Pennod 13 Cwpwrdd Dillad

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-Today, we look at the wardrobe

-of Style Doctor, Elin Davies.

-What should we be wearing?

-We'll also embark on a sequinned

-world cruise with Meriel Sturdy.

-But, first, we'll zoom in

-on a dark period in world history.

-Welcome to Cwpwrdd Dillad.

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-Halt!

-OK. Hold it there.

-Great.

-I'm a photo journalist, specialising

-in reconstruction photography.

-I reconstruct historical events,

-with costumes and props.

-We're reconstructing an event

-from World War II...

-..where a paratrooper from

-First Airborne landed in a tree.

-He's dangling from his straps

-in the tree.

-There's a soldier in the river,

-searching for him.

-What's the story

-behind this collection?

-What sparked your interest?

-What sparked your interest?

-

-That's a good question.

-I did a photoshoot in France

-about ten years ago.

-I saw the costumes people wore...

-..to mark the 50th anniversary

-of the end of World War II...

-..and it captured my imagination.

-I bought a few items

-and then a few more.

-I then bought a complete uniform.

-I just kept buying them and now

-I have quite a large collection.

-Is it a combination of the history

-and the clothes?

-Yes. Definitely.

-I don't know who wore the things

-in my collection...

-..but I do know

-they're steeped in history.

-The collection has grown...

-..and the history surrounding

-the collection has also developed.

-This is

-a wardrobe with a difference.

-It's a storeroom,

-packed with clothes.

-These are all originals,

-which were worn during the War.

-These are U.S. army issue clothes.

-Take a look at this helmet.

-It's a doctor's helmet.

-This damage suggests

-he suffered a blow to the head.

-I don't know what hit him.

-It has a history of its own.

-These are all full of shoes.

-Big, heavy boots, like these.

-I don't know

-how they could walk in them...

-..never mind anything else.

-There are all sorts of things

-in here.

-Seimon is a pacifist,

-but he does own props, such as this.

-Original goggles.

-This camera still works.

-This suit is amazing.

-Seeing this up close makes me

-realise someone wore it in combat...

-..and, in all probability,

-he saw the atrocities of war.

-There's a number

-written on the label.

-This was the soldier's number.

-I could find out who this person was

-and what happened to him.

-I could even find out how he died.

-For Seimon,

-this room is a part of his work...

-..but I've walked in here, and it's

-as though history has come alive.

-I can smell history -

-the history of the soldiers.

-It's strange. I feel privileged.

-As time goes by, the value

-of war uniforms has increased.

-He doesn't want to

-damage his collection...

-..so Seimon uses copies in his work.

-It leaves the actors free to

-reconstruct realistic battle scenes.

-This is a new jacket.

-I used a blowlamp and some sandpaper

-to make it look used.

-I can't use something that looks

-like it's just come from a factory.

-If that means I must ruin the jacket

-with a blowtorch and sandpaper...

-..so be it!

-I've been offered a lot of money

-for this jacket...

-..because people think

-it's original.

-It's only two years old.

-Seimon has worked with

-Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks...

-..in his film and television work.

-His expertise helps ensure that the

-clothes are historically accurate.

-I worked on Band of Brothers.

-The extras came in,

-wearing German uniforms...

-..and they'd turn into Germans,

-before my eyes.

-Their demeanour changed.

-Rhodri has helped me a lot

-with documentaries and photoshoots.

-Rhodri knows

-exactly how the clothes feel.

-He looks the part.

-He can give me

-the expression I'm looking for.

-His body shape also helps me create

-a natural shot, I hope.

-How does it feel to be here

-wearing the original clothes?

-It's a chunk of history.

-It's a chunk of history.

-

-Yes.

-I enjoy it.

-I try to get into it

-and put myself in that situation.

-It's a very sobering experience.

-I'm interested in the people

-who wore the clothes.

-I'm interested in the stories

-of young lads who went to war.

-I'm not interested in guns.

-That isn't important to me.

-I'm trying to reconstruct

-the atmosphere of the age...

-..using suitable costumes.

-My reconstructions

-fit the requirements...

-..of the American magazine

-which employs me as a photographer.

-A few years ago, I met a man

-called Jim Harlow at a wedding.

-He was an American

-who was in Britain during the War.

-A friend of mine bought a uniform

-for me in America some months later.

-There was a photo of a man

-called Lester Duggan in the pocket.

-The man whose photo it was...

-..flew in the same aeroplane

-as the man I met at the wedding.

-The two men hadn't seen each other

-since the end of the War.

-I put them back in touch

-with each other.

-That's a nice story.

-Hello. How are you?

-I'm fine, thank you. Come in.

-I'm fine, thank you. Come in.

-

-Thank you.

-Like Trinny and Susannah...

