Fiction Fasion Icon: Cathy (Reprise)

 originally published Friday, October 12, 2012

It is the job of all authors to bring their characters to life. Most well-loved characters have a distinct look, noticeable characteristics, great flaws and strengths. Some authors even take things one step further, and create a distinct style for their leading ladies. To honor some of the great fiction fashion icons that I've read over the years, I'm introducing a new feature with one of my most favorite characters: Cathy Dollanganger.

Fashionable Femme Fatale 

Cathy Dollanganger is the main protagonist of the Dollanganger series, which spanned five books. The series was introduced in a debut novel from V.C. Andrews, Flowers in the Attic. It became an instant hit, though the movie didn't fare quite so well, and launched a career that has, phenomenonally, continued with new novels even beyond the author's death.  
 

It all began with Cathy. Through the series, she goes from age 9 to age 59 (or thereabouts), and that's a whole lot of clothes. For some special scenes, readers are treated to Cathy's outfits in exquisite detail. In fact, clothes are used to illustrate a lot of the turmoil she feels in the first book of the series. 

While Cathy is locked away in Flowers in the Attic, clothes are given to her by her mother Corrine, the woman who did the locking up. They're a compensation of sorts for the miserable life Cathy and her sister and brothers are now being forced to lead. In one memorable scene, Corrine gives Cathy beautiful ballet costumes so she can continue to live her dream of one day becoming a prima ballerina. The clothing is so beautiful, and represents so much, it fills Cathy's heart with love.

Later, clothes fill her heart with anger. After an extended trip away from her children, Corrine returns with tons of gifts...and more pretty fashions for Cathy. But as she tries them on, Cathy realizes that her mother is still buying clothing for a little girl -- a little girl she no longer is. The clothes represent all the neglect, and the blind eye Corrine is using to view the situation she's trapped her children inside. Cathy hates those clothes! She rips them off, tears them up and cries bitterly.

Fashion...it's such a fantastic plot device. Clothing continues to be important in Cathy's life. She goes on a shopping spree in the next book of the series, Petals on the Wind, and the new items represent a freedom of choice she has never before enjoyed as a young woman.

When Cathy is an adult, later in the book, fashion becomes her greatest weapon. By now, many years separate Cathy from her attic days of captivity, but the bitterness and anger has taken root in her and blossomed into full-blown revenge. It's not enough that she's free. It's not enough that she's achieved her dreams. It's not enough until her mother Corrine suffers. Isn't fashion a great way to make that happen? 

When Cathy decides to take her mother's husband, she invites him to dinner and dons a sexy red dress. The details of Cathy's seduction outfit are carefully revealed, and it's fair to say that she doesn't get the reaction from Bart that she wanted. He gets the wrong message from the red dress, and the entire plan pretty much falls apart.

For the most climactic scene of Petals on the Wind, the huge confrontation for which readers waded through hundreds of pages to get to, Cathy plans her outfit much, much more carefully. For the ending scenes of the book, Cathy dons an outfit so important and so well-described, it cements her as one of my favorite fiction fashion icons.

The green dress Cathy wears the night Foxworth Hall burns down was first seen years and years before, in Flowers in the Attic. The Christmas Party represents one of the only times during their attic imprisonment that Cathy gets to leave the little room in the big mansion, and the green dress is a fundamental part of the imagery of the party. It's worth by the ever-beautiful Corrine, Cathy's mother, as she dances and flirts with her soon-to-be-husband Bart. The green dress is a combination of velvet and chiffon, and it represents everything Cathy hopes to be when she grows up.

Years later, the green dress becomes her symbol of revenge. She has it re-made in exquisite detail and copies the hairstyle her mother originally donned when it was worn so many years before in Cathy's childhood. She even sneaks into the mansion to steal the same emerald jewelry that Corrine paired with the dress the first time. In this grand fashion, Cathy makes her re-entrance into her mother's life.

Revenge fashion is delicious when it's described by V.C. Andrews. The dress continues to be present through all the final scenes of Petals on the Wind, which ends in stunning fashion, and it left a huge impression on me the first time I read it. Every time I see green velvet paired with green chiffon, I think of Cathy Dollanganger, revenge, and blazing fire. It's a lot of powerful images, and it's all held together by some of the best fiction fashion you'll find in any book. 

