Hollywood’s greatest era, the 1930’s, gave birth to two luminous and entertaining genres: the screwball comedy, and the lush musical.
It is no coincidence that these escapist movies, filled with glamorous women swimming in fur and jewels, and painfully handsome men in perfectly tailored tuxedos, were produced during the depths of the Depression.
You might think that audiences would resent these carefree swells whose only worry was the next martini, and the eternal love triangle. But for several years, audiences escaped their daily woes, and lived through the fantasies of the silver screen.
Today, America is not in a depression. But Americans are depressed. Across the aisle, Americans recognize that this country is in trouble. ObamaCare is an unmitigated disaster. Millions are suffering. And millions more will be forced to suffer by this horrendous collectivization being forced on the American people.
Fashion reacts to uncertainty and disaster as did Hollywood in the 1930’s: with great dollops of extravagance, and wit. Seraphic Secret sees a trend in ladies footwear, with designers reaching beyond the anxious here and now, and offering customers a taste of fashion transcendence.
My impression of Depression movies is that they were often examples of the Superman syndrome. The ordinary looking hero was secretly a super guy. Topper showed the rich as frivolous but sympathetic. “My Man Godfrey” showed the homeless butler rescuing the finances of the family. I remember a favorite of mine, in which the dogs of the rich family were named “Get off the rug” and “You, too.” had the hero as a guy who looked like a bum but was secretly a well known writer.
Lots of stories like Batmen and Suprerman.
In the top photo I can’t decide if the woman’s expression says; This shoe is rockin, or why me?
Robert – maybe I have what some refer to disdainfully as “middle class values) (Plato – or, I think Aristotle held the middle class in a loftier regard) – but where would a woman wear these “cage sandals”?
Could she even walk in them? Or was that a consideration by the designer? 😉
The picture of Ariel Chaim is proof that the granddaughters do not have a monopoly on cuteness.
Johnny:
Ariel Chaim is a constant delight.
Thought sure there would be tiny birds flitting about inside those cage sandals.
What a great photo of Ariel Chaim. Just when I think the last picture was awesome, you out do it with a new one. Just doesn’t get any better.
Larry:
The photo of Ariel Chaim was snapped by Offspring #3.
I thought for sure those orange cats were jack-o-lanterns! Great shot of AC.
Alter:
The orange flats do have a Halloween vibe.
I am not a shoe fan (thanks to decades of difficulty in finding shoes my messed up feet can endure), but any post that 1) effectively uses the delightful word “dollops” and 2) has a photo of an adorable baby is great in my book.
What a sweetheart he is.
Dr. Carol:
Dollops is a word I rarely use, but when I do, it packs dollops of meaning.