic of unrequited love, class struggles, WWII, undercurrents of homosexuality, arranged marriages - it's all there! I love the drama but I know its not every one's cup of tea so I wont bore you with all the details. The fashion is another story though. Being set in the 1930's, the costume designers obviously took full advantage of the sumptuousness and beauty of the decade. I find something very fragile and sad about 1930s fashion. I think its a lot to do with WWII. All these beautiful girls flitting about in their silks and beads, right before all the lights go off.

The picture at the top shows heroine and heart breaker Julia Flyte relaxing in Venice with her alcoholic brother and scoundrel father. This is the kind of vintage I dream of finding. That silk top has a Japanese style bird of paradise embroidered on the front. I was mesmerised by it in the film but unfortunately I couldn't find a better picture - there are also some gold and turquoise tassels attached to the sleeves that aren't visible in the pic. That top would look beautiful today, 70 years on paired with jeans and a small gold clutch.

And in the bottom pic, our girl Julia makes a grand entrance at her 21st. Note: there's no theme dressing. And those are gold swallows appliqued to the front of the dress...aah. I love any bird motif/theme/whatever. I think its whimsical without being twee.