Inspiration--Bewitched by 1960s Shift Dresses

Now there's no question that the costume design of classic cinema has been the greatest influence on my personal style...from Hitchcock's Rear Window to Godard's Breathless.  Yet in the early years of my childhood, life was less about the movies and far more about television.  In fact, I remember the costumes of the small screen's 1969 - 1972 series Bewitched as being pretty magical to me.  The original series ran before I was born, but it was rerun endlessly when I was child starting with its first shows in black and white.  When the episodes finally evolved into color, I felt a little like Dorothy entering Oz for the first time.  There she was...Elizabeth Montgomery, the blonde blue-eyed beauty playing Samantha, wearing a wardrobe of simple shift dresses in just about every shape and shade under the sun.  As a young girl, I truly was bewitched by what I saw.

Though these images don't do justice to the show, I can clearly see where some of the seeds of my style began to blossom.  Clean lines, loads of color, and minimal jewelry--often just her ever-present heart necklace. And with her easy hair and fresh-faced look, she still embodies much of my ideal of the California girl.

Often there were colorful textured coats as well

Samantha's go to shapes for evening were simple strapless and brocade wiggle dresses