Fashion Corner: It Was Designed for a Dainty Neck

[ShadowSixx]

I thought it would be nice to discuss the clothes/accessories/hairstyles that the girls, guests, family members, boyfriends, etc. wore throughout the series. I guess we can also talk about things in their bedroom as well.

Edited July 13, 2014 by ShadowSixx

[ShadowSixx]

I'll get the ball rolling.

 

I wasn't much of a fan of Dorothy's clothes. I especially hated that outfit she wore to Stan's wedding to that woman Dorothy met at the bar. The top had that diagonal thing going on, the color was ugly, I'm not really much a fan of green clothes to begin with. She wore it with white boots to top it off. It was just hideous. Also that outfit during the Isaac Q. Newton episode what she wore to the event, that was hideous too.

 

I'm wondering if that was the same dress Dorothy wore when she went to the prom with John Neretti at the end of the episode and the dress she wore to the event when they all had the flu.

 

I do remember Blanche wearing the same blue dress for the dance marathon and when they were gonna go to the Mortimer Club with Barbara Thorndyke.

 

I absolutely loved Blanche's outfit when she's first seen in the, "Yes, We have no Havanas" episode when she's dating Fidel Santiago and the red business attire we first seen her in during the Gil Kessler episode. Those looked really good on her. Blanche is able to pull off daring and bright colored clothes than the rest of the girls.

 

I like Blanche's hair in that episode "Larceny & Old Lace" when she called Rose an empty headed Mary Poppins knock off.

 

I felt so bad for Rose, during that Bob Hope episode where they dressed as men in the locker room. OMG those pants were so jacked up on Rose, it wasn't even funny. Just looked uncomfortable.

 

I did like Rose's outfit during the play with Patrick Vaughn, the white dress and make up was very pretty on her, plus I think it's the only time they actually did something different with Rose's hair besides that hair salon incident when they all walked out with Sophia's hairstyle.

 

Was Rose's hair really hard to style? In Mama's Family I remember Betty White having her hair styled differently.

Edited July 13, 2014 by ShadowSixx

[emma675]

I think Dorothy's wedding dress with the paper chain bodice needs to go in the Fashion Hall of Shame. That thing was unbelievably horrible.

[sgittinger]

Dorothy's wedding dress still gives me nightmares.

[ShadowSixx]

Oh yea, I tried wiping that ugly wedding dress out of my memory lol. It looked like a potato sack.

[Boots]

Dorothy's clothes always seemed to be very baggy in the stomach area. I wish Rose had shown more leg, she had some great gams! Blanche had some fantastic outfits. I can see why Rue had it in contract to keep them. 

[FormerMod-a1]

Aw, come on.  Those loops really are good at drawing your eye to the "non-existent bosum". 

 

 

 

And that made me think of Blanche's wedding dress.

[WhitneyWhit]

Dorothy's green tuxedo...thing...was just bizarre, and she wore it several times,

[LilWharveyGal]

The caption is so apt.

[ShadowSixx]

 

Here's the outfit I was talking about in the "Yes, We Have No Havanas" episode.

[OSM Mom]

Dorothy's green tuxedo...thing...was just bizarre, and she wore it several times,

*small voice* I liked that outfit of Dorothys. *small voice*

[Maherjunkie]

It's ok, I  do too.

[Bastet]

Dorothy's clothes frightened me through pretty much the entire series.  Rose's wardrobe wasn't anything to write home about, but it was just sort of there.  Dorothy's was distractingly bad so much of the time.  I didn't like any of her formal wear - and, yes, that construction paper garland on the wedding dress takes the cake - and didn't care much more for her casual attire.  And I hated those white boots of hers.

[MrMattyMatt]

Rose's wardrobe seemed the most relevant to the time period for that age group.  Dorothy's outfits were always beyond scary, even her nightgowns.  Blanche's were always upscale and she looked good in anything flowing, I thought.  Poor Sophia, she only got the standard old lady attire.   