-..Elin and her friend, Kim,

-are image consultants.

-They met at Manchester University

-and they became the Style Doctors.

-The Total Makeover

-is the most popular package.

-You need someone to come to your

-house, look at your wardrobe...

-..and say, "Yes, you have wearable

-clothes. Wear them like this."

-We put outfits together and

-we go shopping in the afternoon.

-We add a few items

-to people's existing wardrobes.

-We want to

-boost our clients' confidence.

-We put them in clothes which make

-them feel good about themselves.

-If they look good, they feel good.

-I tend to get rid of clothes

-but I keep my accessories.

-You can transform an outfit,

-with the right accessories.

-You like to wear

-chunky, heavy necklaces.

-Yes, I love jewellery

-which makes a statement.

-I don't like

-small, simple necklaces.

-I wear

-more than one necklace at a time.

-I wear this with some chunky beads.

-You hang your name around your neck

-so your clients never forget you.

-Do you buy from charity shops?

-Do you like the idea of wearing

-jewellery which has a history?

-Yes. It makes the piece unique.

-You can pick these up

-on the high street...

-..but if you go for something

-unique, only you will have it.

-I like that idea.

-You have a much larger collection

-of shoes than what we see here.

-These are your favourites?

-These are your favourites?

-

-Yes. I have a few other pairs!

-There's a story

-behind each of these pairs of shoes.

-The Prada pair

-were knocked down from 250 to 70.

-I still keep them in their original

-bag as if they're worth 500!

-Nobody knows they were a bargain.

-I've never worn

-those red Dorothy shoes.

-It would break my heart to own a

-pair of shoes which I couldn't wear.

-I may wear them this coming winter.

-Have you made any fashion 'faux pas'

-in your time?

-You must have done.

-You must have done.

-

-Yes, I have.

-I don't think

-I should be telling you this!

-My most memorable 'faux pas'...

-..was wearing dark jeans,

-which I'd bleached...

-..with a pair of pink fishnets

-underneath.

-I tore up the photo of me

-in that outfit.

-I think Kim would sack me,

-if she saw that photo!

-Is ripping up the photo

-part of the therapy?

-Yes. It happened but I've moved on.

-I bought this when I was

-in New York on a college trip.

-I decided to wear it

-to go up the Empire State Building.

-I thought that was a brilliant idea

-because I looked cool.

-It blew all the way up.

-Marilyn Monroe!

-To survive the embarrassment, I had

-to stand with my back to the wall...

-..clutching the skirt tightly.

-I just said, "Come on! We're going!"

-People thought I was crazy

-when I bought that colourful one.

-I have worn it but I bought it more

-because I love the whole concept.

-It's one long strip of fabric.

-The thread has been pulled tight

-to create that shape.

-It's been pleated and

-it looks like waves on the sea.

-That contains all

-my favourite colours. It's lovely.

-This is

-somewhere around 30 years old.

-My mother wore this

-on her wedding night.

-Oh, that's lovely.

-Oh, that's lovely.

-

-Yes.

-I wore it on Steal that Style,

-our television series.

-It means the world to me.

-It belonged to Mam but I wore it

-on our television series.

-What's your favourite

-item of clothing?

-I do have one particular favourite.

-It's part of our job to wear

-something different all the time.

-I have a green, leather coat

-with a fur collar.

-I haven't worn it for a while

-but it's fashionable this winter.

-I think I'll start wearing it again

-very soon.

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-Have you always liked clothes?

-Have you always liked clothes?

-

-Yes, I have.

-My mother was very fond of clothes.

-She would go out and

-choose something for me to wear...

-..and I'd always like it.

-I went on many shopping trips

-with my mother when I was young.

-I was a nurse and I didn't

-have much money to buy clothes.

-I still enjoyed going shopping

-and I knew what I wanted.

-Meriel was a nurse and

-Eric, her husband, was a surgeon.

-They met in an operating theatre

-in post-war Swansea.

-He came to the ward,

-we started courting...

-..and we got married

-six months later.

-Tell me about your wedding dress.

-New Look, 1954.

-A white chiffon dress...

-..with mother-of-pearl around

-the neckline and tiny sleeves.

-It came in at the waist.

-I wore a hoop beneath the skirt.

-It was a new length -

-three quarters.

-He said, "You look nice,"

-on our wedding day.

-He hasn't paid me a compliment

-since then!

-Did you go away for a honeymoon?

-Yes, we stayed at the

-Grand Atlantic for one night...

-..then we went to see

-the Cheddar Caves.

-He bought me a pair of brown slacks

-when we were in Barnstable.

-Women didn't wear trousers

-in those days.

-I thought, "This is it!"

-The bee's knees!

-The bee's knees!

-

-The 'it' girl!

-Everything was more formal

-back then.

-Things have changed?

