Barbara Stanwyck dressed by Edith Head

For more than five decades famed costume designer Edith Head had dressed Hollywood's biggest stars. One of the stars whom Head most enjoyed working with was Barbara Stanwyck, who also became a good friend. "She possessed what some designers considered to be a figure "problem" – a long waist and a comparatively low rear end", said Head. "By widening the waistbands on the front in her gowns and narrowing them slightly in the back, I could still put her in straight skirts, something other designers were afraid to do, because they thought she might look too heavy in the seat. Since she wasn’t the least bit heavy, I just took advantage of her long waist to create an optical illusion."

Head's costume designs for Preston Sturges' The Lady Eve (1941) proved career changing for Barbara. Playing two very different types —con artist Jean Harrington and British aristocrat Lady Eve Sidwich— Barbara had twenty-five costume changes, which made The Lady Eve her first "fashion picture" and also changed her image from "plain Jane" to sexy. From then on, regardless of what studio she was working for, Barbara included in all her contracts that only Head was to design her clothes. This meant that in most cases Head had to be borrowed from Paramount Pictures, her studio for 44 years. (Barbara never had a long-term contract with one studio and worked mostly freelance.)

Barbara in her dual role in The Lady Eve dressed in Edith Head's fabulous gowns: above as the posh Lady Eve and below as the con woman Jean Harrington.

In the early 1940s, Barbara signed a non-exclusive contract with Warner Bros. and Head made the costume designs for such films as The Gay Sisters (1942), Christmas in Connecticut (1945), My Reputation (1946) and The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947). Below is an agreement between Barbara and Warners regarding the costs of Head's services in connection with My Reputation. Apparently Barbara first had to pay the costs herself —after the bills had been sent to her by Paramount— and would then later be reimbursed by Warners. Incidentally, the agreement is dated 26 October 1943; while My Reputation was filmed from November 1943 to January 1944, it wasn't released until 1946.

Source: icollector.com

Oscar dress code

On 25 March 1968, renowned costume designer Edith Head issued a dress code for the 40th Academy Awards ceremony. Gregory Peck, who had become President of the Academy in June 1967, wanted to restore "dignity" to the Oscar ceremony and had Edith Head write a dress code to be sent out to all of the 2500 attending guests. Minis were banned, actresses were now "requested" to wear maxi or floor-length dresses. In the letter shown below, Head (as costume supervisor for the ceremony) outlined the Academy's new dress-code rules. 

Incidentally, this 40th anniversary edition was held on 10 April 1968, two days after the scheduled date; it was postponed due to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King on 4 April. 

Audrey Hepburn and Natalie Wood were two of the many presenters at the 40th Academy Awards ceremony, both looking beautiful in their (floor-length?) dresses.

Source: academy of motion picture arts and sciences

Transcript:

March 25, 1968

We in the Academy are delighted to know that you will appear on our 40th Awards Presentation Telecast Monday, April 8th.

However, so many questions have been asked about the style of dress expected on stage that I send you this information:

Actresses are requested to wear formal evening gowns either Maxi or floor length, preferably pastel shades since the setting is very formal and done entirely in white and gold. As you know, long dresses (no Mini or day length) are more graceful on stage and on camera in this type of background. The Academy feels that the dignity of this traditional affair on our 40th Anniversary deserves formal dress.

Men are expected to wear white tie with conventional formal evening accessories.

Cordially,

Edith Head

Costume Supervisor

During Hollywood's Golden Age, Edith Head was Hollywood's most successful costume designer. She was nominated for an Oscar 35 times, winning eight. Head worked with some of the greatest stars and in the pictures we see her with (clockwise) Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Gloria Swanson and Grace Kelly.