Dressing a Bond Girl: Dr No. & Goldfinger

In honour of the 24th Bond film, Spectre, coming out in November, I've decided to do a series of posts on the design and styling of the Bond girls. Whilst ideally I would wax lyrical in depth about every piece of clothing worn by every Bond girl, that would take forever. So I'll be posting about various outfits that I think were spot-on, whilst going through the films chronologically.

DR NO: HONEY RYDER

One heck of a screen entrance

The moment Ursula Andress emerges from the sea in a skimpy white bikini singing 'Underneath the Mango Tree' is regularly cited as the best known bikini of all time and an iconic moment in cinematic history. 

The ivory cotton bikini was also worn with a white British Army belt with brass buckles and a scabbard on one side for a knife. It is the only version made for and worn by Andress.

In 2001 the bikini was auctioned by Andress at Christie's in London for £35,000. 


 

 

GOLDFINGER

 

SHIRLEY EATON: THE ORIGINAL GOLDEN GIRL
Another iconic Bond girl moment is when Jill Masterson (played by Shirley Eaton) is killed by Goldfinger's cronies. It took between 1 hour and 30 minutes and 2 hours to fully paint Eaton. To protect her modesty, she is wearing nipple cones (these gained notoriety when Madonna wore a boob cone bra on her 1990 tour).

There was a belief at the time that the skin was a site where respiration took place. As such, a doctor was always present whilst filming this scene since people thought the gold paint could kill by suffocating Eaton's skin. As a further security measure, a patch of skin across Eaton's stomach was left unpainted (you can see this below, its like a stripe down her tummy).

Goldfinger was a huge international success and was the highest grossing film of 1964 in the US. Despite only appearing in a small part of the film, Masterson sprawled over a bed, shining with gold paint is certainly one of, if not the, most memorable image from the film.

Original posters from the film's release 50 years ago are rare and can command vast sums of money. Check out:http://www.moviepostermem.com/Goldfinger-Poster/58296 .




GOLDFINGER: PUSSY GALORE
PG's gold waistcoat continues the theme of gold within the film (Goldfinger himself always wears gold apart from when he dons an army uniform, and then he uses a golden gun). In line with her name, the waistcoat is quite provocative; simultaneously it adds a sense of masculinity - this is a Bond girl that can fight.

Costumes that appeared in the earlier Bond films were soon sold, recylced or thrown away so the original gold waistcoat does not survive. However, costume designer Lindy Hemming, who has produced clothing for more recent Bond films, managed to create a replica for the 'Designig 007' exhbition that happened a few years ago.

Another favourite of mine, is Pusy Galore's purple ensemble. Now I don't know many people that would necssarily wear two shade of the same colour together, but it kinda works in this instance.

Featuring a lavender wrap around shirt and mauve figure hugging trousers, Galore looks super smart and sexy. The choice of purple (apart from matching the character's "violet" eyes), gives us a break from seeing so much gold everywhere.

However, purple is still a colour very much associated with wealth and opulence.
In the past, the process involved in making purple dye was long and expensive. As such, it became a colour worn only by the very rich and powerful: from Roman emperors and Byzantine Kings to Catholic priests and 19th Century aristocracy.

Which look do you prefer?

Let me know what you think !

x x 

'Dressing a Bond Girl' will return with THUNDERBALL & YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE

Famous Dresses #3 Keira Knightley in Jacqueline Durran

The partnership of Knightley, Durran and director Joe Wright has led to three beautifully shot, acted and designed films; Pride and Prejudice (2005), Atonement (2007) and Anna Karenina (2012).

That green dress

Jacqueline Durran's Sketch

Created by Durran for Knightley to wear in Atonement, this cut green silk gown is instantly memorable and unusual primarily because of its colour. If you think of all the dresses that feature in films or even on the red carpet, green appears very rarely. I would say that this is because it can be quite a strong colour and is considered to be symbolic of envy/jealousy by some.

As I mentioned before, the dress is very fine silk with a bias cut bodice (this means that the material is cut diagonally). As such, the dress is very floaty and seems to cling to Keira's body. Given the amount of detail in the book regarding the dress and how it should make Cecilia look like a mermaid, the fluidity of the material is paramount.

