Everchanging clothes of the female form divine

One of my all time favorite films is George Cukor's "The Women." The movie features an all-female cast, while the story is all about the men in their lives. One interesting scene is where the women are in a department store to watch a fashion show and the black and white film abruptly changes to color, showcasing the 1940s fashion of the future:



The highlights:
- A mannequin hand "brooch" with a diamond ring
- Monkeys wearing similar fashions as the models
- A model with fur gloves, a fur back and a fur hat that made her look like a monkey from behind
- A halter reaching up into a turban and ending in a clear, conical hat.
- A woman with what looks like gilded egg beaters on the backs of her gloves closes the show

US retailers imported the fashion show concept from Paris in the early 1900s and gained widespread popularity by the 1920s, hitting its peak around mid-century. These shows were theatrical productions - hence the "picnicking Southern Belles" and "women at the opera" you see in this clip from "The Women." The models here are all smiles - compare that with the scowling coat hangers that walk the runway today.

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