Saturday, December 19, 2009

Elfin Chic

Last week I had the pleasure of sipping coffee from a paper cup (through a straw, of course) and sharing a cinnamon raisin bagel with a fellow struggling actress, who is a little older than me - we all know "a little older" can mean anything from being the same age or old enough to be one's mother or grandmother. However, in this case it simply means old enough to have been on set with Mia Farrow in one of her first Woody Allen films - let alone as an unglamourous extra, making a couple of bucks in-between auditions and performances.

I loved listening to K's memories from the shoot, especially since mid-60s Mia is one of my favorite style icons! Hence and not surprisingly, the anecdote I enjoyed the most was indeed fashion-related. While the two ladies never got the chance to share a bagel between takes, they did share some wardrobe: being appalled with the baggy outfit the costume department had selected for K, Mia dragged her into her private trailer, exclaiming "you're tiny, you need to borrow something from me!", and promptly put her in one of her own sweater dresses!

Not being particularly starstruck - it was, after all, just another day at work - and realizing that the dress was just a dress, and that it would have to be returned and forgotten about at the end of the day, K was however in heaven over the elfin queen's compliment -- even decades later. "... And she said I was tiny!", she re-emphasized, smiling giddily at me. "I know!" I cried. "That was the best part!"

Yes, that's lame. Performer-me could not have given a flying F about the dress... all that matters is clearly being tiny enough to fit into it! However, "fashion-me" is sitting here now, finding it unbelievable how I could have failed to ask what that sweater dress looked like. Really!

Could it possibly have been as fabulous as the costumes Mia wore in Rosemary's Baby? I doubt it! Me and my boyfriend watched it for the billionth time on a ratty old videotape last night under a blanket, sipping skim cocoa, and I was smitten (again) with all these lovely outfits that Rosemary is donning throughout the movie. See below for some of my favorites. :)

Girly ensembles outside the Dakota:











That yellow dress (I prefer the ponytails over the sleek pageboy, although it's a tough choice!):
























All those adorable white Peter Pan collars....
































.... in particular the red dress she wore at the party for her "young friends - no one over 60" (thanks Doug for the screen shots - xoxoxox). On a sidenote, her girlfriends were pretty stylish too (see the fur coats below)!






















The red trouser suit she wore during the nightmare:











The delightful empire shifts....



















... even her nightgowns were to die for!












Now this is one production where I would happily have agreed to give up a big paycheck to instead work for scale and get to keep the wardrobe! Anyone who does not agree must be out of her mind. :)

42 comments:

  1. i love looking at old movies and magazines for outfit inspiration :)
    xx
    neutraltuesday.blogspot.com

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  2. Love the gamine haircut! Wish I could pull that off!

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  3. Fun post, Malin! Love, love her empire shifts!

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  4. Peter pan collars everywhere... I love 'em.

    I can relate with your reaction in the "tiny" story. I will not care so much about the dress but I will be obsessed with the word "tiny"... always a compliment in my opinion. Hahaha!

    Have a lovely weekend M.

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  5. Fun trip down Mia memory lane. Fun to hear stories and share a bagel together. Now you have your own memories to reminisce about. :O)

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  6. She is indeed very stylish!
    check out my giveaways
    http://daisymay-dayz.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-second-awesome-giveaway.html

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  7. Peter Pan Collars + Empire Shifts for the win...and you already know how much I like nightgowns! :-)

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  8. Omg omg omg!! I love Mia. She is one of my favorite style icons too! I love this post. Your friend is so lucky she got to work with Mia.

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  9. what a lovely story :))
    have a sweet day, xoxo

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  10. Christmas is almost here. Have a merry and peaceful Christmas. Love

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  11. I hope it's all right for me to comment twice, but I'm having another lingerie giveaway happening on my blog now.

    It's for a black satin bra, panty, and garter belt set worth $85. I'd love for you enter! :-)

    www.stockingsandlingerieblog.com

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  12. Love this post, darling M, especially the Peter Pan collars!

    xoxox,
    CC

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  13. oh i was just looking at a mina uk dress with a peter pan collar!

    Missy
    For all things fashion:
    http://thefashionfusion.blogspot.com

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  14. I worship Mia's wedding dress she wore when she married Frank S. If I ever get married again I'm so wearing that! xoxo

    SC

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  15. Mia Farrow is one-of-a-kind. Through the 1960s, 70s and 80s she continued to wow us. Like Madonna she understood the publicity machine, kept reinventing herself through her public image and associations with stars like Frank Sinatra and Woody Allen as well as making herself over. In the end it was her stellar acting that put her on the map . . .

