In looking through the Umbrella images that I have gathered for this month's series,one thing, of undeniable truth, jumps out at me:the women, no matter the era or the artist, are all quite fashionable.So, as I wrap up my ode to National Umbrella Month, I am going to focus on style.
I am including two of my favourite images here--to omit them would simply be a shame. The first is from an issue of La Gazette du Bon Ton, 1915. It is breathtaking. The ensembles remain striking nearly a century later. This is no wonder, as the illustration features clothing by Paquin, Lanvin and Doeuillet. The women are obviously meant to represent the cream of the crop--nothing less would grace the pages of Bon Ton--every line, angle and centimeter presents them as fashionable, modern perfection.
The suits are exquisite and runway-worthy. All that the Lanvin, in the middle, needs to be 21st-Century ready is a slightly less bulky silhouette and a shorter skirt. The belt and the bubble hem are all the rage, very 2009.
The second is a Dorothea Lange photograph, circa 1937. She captured, in spare black and white, the face and spirit of the Depression years better than anyone else. Her photographs need no description--they say everything better than a writer ever could.
I have also included paintings by Leighton and Sorolla. Even with umbrellas in hand, the subjects remind one of the dawning warmth of early Summer, as seen through the eyes of those charmed with happy, relaxed lives.
Top to Bottom: Sorolla, Leighton, Lange, Gazette du Bon Ton
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