All That Glitters - Old Hollywood Sketches

As the seasons start to change, the anticipation of colder weather reminds us of fall - bonfires, hot chocolate, and cozying up indoors to watch some of our favorite movies in piles of blankets. Among those movies, the old classics of Hollywood remind us of a time before zoom meetings and sweatpants, a time when gowns really did sparkle as much as the stars did on the screen. Here are a few fashion sketches from the golden age, by award-winning costume designer Edith Head.

Photo Credit: Edith Head

1. Grace Kelly in Rear Window (1954)

Perhaps the only thing more frightening than Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window? Edith Head's meticulous attention to detail in her designs, and how the sketches came to life as they personified the character on screen.

2. Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina (1954)

Edith Head sketched Audrey's mature, "post-Paris" gown in the romantic comedy Sabrina (co-designed by Hubert de Givenchy). A detachable skirt and black floral embroidery complete the look. In 2017, this dress brought in over $217,600 when it was auctioned through a Reynolds/Fisher auction.

3. Bette Davis - All About Eve (1950)

Broadway star Margo Channing's glamour is personified in this brown sketch with fur trim by Edith Head.

4. Barbara Stanwyck - The Lady Eve (1941)

Barbara Stanwyck's tough con-artist character, Jean, is personified through the fun and glamorous wardrobe by Edith Head. This two-piece look gives the outfit a summer-seasoned flare.

Whatever the wardrobe continues to be - (or not be) - throughout the rest of the year, let us pay tribute to the looks of day's gone by. The tight corsets and dinner gloves that complete these looks may indeed be things of the past, but the attention to detail in the sketches and glamour personified by the actors who wore them on-screen lives on.