Mildred Pierce: The Early Years

I do apologise to those of my fellow bloggers who don't have HBO or who might be in a country not airing the 2011 Mildred Pierce series, but I have to gush about how absolutely ENTRANCED by this production I am after viewing Parts One and Two (there are FIVE).  What I'm loving is how the series fully immerses the viewer in the sights, sounds, colours, and fashions that would have been part of the every day milieu of many middle-class depression-era American women. Sure, the glitz and glamour of 1930s California as experienced by the wealthy of this era always stuns and mesmerises, but I have a much deeper and more personal connection to the life-stylings of the working folk shown in the early parts of the show (perhaps because of memories of my beloved grandparents, who were in their late teens-20s when the depression was on). Let me tell you I am not sure I was fully conscious through the two hours because I swooned so many times.

Sure, if you want to get really nitpicky, in my humble opinion (that you should feel free to disagree with if you know otherwise), some of "Mildred's" dresses and hats looked a little more 1933-35 than 1931 (and the subject of accurate clothing gets even trickier when I point out that according to one article, the fantastic costumer Roth, apparently "utilised styles from the late 1920s for the start of the series, since, put bluntly; ‘no one had any money to buy what was in the stores".  Sorry, don't see that in Mildred's brown ensemble that she wears several times in the first parts. Or am I off base here?

 I thought the clothing the older neighbour lady played by Melissa Leo was wearing sometimes seemed more something a young co-ed of the era would have worn (example, in one scene, captured below, she wears an adorable trouser/playsuit that seemed a bit too "young" for her--though, I suppose if we look at photos from the era, "real" women often wore what they wanted, which is awesome!).  Lauren, I think you made or own this exact style of outfit, btw. It has the cactus and sombrero appliques on the pockets! Also, I was reminded me of your beauties, Nudeedudee!

I also noticed that in a couple of scenes, Kate Winslet's character was wearing "MY" re-mix Anita shoes (hehe) (but hers are an off-white while mine are green) and of course an open toe slingback like this would not have been out yet in 1931, would it?  That's getting really nitpicky and I don't want to write that kind of review.

For the most part, I just got lost in the visual perfection of it all.  Each darling house frock, each knitted ensemble, each floral crepe dress was more fantastic than the next--and apparently, Kate Winslet has 66 costume changes over the course of the five parts, and there are over 2000 costumed extras so there's more to fashion "eye candy" to come!!!  I haven't seen any new stills popping up online to share with you yet, but I am wishing & hoping somebody does a scene by scene screen cap SOON because you have to see what I am talking about to understand what I am going on about.  In the mean-time, here is a link to a video about the "Making of Mildred."  I also thought I would share the Etsy Treasury I created in honour of this series (click the image to link to the actual treasury. Feel free to leave me a comment on it!).  Ok, off to rewatch the first two parts AGAIN!