You asked for it, so here’s an occasional open thread to bitch about anything tangentially related to history, costume, movies, or TV shows! Or whatever else is on your mind right now. Note that URLs are automatically held for moderation, but most anything else goes as long as you’re not bitchier than we are!
Welcome to 2026! Hope we’re all ready and rested for a new year, which, as is tradition, brings back Snark Week at the end of January.
What are you looking forward to?
“The Testament of Ann Lee.” Elegant simplicity, I hope, and lots of hair pins? (The trailer indicates this, while the loosening hair can be put down to the Shakers’ religious dance tradition.)
If anyone is looking for a series with engaging characters, interesting costumes, and where nothing really bad happens, I recommend “The Hardacres” on Britbox.
This was a hard pass for me when it seemed like one of the main female characters was about to be raped in the very first episode! Turned off the episode before I could find out she was or not. Huge trigger for me.
I watched it, and it was a very good series! And yes, this moment is tense and made me uncomfortable too, but bear with them – it is going to be okay! (But of course, you don‘t have to, if it triggers you!! Just wanted to give a clarification, in case that helps).
I hope the Forsytes is good! More Leading Lady hair on Eleanor Tomlinson’s character from what I’ve seen. Ho hum!
We’ll be reviewing it, tho’ I’m really not sure what to expect (& please UK folks if you’ve already watched it, don’t spoil it for me ;-) ).
I recently watched “Women at War” (Les Combattantes) on Netflix. I’m usually able to ignore stuff like this but Suzanne Faure‘s hair really took me out of it. The dye job looked like a mistake from 2000 something when everyone seemed to be bleaching their hair. Overall it wasn’t a bad series tho.
Caroline Dewitt’s ( Sofia Essaidi) outfits (+ hats) are good. That’s all.
Just got done watching The Phoenician Scheme, and I quite liked it! The last Wes Anderson movie I saw was Asteroid City; I thought that was too Wes Anderson-y, if that makes sense. :)
It makes total sense.
I watched a couple of 80s/90s historical movies last year that I can recommend! Torrents of Spring (1989), which has some great 1840s hair even if the costumes go a little 1980s historical at times. I’m sure there are costumes that have been recycled into other productions since the costumes were made by the great European costume houses like Tirelli, Bermans & Nathan’s, and Cosprop (and more!). I also watched Everybody’s All-American (1988) which has some pretty much perfect 1950s-1980s fashion AND hair. Seriously, it’s like a whole Southern Barbie and Ken fest. (Just a warning, there is a lot of racism coming from the white characters.) Finally, I discovered a seemingly obscure movie called Firelight (1997). The costumes were more or less okay but the cinematography is absolutely beautiful and the story is sweet in a weird sort of way.
Netflix undiscovered gem :
The last letter from your lover :
Great cast : Felicity Jones, Shailene Woodley
Callum Turner !!!!
In the 1965 part of the movie, Shailene Woodley’s caracter gets the total look, from hat to shoes, including jewels and bags, everywhere, everytime : home, city, south of France vacation, beach, cocktail party, husband’s business dinner …
Insp
Inspired partly by Jackie Kennedy, according to an article about the costumes!
https://fashionista.com/2021/07/netflix-the-last-letter-from-your-lover-costumes
Thanks!
I finally saw the last Downton Abbey movie, on Christmas eve, which turned out to be a pretty good pick. Despite the summer setting, it really felt like the kind of Christmas specials that they did on tv, especially towards the end. I need to watch it again to really take it all in, but I especially liked Cora and Edith’s outfits.
Now I’m finally digging into The Gilded Age, which should help get me through the rest of this winter. Only on the first episode so far, so we’ll see how it goes.
And only a month to go before the new Wuthering Heights mopes its way into theaters. I know I shouldn’t be preemptively snarky, but after reading that Margot Robbie interview…
Just finished binging the latest season of “All Creatures Great and Small,” and the knitwear game continues to be strong. There was a time jump to get to the end of WWII, and now beloved Tricky Woo is old! I can’t bear it!