Flowers and Fashion

Lifetime's adaptation of Flowers in the Attic will have its world premiere tonight, and that gives viewers the chance to see Cathy, her mother and the rest of the cast in all their best-dressed splendor. Will the green dress make its debut during the movie? Live Tweet with me while it airs, and we'll find out together!  

Fiction Fashion Icon: Anne

Anne Shirley was bookish, talkative, orphaned, accident-prone...and my hero. I loved her story when I was younger, and the one thing I always associated with Anne was her red hair. Fashion is total -- it's not just about the clothes. But Anne had some very specific ideas about that, too, and that meant that I had to as well. 

Pigtails and Puffed Sleeves

Anne Shirley was first introduced in 1908 by Lucy Maud Montgomery in Anne of Green Gables, the beginning of what would become an extraordinarily successful YA series. She hated her red hair, and I've always wanted it badly (I'm blonde instead, and even that's debatable). So much so, in fact, that I dyed mine red for half of high school. Well, I tried. Turns out, blonde doesn't hold red dye all that well. The point is, Anne's been a personal style icon of mine for a long time. She didn't think her red hair was very fashionable, but she was certain about one must-have detail: puffed sleeves.

The dress scene in the film version of Green Gables is a big deal, and that's because in the book the scene is so very special. Matthew gets to thinking about Anne's clothing and in particular her sleeves, after she makes a big deal about wishing to have a dress with puffed sleeves. So Matthew boldly goes to visit nosy Mrs. Lynde for help, and soon enough Anne has a dress with the puffiest sleeves in all the world. On film it's blue and fantastic, and Anne wears a blue bow to match.

Anne's style is pretty simple, with a few embellishments. Later in life, she wears a pearl engagement ring because she's never cared for diamonds, and an imitation pearl necklace that one of her sons thought was the real thing when he bought it for her. She grows accustomed to her red hair, avoids pinks and yellows at all costs, and adds a statement piece to her outfit every now and then. Anne might add flowers to her hat or put a stunning necklace on display, but the most important thing about her style is its versatility. She may start the day at a school picnic and end it in the dark, dreary woods -- so footwear choices are especially important. Anne's not above trying to improve upon her lot in life. She even dyes her hair in one very memorable scene in the book, only the color doesn't turn out quite as planned (we've all been there).

What would Anne wear if she were a modern girl in today's world? Check out this post from The Gloss to see an Anne-inspired high fashion look.

Fiction Fashion Icon: Scarlett

Gone With the Wind was published 70 years after the Civil War ended, and introduced countless new generations to this bloody conflict in the United states. It was written in 1936 and became the biggest film ever made just three short years later. And even though it was written about a woman who lived way, way back in the 1860s, it helped to shape 1940s fashion and created one of the most famous fiction style icons of all time: Scarlett O'Hara. 

Belle in a Bell Skirt

Long-time readers of the blog know that Gone With the Wind is my favorite book and my favorite film, and if you've read and seen it then you probably know why. Many, many people cite the novel and the film as their favorites, and many women admire the central heroine (or anti-heroine, depending on your view): Scarlett O'Hara. 

Fashion plays a big part in the book. It's about living through a war, which is no easy time. In the south during the 1860s, it was particularly rough. There are many passages describing Scarlett's attire. She goes from wearing sprigged muslin and gowns with carefully-sewn pearls adorning them to being without a proper bonnet or even a petticoat under her dress. She lives without stockings and hoops and all those many mysterious items that were so essential in those days when skirts had to be several feet wide and brush the floor or you just weren't decent. 

But the fashion of the book didn't come alive until it hit the silver screen in full, glorious Technicolor. Vivien Leigh, playing Scarlett, was bedecked with yards of fabric, acres of jewelry and a wire hoop cage that was (blessedly) much lighter than the real deal would have been back in the day. And though she was already an aged heroine by contemporary 1940s film-goers, Scarlett's fashion leapt from the screen and into the closets of women all over America. 

