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Brooks Uniform Co., tailor

Suit worn by Michael Strange (pseudonym of Blanche Oelrichs), 1927

Description

Maker

  • Brooks Uniform Co., est. last quarter of 19th century, tailor

Title

Suit worn by Michael Strange (pseudonym of Blanche Oelrichs)

Year

1927

Medium

Wool crepe coat with silk velvet collar, wool crepe trousers, silk plain weave dickie

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • cotton,
  • wool,
  • linen,
  • silk

Techniques

  • plain weave,
  • velvet,
  • yarn,
  • satin weave,
  • crepe

Dimensions

Center back length: 100.3 cm (39 1/2 inches) (jacket)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Brooks Uniform Co. / 143 West 40th St. New York / Mr. M. Strange

Type

  • Fashion,
  • Costume

Credit

Gift of Joan Avillez

Object Number

2011.84

Projects & Publications

Publications

Artist Rebel Dandy

Men of Fashion

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Artist, Rebel, Dandy

April 26 - August 18, 2013

This tailor-made suit, worn by Michael Strange (pseudonym of poet and actor Blanche Oelrichs), exemplifies socio-political dandyism as expressed by women. Married to John Barrymore, Strange described the pleasure they enjoyed as a couple as they explored the boundaries of gender definition through clothing choice: "Jack and I dressed in a manner never affected before or since. Pleatings and flutings appeared on his trousers, duplications of the ones on my skirt....He considerably lowered his shirt collars, of which I instantly had a dozen copies made."
Strange wore this suit, tailored by Brooks Uniform Company, in everyday life and when she played the role of Napoleon II in L'Aiglon. The suit's skillful construction is offset by the ethereal silk organdy dickey and trompe l'oeil bow time.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Suit worn by Michael Strange (pseudonym of Blanche Oelrichs) with the accession number of 2011.84. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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