I am currently participating in the play “Holiday” which is being produced by a local theater group. In addition to playing one of the main characters, it has fallen to me to oversee costumes, set dressing, and set decoration. “Holiday” revolves around a VERY wealthy family, and is set in the mid to late 1930’s. Can anyone here give me advice on fashions of the thirties? I have the women pretty much covered (mostly bias-cut dresses, natural waists, slim hips with skirts flared toward hems, and mid-calf length hems). However, I am clueless as to what to do with the guys. Should I put them in jackets with wide lapels, for example? What about tie width and style? Also, any advice on hair styles for men or women (I am thinking of having the guys slick their hair back). Several of the guys are sporting some kind of facial hair (in a couple of cases, in order to make a younger actor look older), but my impression is that men were generally clean-shaven at that time. Also, Act II requires tuxedos for the men; our only option is rentals, so I am hoping a classic tuxedo will not be inappropriate for the thirtes.
Regarding customs, I realize the men should not be wearing hats indoors, but how about the women?
Regarding set dressing/decorations, I am going with a blend of ornate victorian and art neauveau (sp?) furniture and accesories with faux marblized floor and walls. Is this appropriate?
First bit of advice: Go rent Bonnie and Clyde and The Sting. Some good thirties-era costumes there.
Let’s see…
Seersucker suits were big.
Suspenders were de rigueur.
Also double-breasted suits with wide lapels, cuffs, and wide, wildly colorful ties. Wingtip shoes. The slicked back hair is a good call. Clean-shaven is also the way to go, though a pencil-thin moustache might be acceptable.
Also, go down to the library and see if they have any back issues of magazines from the 30’s. Large libraries will certainly have them. Pay attention to the advertisements. Lots of upper class styles there.
Thanks, Spoke! Great advice about the movies; I just watched The Sting again a few months ago, but I’d forgotten that it was set in the 30’s. Glad to hear that double-breasted suits are good, as the theater has several that I can use. Sadly, our library doesn’t have magazines that old, but I have been haunting estate sales, etc. and looking for them.
A lady wore a hat when she went calling on someone, but not in her own home. For visiting, you want a small pillbox-type, not a big broad-brimmed hat out of the Easter Parade. Men take their hats off as soon as they enter.
Don’t forget, the differences between daytime and evening wear were much more pronounced than they are now. For daytime, “street-length” dresses and suits for the women, and suits for the men. For evening parties and formal dining, black tie would not be out of line.
If you’re going to use movies, do you have cable? AMC/American Movie Channel runs movies that were actually filmed in the 30’s all the time.
OTOH, I would think that several of the public or university libraries in the Chicago area should have books that actually document the styles of the 30’s.
For furniture and decor, you’d be better off looking for Art Deco rather than Art Nouveau. Art Nouveau wound down around the beginning of the first World War.
Good call, thoughn those won’t help with the colors.
Heck, even early Three Stooges shorts might help. The ones with Curley. Or old Little Rascals shorts. The Stooges were always crashing fancy parties in the late thirties.