After it was brought to the big screen in 1939, Gone With the Wind immediately became the most popular film of the day and of all time. It is still the highest-grossing movie ever made, if you factor in ticket price differences between then and now. Clothiers of all types took notice. 

The most popular pattern of the early 1940s mirrored the green and white dress Scarlett wears to the barbeque at Twelve Oaks. Many women also flocked to the dress shop to get a pattern for a white, ruffled gown with the long skirt, an item that mirrored the red-belted dress Scarlett wears in the opening scene of the flick. And the slim, cut silk wedding gowns of the 30s quickly fell out of favor as brides rushed to wear dresses made with puffy sleeves and organza fabric, more like the gown Scarlett wore when she married Charles Hamilton. Organza is still a popular wedding fabric today, though puffy sleeves are a bit less common.

Hats were everywhere in the summer of 1940. Big-brimmed styles were all the rage because of Scarlett's big hats, and some designers even created bonnet-like headpieces resembling some of the more casual headwear shown in the film. Women also rushed out to buy themselves hair netting and fabric bags, and began fashioning their locks with snoods like those worn by Scarlett.

Scarlett's fashion helped inspire women everywhere, and her story continues to delight book readers and movie watchers to this day. Her strong, fearless character has drawn the admiration of many, and that's why so many have tried to copy her style. So the next time you feel like ripping down the curtains to make a new dress, go with it. That's what Scarlett would want.

Fiction Fashion Icon: Holly Golightly

Holly Golightly first appeared in the world of fiction in 1958, but her character lived on the page in the 1940s. By the time she debuted on film, she'd aged 10 years and moved into the early sixties. But no matter where you find her, she's always one thing: incredibly stylish. 

The Little Girl in the Little Black Dress

In any era, Holly Golightly's style transcends the page. She was introduced in a novella written by Truman Capote, ostensibly based on someone he actually knew when he moved to New York as a young writer. Holly's love of style and fashion are revealed early in the book when she talks about going to Tiffany's, the famous jewelry store, and how safe she feels when surrounded by the men in their dark suits. Holly is a party girl who loves the night life, and she's usually dressed for it even at seemingly inappropriate hours of the day. The story struck a chord with readers, and Holly became a well-loved fiction heroine (or anti-heroine, depending on your point of view) quickly. But it wasn't until she was transferred to the big screen that she became a true fashion icon.

And so did Audrey Hepburn, who played Holly for the film version of Breakfast at Tiffany's. The 1961 movie cemented Audrey as a true film fashion icon, and made the little black dress the must-have garment for every single woman in America. The costumers who designed the movie did a great job of re-capturing Holly's look, as told by Truman Capote's narrator in the book.

But even Audrey thought of herself as a bit of a mis-cast in the role. She was thin and willowy like Holly, but the similarities ended there. In the book, Holly has messy blonde hair and she's rather unapologetically a high-class call girl for New York society's cafe set. Capote famously wanted Marilyn Monroe in the part, but she didn't want it and the producers didn't want her for it. In that ultra-conservative time of making movies, when the famous Code was in full effect, it was extremely important to downplay Holly Golightly's sexual nature and various escapades. Hepburn, who was the epitome of classy elegance, was strongly courted for the role and personally persuaded by the director to accept the part. 

When Holly Golightly first appeared onscreen wearing her trademark dark glasses and a long, black cocktail dress, fashion history was made. In the story, Holly is known for wearing her sunglasses and stylish, thin black dresses that are perfect for late evening hours. Whenever she's feeling down, Holly goes to gaze at the glittering, ultra-expensive pieces on display at Tiffany's. She doesn't own a whole lot of real jewelry herself, but she does hope to marry a millionaire one day so she won't ever have to worry about money. 

Holly's fashion plays a big role in the story, and it became the focal point of the film. For her role in shaping the little black dress as the must-have style garment, and for showing us how to wear dark sunglasses while window-shopping for jewelry, Holly Golightly is one of the most famous and best-loved fiction fashion icons.

