Cinema with Style Fifth Edition: Gidget

The first time I was introduced to the "Gidget" character, it was in the Sally Field TV Series, Gidget (first aired 1965), on Nick at Nite. I found the character amusing & endearing & the series became an instant favorite. 

Sally Field as Gidget in the 1960s TV Series

The Gidget character originated in a 1957 novel entitled Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas, a book written by Frederick Kohner. Kohner created the character of Gidget in honor of his daughter, Kathy, a teenage surfer girl in 1950s Malibu. There have been countless television & movie interpretations of the Gidget character.

The Inspiration for Gidget: Kathy Kohner

Less than a year later, I saw the Gidget (1959) movie starring Sandra Dee and realized two things: 

1. Gidget Loves Moondoggie
2. I love Gidget's 1950s California surfer girl style 

The Plot: 

California Good Girl Meets California Surf Bum & Becomes California Surfer Girl Only to Learn that Her California Surf Bum is actually a California Good Boy

Gidget (a nickname) starts as an awkward teen who is not taking seriously the fact that she has no steady boyfriend (a punishable crime in 1950s Californian suburbia). Instead, she cares only about her grades and wants to stay a kid so she can keep playing outside with the boys. She is adopted into a group of surfer bums who teach her to surf over the summer. One of the surf bums, Moondoggie (also a nickname), catches her eye and helps her to decide that that growing up may be tolerable if the process is accompanied by a hot male surfing companion. The summer ends, the surf bums disperse & Gidget & Moondoggie graduate from their summer of surf school by revealing their true identities to one another and in turn admitting their true feelings. 

The Result?

TRUE LOVE.

My Plot:

Florida Good Girl watches movie about California Good Girl who wears 1950s California Tomboy Style. California Tomboy Style slowly transitions into California Surfer Girl Style which Slowly Blends with California Glamour Girl Style. 

The Result? 

TRUE LOVE.

1950s Cali Surf Style as Interpreted for 2012:

Inspiration:

Tomboy Gidget Feels Out of Place on Beach Day with her Childhood Friends
SURFER GIRL TREND: STRUCTURED RED ONE-PIECE

Interpretation:


Literal:

Pret-a-Surf Polka Dot Swimsuit

California Girl 2012:

Alexander Wang Cutout One-Piece

Inspiration:

SURFER GIRL TREND: BRIGHTLY COLORED CASUAL WEAR

Interpretation:

J. Crew Jeans

ASOS Tie-Front Pink Denim Shirt

Inspiration:

SURFER GIRL TREND: DENIM + CHAMBRAY

Interpretation:

J. Crew Matchstick Jean

Madewell Chambray Shirt

Inspiration:

SURFER GIRL TREND: SUMMERY TANK DRESS FOR BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION WITH THE FAMILY

Interpretation: 

Lourdes Tank Dress

Inspiration:

SURFER GIRL TREND: FLORAL CROP TOP

Interpretation:

Free People Vintage Crop Top

Inspiration:

Inspiration:

SURFER GIRL TREND: WHIMSICAL SWIMWEAR

Interpretation:

Striped Retro One Piece by Pret-a-Surf

Fruit Tank One-Piece by Pret-a-Surf

Inspiration:

SURFER GIRL TREND: SHORT PAJAMAS FOR NIGHTTIME SURF PRACTICE

Interpretation:

Juicy Couture Playsuit

Inspiration:

SURFER GIRL TREND: Peach Colored Dress for a Beach Party

Interpretation:

Elizabeth and James Tali Caftan Dress: $365

Inspiration:

SURFER GIRL TREND: Embroidered Summer Dress for a Drive in a Convertible

Interpretation:


Literal:

Matthew Williamson Rabbit Cropped Shrug: 1495 GBP

Shoshanna Spring 2012 Collection Look 37

Bobbi Brown Soft Coral Lipstick: $23

California Girl 2012:

Gap White Denim Jacket: Originally $34.95— SALE $30.99

Shoshanna Spring 2012 Collection

As always, I leave you with one final image...

Incalculable Beauty

From the Friends with Kids premiere earlier this year

JON HAMM +

BRIAN WILLIAMS

= MATH I CANNOT EVEN DO

How to Roll with the Homies in 2012

The movie Clueless was a pop cultural phenomenon when I was a pre-teen. The movie changed the way my peer group spoke, dressed and interacted. The modern-day interpretation of Jane Austen's Emma took us inside the life of Cher Horowitz and her So-Cal friends as they traversed the tricky terrain that is high school.

