Wednesday 9 November 2016

tête-à-tête or rumpus room

In the early 1950s, avid gamer (backgammon and bingo) and fashion designer Bettie Murrie, recognising that the poodle skirt was “a conversation circle” thought to marry her interests, as Messy Nessy Chic shares, with a line of parlour game apparel for the fairer-sex. What a bizarre and potentially uncomfortable and trying way to be the centre of attention, surrounded by handsy players and patiently waiting out the rounds. The dresses had specialised patterns for different game boards and pockets to hold the dice and game pieces. It is unclear if plans to tailors skirts for all “intellectual levels”—from checkers to chess—were ever realised.