Fiction Fashion Icon: Cathy

It is the job of all authors to bring their characters to life. Most well-loved characters have a distinct look, noticeable characteristics, great flaws and strengths. Some authors even take things one step further, and create a distinct style for their leading ladies. To honor some of the great fiction fashion icons that I've read over the years, I'm introducing a new feature with one of my most favorite characters: Cathy Dollanganger.

Fashionable Femme Fatale 

Cathy Dollanganger is the main protagonist of the Dollanganger series, which spanned five books. The series was introduced in a debut novel from V.C. Andrews, Flowers in the Attic. It became an instant hit, though the movie didn't fare quite so well, and launched a career that has, phenomenonally, continued with new novels even beyond the author's death.  

It all began with Cathy. Through the series, she goes from age 9 to age 59 (or thereabouts), and that's a whole lot of clothes. For some special scenes, readers are treated to Cathy's outfits in exquisite detail. In fact, clothes are used to illustrate a lot of the turmoil she feels in the first book of the series. 

While Cathy is locked away in Flowers in the Attic, clothes are given to her by her mother Corrine, the woman who did the locking up. They're a compensation of sorts for the miserable life Cathy and her sister and brothers are now being forced to lead. In one memorable scene, Corrine gives Cathy beautiful ballet costumes so she can continue to live her dream of one day becoming a prima ballerina. The clothing is so beautiful, and represents so much, it fills Cathy's heart with love.

Later, clothes fill her heart with anger. After an extended trip away from her children, Corrine returns with tons of gifts...and more pretty fashions for Cathy. But as she tries them on, Cathy realizes that her mother is still buying clothing for a little girl -- a little girl she no longer is. The clothes represent all the neglect, and the blind eye Corrine is using to view the situation she's trapped her children inside. Cathy hates those clothes! She rips them off, tears them up and cries bitterly. 

Fashion...it's such a fantastic plot device. Clothing continues to be important in Cathy's life. She goes on a shopping spree in the next book of the series, Petals on the Wind, and the new items represent a freedom of choice she has never before enjoyed as a young woman. 

When Cathy is an adult, later in the book, fashion becomes her greatest weapon. By now, many years separate Cathy from her attic days of captivity, but the bitterness and anger has taken root in her and blossomed into full-blown revenge. It's not enough that she's free. It's not enough that she's achieved her dreams. It's not enough until her mother Corrine suffers. Isn't fashion a great way to make that happen? 

When Cathy decides to take her mother's husband, she invites him to dinner and dons a sexy red dress. The details of Cathy's seduction outfit are carefully revealed, and it's fair to say that she doesn't get the reaction from Bart that she wanted. He gets the wrong message from the red dress, and the entire plan pretty much falls apart. 

For the most climactic scene of Petals on the Wind, the huge confrontation for which readers waded through hundreds of pages to get to, Cathy plans her outfit much, much more carefully. For the ending scenes of the book, Cathy dons an outfit so important and so well-described, it cements her as one of my favorite fiction fashion icons. 

The green dress Cathy wears the night Foxworth Hall burns down was first seen years and years before, in Flowers in the Attic. The Christmas Party represents one of the only times during their attic imprisonment that Cathy gets to leave the little room in the big mansion, and the green dress is a fundamental part of the imagery of the party. It's worth by the ever-beautiful Corrine, Cathy's mother, as she dances and flirts with her soon-to-be-husband Bart. The green dress is a combination of velvet and chiffon, and it represents everything Cathy hopes to be when she grows up. 

Years later, the green dress becomes her symbol of revenge. She has it re-made in exquisite detail and copies the hairstyle her mother originally donned when it was worn so many years before in Cathy's childhood. She even sneaks into the mansion to steal the same emerald jewelry that Corrine paired with the dress the first time. In this grand fashion, Cathy makes her re-entrance into her mother's life. 

Revenge fashion is delicious when it's described by V.C. Andrews. The dress continues to be present through all the final scenes of Petals on the Wind, which ends in stunning fashion, and it left a huge impression on me the first time I read it. Every time I see green velvet paired with green chiffon, I think of Cathy Dollanganger, revenge, and blazing fire. It's a lot of powerful images, and it's all held together by some of the best fiction fashion you'll find in any book.