-Yes, most definitely.

-If you went to a party or a dance,

-you had to wear a long dress...

-..and you had to be

-dolled up to the nines.

-Did you like that?

-Did you like that?

-

-Yes. When you went out, you felt

-you were going somewhere special.

-You have a collection of fur coats?

-You have a collection of fur coats?

-

-Yes. I have three fur coats.

-The first one I bought

-is a full-length, black mink.

-It's hard to believe it.

-You wouldn't buy real fur,

-these days.

-I haven't worn my fur coats

-for years.

-I kept them.

-They may come back into fashion!

-They wear them

-in continental Europe.

-Mam wore fur.

-Mam wore fur, with

-the animals' heads still attached.

-She wore a mink marmot

-and his head was still there.

-My grandchildren saw it

-and they thought it was terrible.

-I cut off the heads

-and made it into a scarf.

-I bought these clothes

-during trips abroad.

-Meriel bought a lot of clothes...

-..as she travelled the world

-on luxury cruises.

-We went on a cruise to South

-America - after Antarctica.

-I bought these two in Uruguay.

-Oh, they're lovely.

-They're great, at night.

-May I try this one?

-May I try this one?

-

-Yes, please do.

-You wear them across your shoulders.

-This is incredibly soft.

-This is incredibly soft.

-

-Yes. I don't know what fabric it is

-but we bought it on a farm.

-It was a ranch.

-There was a small shop there

-and I bought these two.

-You were on a ranch

-but you found a shop!

-What else do we have here?

-We went on

-a Rhine and Danube cruise.

-Eric had a look around the cathedral

-and I went shopping.

-I bought this twinset.

-I bought this twinset.

-

-It's lovely and soft.

-Was it expensive?

-It was in a sale.

-I paid

-something like 40 for the set.

-A bargain!

-Yes, it was good.

-You're not keen on the sights

-when you go abroad.

-I've seen many cathedrals

-in my time!

-I don't need to see any more!

-I like to go for a wander

-and see ordinary things.

-You then get to meet

-the people who work in the shops.

-Yes, you do.

-What will you show me next?

-What will you show me next?

-

-A touch of evening glamour.

-I'd wear this to cocktail parties.

-I bought this on the

-Princess Cruises, going to Alaska.

-They had some lovely clothes.

-You bought this on the cruise ship?

-Yes, that's right.

-It's heavy.

-You could choose something and

-take it to your cabin to try it on.

-You gave them your cabin number.

-You could take them back

-or keep them.

-They trusted people

-because you can't hide on a ship!

-I've never been on a cruise.

-How it makes you feel?

-It's different from other holidays.

-It's glamorous.

-You dress up a lot.

-Captain's Night is the

-most important evening of a cruise.

-You dress up in your best clothes.

-The Captain welcomes you

-in the ballroom...

-..and you have

-a champagne reception.

-You enter the ballroom,

-and everyone's dressed up.

-Everything sparkles -

-it's so impressive.

-I can see instantly

-this is a 1980s dress.

-Yes, this is my Princess Di dress.

-Yes, this is my Princess Di dress.

-

-Yes, she always wore this style.

-These dresses puff out

-and taper to a tight waist.

-I've worn this dress many times -

-and on a cruise.

-When I bought it,

-the sleeves came down...

-..and the feathers came down,

-like this.

-It had very long sleeves?

-It had very long sleeves?

-

-Yes. It was very dramatic.

-I was tired

-of dipping my sleeves in my soup!

-Feathers in the soup

-isn't glamorous!

-No, indeed,

-and that's why I had them cut off.

-How old is this dress?

-How old is this dress?

-

-About 30 years old.

-It hasn't dated one bit.

-I bought this dress in London.

-I've taken this

-on two or three cruises.

-It's comfortable.

-These sequins

-also make it very glamorous.

-It also has an elastic waist!

-It also has an elastic waist!

-

-When you eat course after course,

-it expands with you.

-Yes, exactly.

-I wish we could wear things

-like this to pop to the shop.

-Oh, it's wonderful to be a woman

-and wear dresses like this.

-Yes.

-Your wife loves pretty dresses.

-I'm happy

-because I get to try them on.

-Are you happy?

-Are you happy?

-

-Yes, I'm very happy.

-It's wonderful to see her dressed up

-and looking beautiful.

-Oh, you're a good husband.

-Oh, you're a good husband.

-

-She doesn't say that to me,

-but I believe you're correct!

-What does Eric think of the bags,

-jewellery, shoes and clothes?

-He's in for a shock!

-He hasn't seen half of it.

-He isn't interested, really.

-He doesn't notice

-when I do wear something new.

-Do you hide things under the bed?

-Do you hide things under the bed?

-

-Yes, in a few cupboards

-and in the attic.

-Attics are great!

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones