Category: 18th century

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New Movie Review: Amadeus (1984)

Costume designer: Theodor Pistek

I’m sure I saw Amadeus back when it first came out, but I was young, and didn’t really remember it. Every time I thought about rewatching it I saw a glimpse of the wigs and decided against it. A conversation at the recent Costume Society of America conference, plus a long flight back home, made me think, “What the hell?” So this is a review of a VERY old movie… and I’m immediately going to say that I know it’s probably not fair to judge it by current movie costume standards. I read something where either the director or costume designer was talking about how hard it was to even GET a period movie made at the time, and how foreign all of the costumes seemed to movie execs, so really, I’m sure it was a major coup just to get it made. And then to have it do so well, including winning the Academy Award for best costume design! It must have been a huge accomplishment.

But, of course, I can’t help but review it through my current lens, as that’s all I’ve got! And lemme tell ya…. SIGH!

There are many good things about the movie. There’s tons of energy, great performances, lots of sparkle. Tom Hulce certainly turns the idea of a staid composer on its head, and F. Murray Abramson as Salieri does a very good job seething. Even if the whole idea of a rivalry between the two conductors is made up, I get the desire to have a different lens on the biopic — it allows the movie to only cover a few years, without the endless sprawl that can happen to some biopics, where you’re like, “Yeah yeah, something else happened. Whatevs.”

But let’s talk costumes, shall we? There’s certainly lots to like — lots of fabric, lots of wigs, a definite 18th century aesthetic (at least when compared to our modern times). It probably paved the way for amazing feats like Dangerous Liaisons, which was four years later.

But… (and you knew it was coming)…

THE WIGS.

THE PRINCESS SEAMS.

THE VICTORIAN CORSETS.

(Can’t find a pic, but when Salieri tries to seduce Constanze and she strips down, she’s wearing a Victorian corset. With a front-closing busk. Which she pops open, to remove the corset.)

THE FAUX-FRANCAISE BACKS. (And the NUMEROUS dresses that laced up the back).

WHY DOES SALIERI HAVE MARCEL WAVES IN HIS WIG. AND WHY IS HIS WIG A LACE-FRONT, WHEN THEY CLEARLY SHOW HIM WITHOUT HIS WIG IN SOME SCENES. Like the crazy stripes, though!

So, was it worth watching? Sure! I enjoyed it! Was it probably groundbreaking for its time? I’m sure it was! Are there some problems with the costumes? Oh yes indeedy!

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SF Bay Area people: 18th Century Hair Lecture on 6/29

I’ll be giving a lecture sponsored by the Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild on 18th century hair on Sunday, June 29 in Alameda (San Francisco east bay). The lecture will be part stylistic history — different styles for women’s & men’s hair and wigs from 1700-1799 — and part social history (why’s & how’s). This will be a great opportunity to get a preview from The Book!

The cost is $5 for GBACG members, and $7 for non-members — and you do have to purchase a ticket in advance.

18th Century Hair Lecture

Sunday, June 29, 2014
Noon – 2:00 pm
Elks Lodge, 2255 Santa Clara Ave, Alameda, CA

Sign up here!

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So What Else Has Been Going On?

There’s been NO sewing since the vampire dress last fall. Mostly because WIGSBOOKWIGSBOOK, but also because WIGSBOOK turned my sewing room into a STY the likes of which it may never recover from. Seriously. I go in there to get something, then run out and shut the door because I have The Fear.

Nonetheless, there have been a few dress up occasions over the past 6-8 months:

I went to GBACG’s Bal di Carnivale, which was a FAAABULOUS masked 18th century dinner. Since the theme was 18th century masquerade, I wore my fancy dress Maja costume, with my 1938 Marie Antoinette wig, and a black and silver harlequin mask. The wig was a last minute idea — I was stressed because I had no time to make anything for myself, but given the WIGSBOOKWIGSBOOK, how could I show up at an 18th century event in a crappy old wig? All of my current red wigs have seen better days, and frankly, they’re just not up to par even if they weren’t looking ratty! I was so glad to realize the white wig would work, and I think it really added to the ensemble.

Francis and I were asked to perform a minuet, something that I learned how to do about a year or two ago. It has been a life dream to learn, and we performed it at a Lumieres dinner and again when we were in France. I said sure, then when the day of came got super grumbly as we were last minute scrambling to remember the steps. But then when we danced it, it felt super magical, and I was so glad we did!

A month or two ago, Bella Donna performed at the San Jose Fantasy Fair. This was our second time at this fair, and it’s a lot of fun — almost all the audience is little kids, and we play crazy-in-a-good-way OTT princesses. I wasn’t in the mood for a complex costume or big hair, so I ended up doing a riff on last year’s Pirate Fest 18th c. outfit, but with super princess-y hair, with a braid around my head and long curls on one side. And a ton of flowers and ribbons, to dress things up. We had a great performance — we do a ridiculously silly show that is essentially a mash up of Cinderella and The Bachelor. And in our space, we had a tea party set up for little kids, which was SO cute — kids just knew it was for them, marched right up, plopped down, and started playing tea party.

And finally, I went to a Lumieres 18th century dinner, which was lots of fun. I was nearing the book finish line, so I wasn’t in the mood AT ALL to wear anything complicated — so I wore a black striped 18th c. jacket that I banged out a few years ago and have never managed to blog with a white cotton, embroidered petticoat. I threw together a new wig, which I ended up powdering because I ran out of time to dye my hair! I don’t have any great pics, but here’s photographic proof:

(C) Niki Rotheneder

Oh, and I almost forgot! I went to a semi-interactive theater performance set in a 1920s speakeasy. I dressed up in a modern, slightly faux-1920s silk charmeuse dress with a pretty flower printed on the lower portion, and a vintage 1920s black silk satin evening coat — and the repro Great Gatsby bandeau. And my husband went, in a modern suit as he doesn’t have anything 1920s!

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Preview the 18th Century Hair & Wig Styling book!

I’ve posted a few scattered pages from the 18th Century Hair & Wig Styling: History & Step-by-Step Techniques book, as well as a final table of contents, on the book’s website.

Of course, I had to choose some of the less exciting pages to post, as I don’t want to be giving anything away for free!

If you’ve been waiting to order a copy, I expect to have ordering up and running by this coming Thursday, June 5, 2014. (Reminder: the book should ship in early July). I will, of course, post far and wide when ordering is available!