In fact, the dress was so fine that the material kept tearing. 4 skirts and 10 bodices were created!

There is a laser cut pattern on the top half of the dress, which is barely visible for most of the time. As well as highlighting the fragility of the dress, this feature also furthers the sense of nakedness; that there is only an extremely thin piece of silk, which is already revealing the body beneath through the lasered pattern and v-shaped neckline, to cover Cecilia.


There is a wrap of material around the waist to create more of a floaty feel whilst hiding the stitching that connects the bodice and skirt.


In order to achieve the green, Durran and the director Joe Wright went to a dye specialist in London with swatches of three different shades of green. 100 yards of white fabric was then dyed with all three hues to achieve the end result.









Anna Karenina's Black Ball Gown

Durran's sketch and a still from the film

 Made from 16m of fabric and accessorised with jewellery from Chanel, this black tulle dress is perhaps the most memorable dress from the 2012 film Anna Karenina.

The decision as to whether to stick with a black dress, as prescribed in Tolstoy's book, was broached by Wright, Durran and Knightley. Ultimately, they chose to keep it black and create a contrast through the sour pastel coloured frocks of the other dancers.

To highlight Anna as being separated from society, she wears a black ball gown at her moment of triumph when she gives into temptation with Vronsky; a white dress when she later attends the opera and is humiliated.

Whilst the shape of the skirts are in keeping with the period setting of 19th Century Russia, Durran looked to the 1950s bodices from Dior and Balenciaga for inspiration.

I think this dress is perfect for the scene and for the character; the image below is striking with the contrast of the black and white

Which dress do you prefer? 

x x 

Would You Rather ? - The Hunger Games !!!

I have been quite slow in catching onto the Hunger Games, and at first I wasn't a fan. But its kinda grown on me so I thought I would do a WYR Tag. Some of the questions I found online and some I made up.

1) Would you rather live in the Capitol or in one of the Districts (+ which one) ?

I would rather live in a District than the  Capitol primarily because all the wacky cosmetic surgery would freak me out. District-wise, I would probably say District 2 because they're super strong and powerful. And they have Cato.

2) Would you rather be a tribute in the 74th or the 75th Hunger Games? 

74th for definite! The arena in the 75th is much more scarier with the fog and blood rain. Plus all the tributes are much older, stronger and more experienced so I think I would be a goner in about 10 seconds. But in the 74th HG, hopefully I would stay alive for a bit longer.

3) Which pairing do you ship the most - Peenis, Hayffie, Clato or Fannie?

It really annoys me when people combine people's names like this (Dramione, Hinny etc), its not difficult to say 'Finnick and Annie'! Anyway, I prefer Peeta and Katniss - apart from P's general sweetness, it's interesting cuz its a reversed 'damsel in distress' scenario; he's the one that is often in trouble and Katniss has to go and save him. Plus, they'd make some damn fine toast ;)

4) Would you rather be chased by one mutt dog or by a swarm of tracker jackers?

Oh, just one dog. I think there would be more chance of success at avoiding/killing it than a swarm of tracker jackers.

5) Would you rather have a bow and arrow in the games or a sword?

I have done fencing so i would probably be able to use a sword better than a bow and arrow but I'd rather copy Katniss since I could attack/defend from further away.

6) Who would you rather save - Rue or Peeta?

Peeta. You can't win morally but, although I have nothing against Rue, I'd pick Mr Mellark. The boy with the bread .... <3

7) Would you rather kiss Finnick or Cato?

I'm leaning more towards Cato, although I'm possibly influenced by Alexander Ludwig....I'd rather preserve the Finnick/Annie relationship.

8) Would you rather try and get supplies from the Cornucopia at the start or run into the woods? 

I would rather try and grab something from the Cornucopia in the melee but if I think i wouldn't be able to get away safely then I'd just go for the woods and try and come back later.

9) Would you rather kiss Haymitch for 10 minutes or hold President Snow's hand for 5 minutes?

