The Carnabetian Army: February 2012

Sunday, February 26, 2012

A Game That Makes Every Girl, Like Twiggy, The Queen Of Mod

In the 1960's, for a teen sensation as big as Twiggy it was almost necessary that a board game based on her and her stardom be created.
Released in the US in 1967 by American gaming company Milton Bradley, it gave all young girls the chance to be just like their teen idol for the day. It was "A Game That Makes Every Girl, Like Twiggy, The Queen of Mod".

Recommended for ages 8 to adult, according to the instructions printed on the inner side of the box, it was a roll-and-move game that required 2 to 4 players. Players rolled the die and worked their way around the vibrantly decorated board with their playing pieces, four of which the game came with. Each was a different Twiggy graphic printed onto a sheet of cardboard to be punched out and slotted into a plastic stand of either green, red, blue or yellow.

Each playing space upon the board described things that might have occurred in the every day life of any girl like Twiggy, and also included specific directions that affected the game play. Players could pick up from a pile of 48 cards by landing on spaces reading things like "Hollywood Screen Test", "Model A New Outfit" and "Have Fun At the Discotheque", whilst players could lose cards or miss a turn by landing on spaces like "Stop Biting Your Nails", "Caught in the Rain", and "Missed the Jet to New York".
The aim of the game was to collect as many cards as possible, and recreate the Twiggy picture in the middle of the board with cards corresponding to the colour of your chosen playing piece. The player with the most cards and to do so first was crowned the winner, or "The Queen of Mod".
Altogether the estimated playing time was approximately 45 minutes, and the box measured 19 x 9.5 inches.

(Sources: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. )

Forget Oxfam, Feed Twiggy!

When Twiggy rose to fame in the mid-sixties, her tiny frame took the world by storm. At a height of 5'6.5, she was considered short for a model, her weight was approximately 41 kilograms, and her measurements met a tiny 31-22-32. Her boyish figure acted as a complete contrast to the traditional curvaceous and voluptuous body ideals for women at the time.
She says “You were supposed to look like Brenda Lee, very curvy and round, pointed breasts and pointed-toe shoes". Thus, it was only natural that she caused such controversy and received an endless mix of both criticism and approval.

In 1966, in the Daily Express article that was to launch her into fame, journalist Deidre McSharry called her "The Cockney Kid with a face to launch a thousand shapes". This young girl of only 16 would be the face that would not only challenge the traditional ideals of beauty, but extend them to incorporate all shapes and sizes.
Head of Vogue Magazine, Diana Vreeland saw only beauty in her: "the straightest legs, knees like little peaches, tiny narrow supple feet, rounded arms, and beautiful wrists and throat. She was both modern and romantic. She was perfect" She considered her the ultimate embodiment of "the look of the sixties.".

Many thought otherwise. There was an alternate view that Twiggy's figure had a negative influence on young girls, advocating an unhealthy body ideal, and that she was responsible for an increase in the amount of people with eating disorders such as anorexia in the population.
Marshall McLuhan said "Twiggy is an X-Ray. Not a picture", whilst President of Leeds Women's Shop, Mark Cohen, claimed that her legs reminded him of "two painted worms."
Almost as quickly as she began appearing in shoots for Vogue, bumper stickers and badges in day-glo colours of orange, yellow and green appeared throughout the UK reading: "Forget Oxfam, Feed Twiggy!"

However, the modeling sensation spoke out against this. Though she was clearly underweight compared to the average person, she was not anorexic: "The irony is that I've always loved my food - even including wicked things such as sticky toffee pudding and buns."
"I was very skinny, but that was just my natural build. I always ate sensibly - being thin was in my genes," she claims, "I always got blamed for inventing anorexia, but I ate like a horse. I just couldn't put on weight."

(Information: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. )

(Images: 1. 2. 3. )

Friday, February 24, 2012

Twiggy Tights by Trimfit

The year is 1967 and Twiggy has just released her new label of clothing "Twiggy Dresses". What better way to follow it up than with a new range of Twiggy inspired tights to complete the ensemble?

During the 1960s, many girls did not feel confident enough to sport the rising hemlines due to the fear that the tops of their stockings, girdles and suspender-belts would be more easily visible. Thus in order to rectify the problem pantyhose, or tights, were introduced to be worn in conjunction with the mini skirt. Like the mini, these were designed to reflect the celebration and vibrancy of youth at the time, and came in a huge variety of colours, patterns and styles.