In honor of the 17th anniversary of Clueless this week, here is an update on life according to Cher Horowitz or, in Cher terms,

"HOW TO ROLL WITH THE HOMIES IN 2012":

Exercise

Tai & Cher worked out with the help of Cher's  Buns of Steel video. The 1990s were all about aerobics, thigh master and, well, buns of steel. Today, Cher and her friends would probably be testing the latest barre workout, going to Soul Cycle or practicing Pilates.  

Clothing

Cher wore miniskirts, blazers, midriff baring shirts, mini-dresses and floppy hats. Minus the floppy hats, most of these staples remain in style just with slightly updated patterns & colors. 

The Mini Skirt

THEN:

NOW:

Elizabeth Olsen

Gone is the matchy matchy skirt and blazer with both loud patterns and loud colors. The skirt is short, the sleeves are long and the colors are minimalist but with a pop of bold color. 

The Blazer

THEN:

NOW:

Gwyneth Paltrow

Cher's blazer looks simulated mens wear almost exactly: she paired them with button-ups, trouser socks and collared shirts or cardigans. Todays blazers are sexier & paired with casual bottoms, feminine heels and nothing more than a simple tank top or blouse. 

Midriff-Baring Shirts

THEN:

NOW:

Kate Bosworth

The midriff-baring shirts of the mid-nineties were unstructured and basically T-shirts that looked like they had been placed too long in the dryer (or purchased from the children's department). Today's midriff-bearing shirts are structured and show only the slightest hint of skin rather than the entire belly button.

Mini-Dress

THEN:

NOW:

Diane Kruger

Cher's minidress is one of the few pieces that would hold up today except for one small detail: the minidress was too mini. Today's minidress is still short but leaves a little more to the imagination. The minidress of today also tends to have more intricate design and is often paired with more conservative sleeves or accessories to balance out the amount of skin on display.

The Hat

THEN:

NOW:

Jessica Alba

If the minidress that Cher wore could be worn today, we should all pray that the hat that Dionne wore will never be worn again. Today's hat of the moment  is the Panama Hat. The brim is wide but the color is neutral and they are sturdy enough to withstand both sun and frequent use.

Diet

THEN:

DIET COKE/OJ/SALAD

NOW:

COFFEE/GREEN JUICE/TOFU

Cher shunned coffee because she feared it would stunt her growth. Cher today would most likely be visiting the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf & California's numerous juice bars.

Literature

THEN:

MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS

NOW:

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU

A book designed to prevent cluelessness.

Technology

CELL PHONE to SMART PHONE:

THEN:

NOW:

Her phone was a flip phone, her favorite songs were on cassette tapes, and her favorite exercise videos were on VHS. Today, Cher would most likely have a designer iPhone case, an enviable iTunes library and perhaps a Wii for some mid-afternoon tennis.

Significant Other

THEN:

Paul Rudd
(1995 Vintage)

NOW:

Paul Rudd
(2012 Vintage)

...some things improve with the passing of time.

And one thing, our final image, does not seem to be an outdated technology:

I would still kill for Cher's motorized closet.

Happy Anniversary, Clueless!

Hitting the Right Note: Here Comes the Sun

Uplifting even on a grey day in New York City

Here comes the sunHere comes the sun, and I sayIt's all right
Little darlingThe smiles returning to the facesLittle darlingIt seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sunHere comes the sun, and I sayIt's all right
Sun, sun, sun, here it comesSun, sun, sun, here it comesSun, sun, sun, here it comesSun, sun, sun, here it comesSun, sun, sun, here it comes
Little darlingI feel that ice is slowly meltingLittle darlingIt seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sunHere comes the sun, and I sayIt's all right
Here comes the sunHere comes the sunIt's all rightIt's all right

Girl Crush: Diane Kruger

Diane Kruger was one of the actors who dazzled in Inglorious Basterds, one of my favorite films. She has been dazzling on the red carpet for even longer and recently took on the role of Marie Antoinette in the movie Farewell, My Queen, a movie in which even her long time boyfriend, Joshua Jackson, admired the period costumes. 

Below are some examples of why Diane Kruger & her impeccable European style (born German, resides primarily in Paris) have made her a "girl crush". Her style is simultaneously and seemingly improbably both masculine and feminine with a hint of the romantic and more than a hint of red lipstick.

Diane Kruger in Inglorious Basterds

Diane Kruger in Farewell, My Queen