Gross. I'm going to be a chicken and say neither. Its just too gross to even contemplate.

10) Would you rather be in a rainforest arena or a mountain range arena? 

Rainforest definitely. There would be a lot of  coverage and lots of trees to climb. I have phobia of mountains from the time when I had to ski down one by myself on a school trip. It was my first time skiing and I swear to god i am mentally scared...

11) Would you rather be a tribute in a games where all the other tributes are your friends or be a 12 year old tribute in a games where all the others are 17 year olds?

The latter because I would not kill my friends (and hopefully they wouldn't kill me). Plus, if I was that much younger I could probably hide from them more easily.

13) Josh or Liam?

Josh - no contest !

Ahhh I seriously feel like re-watching Catching Fire now.... while i go hunting for it, I tag you all to do this :) 

x x 

Famous Dresses #2 - Audrey Hepburn in Givenchy

The partnership between Audrey Hepburn and Hubert Givenchy first began in 1953 when they met whilst Hepburn was filming Sabrina; they got on so well that Givenchy designed numerous outfits for Hepburn to wear both on and off the screen.


Breakfast at Tiffany's Little Black Dress 
Even if you haven't seen the film, you probably recognise this dress. Featured in the 1961 rom-com 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', Givenchy's created from italian satin the original LBD. Given that in the film, the dress is longer than every little black dress I've ever seen, I was quite confused as to why such a term was attributed to this dress. As it turns out, although Givenchy intended for the dress to show of Hepburn's legs, Paramount deemed the length inappropriate. As such, the dress was then handed over to Edith Head (long-time designer for Paramount) for alteration.

Interestingly enough, whilst Audrey Hepburn is the epitome of someone who can look elegant in literally anything (there is a scene in BAT where she is actually wearing a bed sheet - see below), the famous LBD was stuffed with horsehair and had lead weights to ensure that the dress hung just so.

Tall and skinny, with almost no curves at all in comparison to other Hollywood stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, Hepburn's slim and sophisticated style was a landmark in fashion history.

Famous Dresses #1 - Marilyn Monroe in Travilla

One of my favourite films of all time is 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' and, as with all the outfits worn by the big Hollywood stars, Marilyn's are stunning. So I thought I'd do a series of posts about famous dresses and who better to start it off then Marilyn Monroe?

The Pink Dress
This shockingly pink dress was worn by Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 film 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'. It was designed by Hollywood costume designed William Travilla who also created outfits for Monroe in her films 'The Seven Year Itch' and 'How to Marry a Millionaire'.

Originally, Travilla was supposed to make an extravagant showgirl outfit for Monroe but it had emerged that she had posed nude for a calendar in 1949 when she was strapped for money. In response, the studio requested that she wear something less revealing.

As a result, Travilla produced the famed pink dress which was made from a type of silk satin which was then glued onto felt. A black lining was added to the back of the dress to give it a stiffness.






The Gold Dress
Trevilla also produced a variety of other outfits for GPB, including this slinky gold halter-neck. In the film, Monroe is only shown dancing in it from the rear for a few moments; the plunging neckline was deemed inappropriate by the censors at the time.

Made from one single piece of gold lamé-like material, Monroe was actually sewn into it.









The White Dress
This is probably one of the most famous dresses in the world. This white cocktail dress, worn by Monroe in 'The Seven Year Itch', gained recognition for its appearance in the film's most memorable scene: Marilyn Monroe walking over a subway grating and the wind blowing her dress up.

The dress was locked away by Trevilla after Monroe's death and eventually bought by Debbie Reynolds (of 'Singing in the Rain' fame) as part of a personal collection of Hollywood memorabilia.

In June 2011, the dress went on auction for an estimated price of $1-2million, however it actually sold for $5.6million!





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Which one is your favourite ? 

x x 

March Playlist ~ incl. Royal Blood &The Brothers Bright !

