Romancing the Sewn

For the Silver Screen HSM challenge, conveniently due the day after Halloween, I decided to outfit my family as The Addams Family. As they were in the original cartoons from The New Yorker from 1938-1964. Most people associate The Addams Family with either the 1964 television show or the 1990s movies. Charles Addams the artist and humorist that created the Addams Family started working for The New Yorker in the early 1930s he officially introduced the unnamed Addams Family in 1938. His creation was a gothic version of the 1930s up-class, I can imagine Morticia wearing Coco Channel, Elsa Schiaparelli, Vionet and Gomez wearing the dapper double breasted suits of the time. Wednesday was certainly dressed as a young lady. Lurch had to wear a rented tux unfortunately. 

Cartoons from The New Yorker by Charles Addams

Charles James 1939, Travis Banton 1934, Info not available, Sulka & Co., Ltd 1930s

My Inspiration for Wednesday’s dress

Morticia is carrying a true vintage black beaded hand bag and vintage shoes

What the item is: Morticia is wearing a bias cut satin gown with long sleeves, Gomez is wearing a smoking jacket with quilted lapels and an ascot,  Wednesday is wearing a cotton frock.

The Challenge: #11 Silver Screen

What’s your onscreen inspiration?: The Addams Family being traced back to the 1930s New Yorker cartoons by Charles Addams. I drew inspiration from the look of the 1960s television show but kept the costumes in the 1930s

Fabric: Morticia poly satin, Gomez mystery beige/black fabric and black satin quilted over felt, Wednesday black cotton gauze and white cotton sateen.

Pattern: Gomez 238 Le Smoking Jacket, Morticia self drafted, Wednesday self drafted but influenced by a children’s pattern.

Year: 1938

Notions: Both Gomez and Wednesday’s costumes have true Victorian jet buttons.

How historically accurate is it? I would say the patterns and look are fairly good if The Addams were to really exist but some of the fabrics are synthetic. 75%

Hours to complete: I worked on this project in little chunks over two months.

First worn: Halloween!

Total cost: Morticia $25, Gomez $90, Wednesday $40

 

Sources:

http://www.newyorker.com/cartoons/bob-mankoff/charles-addams

http://www.paleycenter.org/we-re-gonna-pay-a-call-on-the-addams-family/

https://theinvisibleagent.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/cartoons-by-charles-addams/