Store display for Twiggy tights.

Twiggy's tights were manufactured through Hampton Trimfit and were launched in both the UK and the US, with packaging just as gorgeous as the product themselves. They came in traditional seamless form, lace, fishnets, varying opacities and almost every colour from white to blue and "Orange Sun" to "Mandarin Red".

Twiggy says of the happening, "I even did Twiggy tights! We did white, and loads of other colours, but I particularly wanted to do shiny ones."

A new range was later launched in 1969 at the Ritz Hotel, London, where she modeled them herself. She says "It was pre-Lycra and spandex so in the photograph of me launching them they're all baggy at the knee because my legs were so thin and there was nothing to hold them in. I kept having to pull them up!"

Twiggy at the Ritz hotel, London, promoting her new line of "Twiggy Tights" in 1969.

(Sources: Twiggybits, Dustincropsboy, Accesori, Hakes, FIDMMuseum, Powerhousemuseum, SSPLprints, LIFE.)

Twiggy Dresses and the Twiggy Coat Hanger

"Twiggy Dresses", the self designed clothing line by English supermodel Twiggy, was first released in the UK in September of 1966. The label was originally to be produced under Berkertex manufacturers. However, when Twiggy was called to sign the contract with them it was found that they had already designed much of the line, and only wanted her name rather than her personal input. As a result of this she decided to create her own clothing line with a company that would allow her input as an aspiring fashion designer, and create dresses that she herself would wear. This was to be Taramina Textiles. Though this company had never before manufactured for the teenage market, it all worked to an advantage as all ideas for designs would be fresh and up-to-date.
Pamela Proctor and Paul Babb, two students from the Royal College of Art, were the two main designers behind the clothing line, and were personally picked by Twiggy herself for the job. Together, all three would meet and discuss the designs for the label on Great Portland Street, London, multiple times a week.

The label launched publicly in November of the same year through a series of photographs taken by the same man credited for the photograph that crowned her as "the face of 1966", Barry Lategan, and a catwalk of Twiggy modeling the designs herself.
Due to high demand, Twiggy then flew over to the US for a promotional visit in early 1967, with approximately 150 different outlets wanting to take on the clothing range. However, hundreds of pirated copies were soon spread throughout the market, as at that point in time there were no American manufacturers backing the label.
Then next year the fashion sensation traveled to Munich for a promotional visit and launched the label in Germany.

Twiggy's dresses were bright and youthful, strongly resembling the designs of Mary Quant whom she often modeled for. Though they also incorporated her own personal style and preference, they had to be "adapted and sometimes toned down to make them commercial" (Twiggy).
The were quite expensive for the time, with prices ranging from 6 to 12 guineas, whilst an average piece of clothing from a generic store would only cost approximately 50 shillings. Thus, each item was sold with an official Twiggy Coat Hanger, in order to assist with sales. It featured a graphic of the model's face, as well as the text "Included in the price of every Twiggy dress is the original Twiggy hanger."
The label continued for approximately three years and then collapsed. "Twiggy Dresses" are now highly collectible and sought after pieces.

(Information: 1. 2.)

(Images: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.)

Twig the Wonder Kid and Her Bundle of Gear

The following posts will centre upon some of the official merchandise and memorabilia that was released by different companies during the peak of English supermodel Twiggy's career in 1967 and 1968.

UK Merchandise

Twiggy Dresses

Twiggy Coat Hanger (supplied with Twiggy dress)

Twiggy Tights

Forget Oxfam Feed Twiggy Badge

US Merchandise

Twiggy Board Game (Milton Bradley 1967)

Twiggy Barbie Doll (Mattel 1967)

Twiggy Lunch Box and Thermos (Aladdin 1967)

Twiggy Paper Dolls (Whitman 1967)

Twiggy False Eye Lashes (Yardley)

Twiggy Tights (Hampton Trimfit 1967)

Twiggy Dress Up Kit (Colorforms 1967)

Twiggy Binder (Mattel 1967)

Twiggy Treasure Box (Mattel 1967)

Twiggy Fashion Tote Bag (Mattel 1967)

Twiggy Pen (Scripto 1967)

Twiggy Sweater

Twiggy Magazine titled Her Mod Mod Teen World

Twiggy By Twiggy (Biography written by American journalist)

(List from the official Twiggy website, Image)