Egyptian Style

Theda Bara as Cleopatra

Gene Tierney in The Egyptian (1954)

Ever since making papyrus paper at secondary school, to visiting various museums with mummies and artefacts, I have had a fascination with Egypt. And as some of you may be aware I tend to take my interests and inspirations and reflect them in my style.  This scarab collar was purchased via eBay it is wonderfully tacky and OTT so I love it.

Egyptian style is not something new in the fashion world, in 1922 with the discovery of Tutankhamun's crypt by Howard Carter, Egyptian style began to cross over. With opulent metallic material being used and scarab motifs being translated into modern fashion. Even Egyptian beauty regimes worked there way into the mainstream.

Egyptian detailing on dresses.

Marlene wearing metallic Egyptianesque hat

Palmolive 1920s advert

All the great old world peoples used these oils! 

Egyptian dancer Tahia Carioca

Roman Scandals (1933)

Mati Hari

Hollywood has been obsessed with Egypt, in particular of course Cleopatra, who is your favourite Cleopatra?  There is a new Cleopatra film in the works with Angelina Jolie taking the role of the queen, and it is rumoured to have the very talented Tom Hardy in it, should be interesting, at least for the costumes. 

Cleopatra and Caesar by Jean Leon Gerome

Theda Bara

Colbert as Cleopatra

Elizabeth as Cleopatra

Vivien Leigh in Caesar in Cleopatra (1945)

I do apologise profusely for this, but I had to.

Eleanor Parker in Valley of the Kings 1954

Hope you all had a lovely weekend, I will leave you in the capable hips of Tahia Carioca.

Pardon Me, I Seem To Be Brushing You Out Of My Hair

Sister-in-laws bonding.

I recently watched Written on the Wind (1956) directed by Douglas Sirk. This is the first film I have seen that has Lauren Bacall in colour, her kind of beauty and eyebrows are just so breathtaking.  

In work mode.

Lucy Moore played by Bacall falls for alcoholic playboy Kyle Hadley, played by Robert Stack. Kyle tries to woo Lucy with money,  a private jet, stocking a hotel room with evening gowns and hats, but it is when he reveals his insecurities that she gives into his advances.

Kyle is rich and insecure, the complete opposite of his best friend/'brother' Mitch Wayne (Rock Hudson) who has lived with the rich Hadley family from a young age, as his real father wanted him to have the life he could not provide his son. Mitch is forever taking the blame for Kyle's mishaps and Kyle's father treats Mitch as more of a son than his own flesh and blood, and as you can imagine this grates on Kyle somewhat.

Good men wear baseball caps.

Then there is the crazed sex kitten Mary Lee Hadley played by Dorothy Malone, she loves Mitch and does her best to drive her brother Kyle round the bend.  Mary is driven to despair because Mitch has fallen for Lucy, and not her god damn it. Mary has a penchant for picking up strange men off the street and having her way with them, so she really isn't good ol' honest Mitch's type. 

What a fabulous blouse.

Trying her best to hide her nymphomaniac tendencies

Need this outfit.

The two innocents.

So if you love Lauren Bacall's eyebrows, crazy siblings, and Rock Hudson watch this.

Zoo Do You Think You Are?

The birthday celebrations continued on Saturday when we went to the zoo, I have been a couple of times before. I love animals and did actually try and get on a Masters course for Wildlife photography, but I was laughed out of the university. But wait till they see these shots, pure gold, Attenborough would be proud. 

Trying to protect my feathered hat from the schizophrenic summer rain. 

My new fella, he doesn't talk much, but I like the moody type.

I think they ran out of ideas? Would you believe there seemed to be more crowds round the plastic dinosaurs than the actual animals.

Times are hard but I have now managed to move into this new home, do you like it?

It is a bit hard to get up in the morning though. 

I am copying the bird's strut.

Check out my new prawn? earrings, courtesy of topshop. The dress is also an old topshop buy it cost £3.00 would you believe it, and the hat is from Paris, the jacket is a la Matalan. 

What did you do at the weekend? Do you like to impersonate animals like me?

P.S. I apologise for the title of the post, it was that or bear necessities, but my bear photo did not turn out well.