 

What's kills me, as someone who lives in Florida, they sure wore a lot of sweaters (even when coming in from outdoors), in reality you only need sweater maybe a week or two out of the year if you are lucky.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Aw, come on.  Those loops really are good at drawing your eye to the "non-existent bosum". 

 

 

 

And that made me think of Blanche's wedding dress.

Blanche also wore a red dress to Phil's funeral, prompting Sophia to ask, "What's up with Satan's secretary?"

[camom]

I was always amazed at all of the sweaters they wore in Florida, too.  In the episode where the man dies in Rose's bed, Sophia even mentions how hot it's going to be that day (in the 90s), yet there they are in long sleeves and sweaters.

 

What bugged me was their purses.  They would pick up their soft purses and they were obviously empty.  Why not stick some wadded up papers in there so they wouldn't be so flat?  It's silly, but it annoyed me.

[OSM Mom]

I always figured the sweaters were part of the "old people are always cold" trope.

[Maherjunkie]

I thought Blanche's best outfit was that purple top she wore with Uncle Lucas.  The color just popped on her.

[AKA...CJ86]

One of my favorites was Rose's pink ensemble for the dance marathon.

[LucyEth]

I liked Blanches clothes most of the time.  Rose's were frumpy and so were Dorothy's.  I especially liked Blanche in the off the shoulder sweater and cute short skirt in the episode where she trains the baseball player.  Obviously Blanche was supposed to be the most stylish.  Dorothy (Bea) seemed to be hiding some kind of figure flaw she was uncomfortable with by wearing oversized long tops.  Sophia was typical old lady.  

Blanches hair in the later season was nice, in the beginning it looked like a helmut on her head.  Most of the time to quote Blanche Dorothy looked like an "English lawyer".  Rose's hair was old fashion tease and spray.

Edited July 20, 2014 by LucyEth

[ShadowSixx]

I wasn't much of a fan of Dorothy's hair in the last couple of seasons, it looked like a helmet.

[Maherjunkie]

God yes, the woman needed soft layers.

[CousinOliver]

I was always amazed at all of the sweaters they wore in Florida, too.  In the episode where the man dies in Rose's bed, Sophia even mentions how hot it's going to be that day (in the 90s), yet there they are in long sleeves and sweaters.

 

What bugged me was their purses.  They would pick up their soft purses and they were obviously empty.  Why not stick some wadded up papers in there so they wouldn't be so flat?  It's silly, but it annoyed me.

 

I've lived in Ft Lauderdale and I can assure you that sweaters are totally inappropriate attire, as are Dorothy's slouchy boots.  There were years that I never even turned off the air conditioner because of the heat.  But, really, I think that is all just part of a society that worships youth.  "No one" wants to see imperfections, like wrinkled, age spots, or untoned skin, so costumers ignore logic and put older actors in sweaters and long sleeves ("No one" in scare quotes because I would be thrilled to see more true to life bodies on tv.)

 

And, YES, a million times yes with the flat purses!  Oh, that bugged. 

[legaleagle53]

I've lived in Ft Lauderdale and I can assure you that sweaters are totally inappropriate attire, as are Dorothy's slouchy boots.  There were years that I never even turned off the air conditioner because of the heat.  But, really, I think that is all just part of a society that worships youth.  "No one" wants to see imperfections, like wrinkled, age spots, or untoned skin, so costumers ignore logic and put older actors in sweaters and long sleeves ("No one" in scare quotes because I would be thrilled to see more true to life bodies on tv.)

 

Or maybe it was because the show wasn't really taped in Miami but on an overly-air-conditioned sound stage in Hollywood, where you'd have to dress in layers just to tolerate the excessively cold studio air every day.

[ShadowSixx]

Yea that's why them wearing sweaters and long sleeves didn't really bother me, cause I knew they were filming inside a studio.

[Bastet]

So is everyone on television; the AC is cranked up to counteract the heat from the lights.  It evens out to something pretty "normal."  But even if actors have to be draped with a jacket or robe as soon as cut is called, they can be outfitted in clothing appropriate to the climate in which their characters are said to be living. 

[Cobalt Stargazer]

[slightly OT] And its why back in the day Carroll O'Connor and Rob Reiner could often be seen sweating in close-ups, because the lights were so hot when All In The Family was being filmed.[/slightly OT]

[Blakeston]

So is everyone on television; the AC is cranked up to counteract the heat from the lights.  It evens out to something pretty "normal."  But even if actors have to be draped with a jacket or robe as soon as cut is called, they can be outfitted in clothing appropriate to the climate in which their characters are said to be living.

Yeah, there were plenty of shows shot in front of live audiences where the actors dressed in summery clothing.

I'm inclined to agree with the theory that it was about hiding the actresses' figures.

Edited July 31, 2014 by Blakeston

[legaleagle53]

You also have to remember, though, that in the 80s, the Number 1 fashion motto was "Bigger is better!"  EVERYTHING, including the hair, was deliberately and ridiculously oversized (remember those linebacker shoulder pads?)  The bulky sweaters and oversized dresses, suits, and jackets were simply what was considered chic at the time.

 

That's why I will always refer to the 80s as "The Decade that Fashion Forgot."

[Maherjunkie]

Can you imagine this in the 70s?!

[legaleagle53]

Can you imagine this in the 70s?!

 

Don't even go there.  The 70s were even worse when it came to tacky, over-the-top fashions for both sexes.  

 

As far as I'm concerned, the last decade that boasted good fashion trends for both men and women was the 60s -- and the early 60s at that!

[Blakeston]

You also have to remember, though, that in the 80s, the Number 1 fashion motto was "Bigger is better!"  EVERYTHING, including the hair, was deliberately and ridiculously oversized (remember those linebacker shoulder pads?)

......I'm not wearing shoulder pads.

[Bort]

In the '80s I was always ripping those damn shoulder pads out of my shirts. I already have shoulders like a linebacker, I so did not need padding.

[ShadowSixx]

Like Blanche said to Dorothy: "Don't you think those shoulder pads make you look a little aggressive?"

[WendyCR72]

Don't even go there.  The 70s were even worse when it came to tacky, over-the-top fashions for both sexes.

 

OMG, thank you. This. I mean, yeah, the '80s was its own brand of opulent garishness, but the '70s? No. Just no.

 

And I say this as a person BORN in the '70s. Some of my childhood pictures and the outfits forever kept through time should be considered a case of emotional distress. My parents are lucky I love them so much, or I'd sue.

 

And the grownups. Who the hell thought polyester (with awful patterns, in some cases, including plaid?) looked good on ANYONE?

 

So I'll take the OTT '80s overindulgence clothing-wise any day, anytime over the horror that was '70s "fashion" <insert air quotes here!>

[Blakeston]

Yeah, as awful as Dorothy's wardrobe was on The Golden Girls - and as much as the girls' clothes aged them - Bea Arthur looked younger and more stylish in those '80's clothes than she did in '70's clothes on Maude...when she was 10 years younger. 

[ShadowSixx]

Blanche shows us, how to check ourselves in the mirror before leaving the house

[AntiBeeSpray]

Dorothy's clothes frightened me through pretty much the entire series.  Rose's wardrobe wasn't anything to write home about, but it was just sort of there.  Dorothy's was distractingly bad so much of the time.  I didn't like any of her formal wear - and, yes, that construction paper garland on the wedding dress takes the cake - and didn't care much more for her casual attire.  And I hated those white boots of hers.

Yea, and don't forget the shoulder pads O_o. A lot of it was pretty bad.

[Sun-Bun]

I actually loved how Blanche dressed, with the sexy blouses and lovely kaftans and constant little kitten heels. The girls would always joke about how "slutty" she dressed, but I thought she was totally age-appropriate and sensually elegant. I think there were only several cocktail dresses of hers that were a bit OTT, but she otherwise looked pretty fashionable and fun most of the time to me.

Now Rose, poor Rose...she was always dressed like some dowdy old school teacher in those goofy sweaters and dorky dresses of hers.