So I thought I would share what I'm currently listening to at the moment since I have my iPod on right now :)

Blood on My Name ~ The Brothers Bright 

Awake O Sleeper ~ The Brothers Bright (I am completely obsessed with these two songs, I have listened to them so much)

Ten Tonne Skeleton ~ Royal Blood 

Come On Over ~ Royal Blood

You Can Be So Cruel ~ Royal Blood 

Railroad Track ~ Willy Moon 

A View to a Kill ~ Duran Duran (Its stuck in my head since I watched the film last night)

Spirit Walks ~ Nerina Pallot 

Freedom ~ Anthony Hamilton & Elayna Boynton (from the 'Django Unchained' soundtrack)

Jealous ~ Nick Jonas (Gospel Version) 
I Never Met a Girl Like You Before ~ Edwyn Collins 

It's a bit of a mish-mash but I would certainly recommend these songs :)

Let me know what you think

x x

Gift Guide - Hers: Part 1

1) Personalised secret message necklace ~ Cinderella B Jewellery

Photo from notonthehighstreet.com

 I originally didn't realise that the stones represented a letter (it was late at night) so I thought there was just the option to choose your own stones. However, when i realised the secret message aspect I thought it was really sweet. I also like the fact that the stones are all on one side of the little charm instead of being equally balanced - I think it makes it more interesting to look at. :)

At £20 it is certainly not the cheapest present you could buy for 'her' but I think it would be good for special birthdays (18, 21 etc), graduations, anniversaries or just as a token of your relationship.




Available in silver or gold from www.notonthehighstreet.com

2) NPW Nail and Cuticle Tattoos

This pack of 24 tattoos from Urban Outfitters features gold and silver designs such as stars, chevron lines, diamonds and anchors. Whether for use in the summer, on special occasions or just to add a bit of shine to the day, these are the perfect gift for her.

Available from Urban Outfitters and ASOS for £4 or www.nailpolishdirect.co.uk for £2.95







3) Rope Earbuds from Skinnydip 

Photo from Skinnydip website

Whilst the standard white ones that come with phones and other such products are fine, some more aesthetic earplugs (I'm sorry but I struggle calling them 'earbuds', it sounds like you have flowers in your ears) may appeal.

Skinnydip have recently created these rope earplugs that come in three different colours; Forest, Mint (shown) and Orange.

Available from Skinnydip, Topshop and Debenhams amongst others for  £15





4) Little Book of Mindfulness

I thought this was a nice little idea - life can get very stressy and hectic so sometimes it's good to have a pause and just reflect on the simpler things in life (easier said then done, I know, but then that's what this book is for)

Available from Topshop for £9.99









5) Cool Touch Eyeshadow

Kiko is an Italian brand that I would recommend to anyone who likes colours. The variety of shades and tones in their nail polishes, eye shadows and lipsticks will be the first thing you see when you walk into one of their shops.

It comes in 8 different colours and has a little applicator too. :)

This is something that I would genuinely buy for one of my friends as I trust the brand and I think the product looks really good.

x x 

On the Grapevine #1 - Fresh, Ciate & Aussie

Fresh Zodiac Oval Soap
Fresh have collaborated with Susan Miller, an astrologer to create a collection of Zodiac inspired soaps. These are vegetable based soaps with scents such as mangosteen (what on earth is that?!) and waterlilies and verbena. Each soap comes beautifully wrapped with a tiny stone to finish it off.                

They are available for $15 from Fresh or Sephora but they are selling fast!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ciate's Ice Cream Collection 

I spotted these on Instagram (https://instagram.com/p/0FmQ0xJSEY/?modal=true). Ciate's new collection feature some lovely pastel colours although, personally I'm not so sure about the orange...

Availible to purchase for £22.00 from Very.co.uk, Sephora and Ciate, of course :)

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Aussie Shower Gel 

If you've ever smelt any of the Aussie hair product, I'd be surprised if you didn't stick your nose back in bottle since they smell so good :)

 I recently discovered that they've now created a range of shower gels so that you can have a "me me me moment" or 'jump start your day'.                                                                                                                                              

Available from Superdrug, Boots, Amazon, Morrisons and Asda. Prices vary but they are around £3-£5ish

xx

Superdry's Baby Bento Beauty Box Review (seriously, how many b's?)