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  16. Mia is one of the few individuals who can pull off such a masculine hairstyle - she just has such an adorable face! And Peter Pan collars - I'm obsessed with them to this day. I love the Lolita-ambiance they contribute to frocks and tops.

    Such a wonderful post, darling!! :)

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  17. I just had to write and say thank you so much for your comment today, M. I could not be more flattered! Your words truly made my day - I'm literally beaming from ear to ear!! Thank you so much; you're the sweetest!! :)

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  18. SO cool! That's a story she can tell for a lifetime. That's why I love your blog.

    When I was married, my husband was a movie freak. He dragged me to this convention (something CON, it seems) where all of these washed-up actors were. This former James Bond -- the one who only played him in one movie, back in the 70s, was there. Hubby wanted his picture with him and as I held up the camera to snap, the actor said, "That's a very lovely lady you have there." James BOND said I was lovely. Of course, he's a has-been old geezer whom everyone has forgotten, but that's my only story!

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  19. Rosemary's Baby is one of my favorite movies, ever. And Mia Farrow looks like an absolute doll throughout the whole thing! It's running a close second with Great Gatsby as my favorite Farrow film. (If you haven't seen it, you must! The hair, clothes, makeup...everything was gorgeous and dreamy.)

    Also, if Mia Farrow called me "tiny," she could proceed to hand me a garbage sack and I'm sure I'd be so giddy I'd wear it with glee.

    Lauren

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  20. I need to pick up Rosemary's baby now. I've never watched it... but I did adore Mia in the Great Gatsby. She was a beautiful Daisy Buchanan! Great fashion in that movie as well... and Robert Redford is soooooo dreamy. Sigh. :) Great bagel + coffee story too. :) And how awesome (read your post below), that you get to work on the the GG set. I'm obsessed with that show.. ha ha. :)

    Hope you're having a lovely Sunday afternoon.

    Love & Aloha, Sharon
    www.elisharon.blogspot.com

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  21. wow mia farrow is gorgeous!

    http://blair-waldork.blogspot.com

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  22. fabulous costumes. Love the post.

    www.themishdish.blogspot.com

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  23. Mia Farrow is the quintessential Twiggy woman!

    Nina

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  24. This was so interesting to read, and I agree with all! Such a style icon! xx

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  25. These pictures are lovely!

    Also, I'm really glad you gave your honest comments on the dress. I do agree with you - a shorter hemline and no sleeves would make it much more modern and probably more versatile. But, truth be told, I don't have very many 'formal' outfits and I think this one is really elegant - I would much prefer wearing the dress to trousers and a shirt! And the longer length makes it quite unusual (everything is so super short these days!) and a bit more modest, which is nice for a change ;)

    I'll just have to see how often I end up wearing it! But the dress you described sounds great, too; I'm sure I'd love wearing one that looked like that, as well!

    xx Leia

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  26. Watching old movies is so inspiring!

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  27. Ahh, this makes me want to watch Rosemary's Baby again!!

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  28. Always admired her Mia's style! A true beauty!

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  29. Fabulous outfits!! Her style is very unique!
    Thanks for the sweet comment on my blog! I'm so glad you became a fan of Tillery on Etsy!!
    Love,
    Giovanna
    www.bohomarket.blogspot.com

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  30. i find peter pan collars simply delightful! shamefully I have yet to see rosemarys baby. it is on my list though!

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  31. Theres nothing better than a good story, love the images you chose x

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  32. I thought i was the only one in the world that did that, but I like to sip my coffee through a straw too! haha



    www.thestarvingstylist.com

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  33. Thx for your comment cutie! xoxo

    Sc

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  34. woah! what an experience!!!
    she was so pretty, really. and her clothes are just amazing. girls did know what to wear those times, right?? so jealous of her beautiful, delightful dresses.
    loove,

    PL ♥

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  35. Ah, Rosemary's Baby...classic!!

    http://fashionroadkill-halifax.blogspot.com

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  36. What a fun post! The Peter Pan collar is so cute - I wouldn't mind if that came back into style in some form.
    Happy Holidays!
    xx

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