Dorothy's style wasn't for me, but I think she mostly looked pretty cool and carried off that chic 80's masculine style pretty well. Her look was rather daring and almost edgy for a woman her age, I thought.

Sophia was pure grandmother chic---she and my 101-year-old granny are style twins. But the constant presence of Sophia's ubiquitous straw purse was just genius on the writers' part. Grannies gotta have that purse on them at all times, even at home!!

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I actually loved how Blanche dressed, with the sexy blouses and lovely kaftans and constant little kitten heels. The girls would always joke about how "slutty" she dressed, but I thought she was totally age-appropriate and sensually elegant. I think there were only several cocktail dresses of hers that were a bit OTT, but she otherwise looked pretty fashionable and fun most of the time to me.

Hallmark ran the episode where Blanche's father shows up for the first time this morning, and I always wonder what the hell she's wearing when she greets him at the door. Sophia said she looked like a night hostess at Denny's, and that's really apt, IMO.

[Maherjunkie]

Poor Murray Hamilton!  He looks cheesy in JAWS and this outfit doesn't help either.

[ShadowSixx]

Hallmark ran the episode where Blanche's father shows up for the first time this morning, and I always wonder what the hell she's wearing when she greets him at the door. Sophia said she looked like a night hostess at Denny's, and that's really apt, IMO.

 

Fiddle dee dee.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

My best Dorothy voice

 

"Fiddle dee dee?!"

[Cobalt Stargazer]

For another fug alert, Dorothy's outfit in the episode with Isaac Q. Newton is the worst. It's this mint green, crushed velvet monstrosity with a tie that matches the jacket. WTF were those costumers thinking?!

[Maherjunkie]

They wanted to show a stylish, successful woman who had done something with her life.

[OSM Mom]

I like that outfit. Lol

[LilWharveyGal]

 

I actually loved how Blanche dressed, with the sexy blouses and lovely kaftans and constant little kitten heels. The girls would always joke about how "slutty" she dressed, but I thought she was totally age-appropriate and sensually elegant. I think there were only several cocktail dresses of hers that were a bit OTT, but she otherwise looked pretty fashionable and fun most of the time to me.

 

I totally agree.  Today they aired the episode where the bratty little boy says something along the lines of, "Isn't that outfit a little young for you?"  to Blanche, and Dorothy agrees.  I don't see it.  I also don't agree with Sophia when she says (on more than one occasion) that Blanche looks like a prostitute.  If that's true, then hookers must have been a lot more demure back in the day.

[Maherjunkie]

I totally never got that reference either, especially since she was covered up.

[ShadowSixx]

I didn't see it either and Blanche never dressed like a hooker or a prostitute. She was the most fashion forward of the ladies while Dorothy wore clothes that just looked too heavy to be wearing in Florida at times, just too much layers. I'm trying to think of at least one outfit she wore that I liked and it's hard. I think if Dorothy removed one layer then her clothes wouldn't have looked so bad. Even her nightgowns were bad, especially that yellow one, just looked heavy. I guess the one where Dorothy's ad was placed in the personals column and she had on a brown blouse and beige pants, she just needed to take off that long necklace she wore with it.

 

Was there a reason why she always wore baggy blouses and top?

[legaleagle53]

I didn't see it either and Blanche never dressed like a hooker or a prostitute. She was the most fashion forward of the ladies while Dorothy wore clothes that just looked too heavy to be wearing in Florida at times, just too much layers. I'm trying to think of at least one outfit she wore that I liked and it's hard. I think if Dorothy removed one layer then her clothes wouldn't have looked so bad. Even her nightgowns were bad, especially that yellow one, just looked heavy. I guess the one where Dorothy's ad was placed in the personals column and she had on a brown blouse and beige pants, she just needed to take off that long necklace she wore with it.

 

Was there a reason why she always wore baggy blouses and top?

 

Yes.  As has been noted upthread, the baggy, oversized  and overlayered look was considered chic in the 80s.  Clinging blouses and dresses simply weren't in style then.