I took this with me on a short trip to York I did a week or so ago. Very useful to have lip gloss, mascara, blusher and eyeshadow all in one place :) It also comes with an inbuilt mirror and a double ended applicator. 

Photo courtesy of Superdry's official website

I am not a big fan of lip gloss since I always find them too sticky and gloopy (though if you have one that you think is good, feel free to make a suggestion below :)) but i did make use of the mascara and eyeshadow. 

I really liked the mini mascara as it was easy to apply and wasn't clumpy at all. Given its size it is quite handy for when you are out and about although if you're someone that seems to have always lost something, I would keep it in its box. 

The eyeshadow palette has quite subtle shades and is good for day or evening makeup. When I was in York I used the top left shade (a very - and i mean very - pale pink) over the whole of my eye (including crease and brow bone) and then I put the grey shade (bottom right) over just my eyelid. It comes out quite diluted (is that the right word? I mean that it's not very strong) so for emphasis or an evening look you'd have to put quite a lot on. However, for a day look it is perfectly fine. To finish I used the mini mascara. :) 

The box costs £14.00 from Superdry so you could certainly find cheaper alternatives and shades that you might prefer more. 

However, I do like that it is all in one place and I think the choice of eyeshadows is good because as a palette they can accommodate any eye colour. I'm a fan of Superdry since, although it is quite pricey ;(, it is a good quality brand. 

What do you think? x x 

Valentine's Day Nails!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here is my Valentine's Day themed nail design :)

I used Essie's 'A lot of shekels' which is quite old so I'm not sure if its still available but any baby pink colour or similar will do.

As its quite pale I did 2-3 coats and then used a red nail polish from H&M (again quite old).

All you do is just sweep the red polish on each side of the nail to make the top of the heart. One 'sweep' on each side should do it - you may need to fill in the edges.

For the thumb, I positioned it under my ring finger (as in the photo) so i could see where i needed to colour. Then its basically an approximation really.

(This would have been easier to explain if I'd taken photos whilst I did it - sorry, I will remember that for next time.)


So, just to reiterate;
1) Paint nails with a pale pinky polish, use as many coats as you want

2) Once dry, use you red polish and make a curving sweep from one side of your nail to the centre (to make half of the top of the heart)

3) Repeat for the other side of the nail to complete the heart top. You may need to carefully fill in the edges.

4) THUMB. Position it under any figure of choice (see top picture) so you approximate the size of the heart's bottom.

5) I just guessed, which is why mine is bit wobbly but you could make a triangle shape to give you heart a pointed end.

Much love
x x

Thought I'd share a little music with you

These are some of the tracks I have on repeat at the moment :)

• Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars - such a great song, very catchy - http://youtu.be/OPf0YbXqDm0
• Railroad Track by Willy Moon - I can't get enough of this song - http://youtu.be/E3V8-_Cd_wQ
• Durin's Song by Eurielle - (inspired by The Hobbit) - very calming - http://youtu.be/cZdGE8_fOMM
• Golden by Jill Scott - I always end up singing along to this - http://youtu.be/4QCXr79Rkcw
• Nocturne by Secret Garden - peaceful and calming - http://youtu.be/fd3a189vcVc

What are you listening to at the moment?

xx

#InsidetheCommons

Just watched some of the programme 'Inside the Commons' - its a documentary kind of thingymajiggy about the UK House of Commons. Def some peculiar traditions but it was interesting to see what it looks like inside.

If anyone saw it, what did you think?
xx

New Barry M Nail Polish!

I'm zoo excited! haha i'm so excited I can't even spell properly lol ;) Anyhoo, Barry M have got a new collection coming out - Speedy Quick Dry - in 9 amazing looking colours!

(I got this photo off Barry M's retweet of @dahlia_nails) Follow her and The Naily Mail (http://thenailymail.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/barry-m-spring-2015-preview.html) for more ! xx

Pleease snow!

Really want it to snow! I had some hail the other day but it lasted for like 5 minutes...uh that is such a British thing - making the weather a conversation starter. At least I'm true to my roots!