#Phryne's phabulous fashions

[hysydney]

Now you see it, now you see it again Pt 16: beret chic

La casquette, c'est bon pour les ouvriers, le chapeau, c'est pas pratique, tandis que le béret, c'est simple, c'est chic, c'est coquet !

(Caps are fine for workmen, hats are impractical, but the beret is simple, chic and stylish.)

So said French cinematographer, Pierre Prévert (1906 - 1988) of the beret. 

Imagine the beret and many might see a cliché, that of the national French accessory, beret-wearers on bicycles armed with baguettes or smocked artists. But the beret has a broader history, dating back centuries to Flemish artists, to the military around the world, and of some of their adversaries. Who cannot think of the iconic portrait of Argentinian revolutionary Che Guevara without visualising his beret?

Phryne’s beret is a classic French basque style, jet black woven silk with heavy ridging and stem which she wears throughout Series 1 and 2, day and night, sleuthing and socialising. 

In an interview published in the SMH (December 2013), in response to a question about her favourite outfits from the show, Essie Davis revealed her coveting of Miss Fisher’s cat burglar ensemble:

“Black top, black pants, black shoes, a black beret and a black velvet jacket and my Smith and Wesson pearl-handled pistol...”

[I didn’t realise how many times Phryne wears this beret, so this is incredibly long... and only recommended for the persistent or those suffering from insomnia.]

Season 1 Episode 5

In Raisins and Almonds the beret accessorises Phryne’s day wear and evening escapades. In what (I believe) is its first appearance, Phryne decides to return to the scene of a murder, a bookshop/library, to ascertain whether evidence lurks in the lending card catalogue.  Under the cover of darkness and in her black pants, jacket, beret and boots she finds a clue  - a frequently borrowed volume of Hansard.

But before she can search further she’s interrupted by someone else after the same volume, who runs off with it, armed and firing. Undaunted, Phryne gives chase across the rooftops, and the term cat burglar reaches its full significance as she crouches feline-like, ready to spring onto her opponent.

The black beret not only completes the camouflage for this late night break-in but reflects the traits that define Phryne’s character  - the stylish, fearless, revolutionary.

The beret returns by day  - as accessory to a classic black and white panelled coat.

And she wears it in a significant moment in the Ep with Jack. During her justification for Miss Lee’s innocence, there is a telling exchange which foreshadows a later one, Jack revealing for the first time something of his personal life, his estrangement from his wife and the impact of the war on their relationship.

Phryne: She wouldn't have killed him, Jack. She loved him. They were having an affair. 

Jack: He was married. 

Phryne: It happens.

Moving on to S1 Ep6, Ruddy Gore, Phryne is introduced to Lin, and, in homage to a developing relationship with the Chinese importer of silk, her outfits reflect the chinoiserie which inspired some of the fashion in the 1920s. 

In a scene which begins in Jack’s office ( P: Did you miss me?/J: I never get a chance to miss you. It feels as if you're in my office every second day) then follows with a return to the scene of the crime, the black beret complements a black and white silk chinoise jacket:

Jack is conflicted - he senses a growing attraction to Phryne as they collaborate more closely on the case, despite a restrained start. Lin acts as catalyst to some clarification of his feelings for Phryne.

Season 1 Episode 9

And in Queen of the Flowers, the beret completes a new outfit, another beautiful black and white floral silk chinoise bridge coat; there’s growing complement too in the relationship between Phryne and Jack in the investigation which sees exploitation of young girls by those closest to them. Both Phryne and Jack share a strong sense of social justice  - both agitators in their own domains.

Season 1 Episode 10

Murder by Miss Adventure sees the beret providing the finishing touch to an outfit of black silk pants and sheer beaded chiffon top with an antique autumnal-toned embroidered jacket.  She needs a stunning outfit given that in it she must not only investigate, 

but confront past and present demons, 

and ... flirt with Jack.

Season 2 Episode 1

Season 2 provides the catwalk for the beret to accompany Phryne on other assignations as it extends the cover of darkness.

As Phryne agilely scales the exterior walls of The Imperial Club (Murder Most Scandalous), being confronted by, then confronting Madame Lyon, the cat burglar outfit again provides concealment.  The mission involves attempting to find a box, locked in a strong room at The Imperial, containing incriminating evidence of Melbourne’s elite who frequent the gentleman’s club.

In Dead Man’s Chest (S2, Ep3), Phryne and Jack meet by moonlight at high tide by the wharf to see if they can witness connections between fishermen, murder and sly grog.

Jack: What took you so long? 

Phryne: (sighing) I was as quiet as a mouse. 

Jack: A mouse who wears French perfume. 

Phryne: I'll wear less next time. 

Jack: Is that the boat? 

Phryne: Yes, they're tying up now... Let's go and find a mouse hole. 

The gallant Jack insists on escorting P home... after they both make a splash, literally.

Jack: It's only right that I escort you home. 

Phryne: If you insist. 

Being suspended while in black beret seems to be a recurring motif for Phryne. In Murder à la Mode (S2, Ep5), she suspects that there is a link between a moonlighting seamstress and a murdered fashion house patron, so instigates some moonlighting of her own, a solo nocturnal inspection of the workroom. 

But she’s too late to prevent another murder, of the very seamstress herself, and our Miss Fisher must make a quick escape when she realises the murderer is still on the premises.

Jack: Is that who I think it is? 

Collins: Afraid so, sir. 

Phryne: Oh. Evening! 

Back at the station and back on solid ground, the investigation continues with Phryne’s contribution of evidence by the ummm... yard:

a bolt of fabric, a blood-spattered iron and “this orient pearl”.

Night wear accessory becomes day wear accessory, as Jack’s concern about Phryne’s guilt “of breaking into the salon, and the theft of one bolt of peacock and floral print cotton worth one hundred pounds” fades to insignificance. They work as a team both at the salon and in the interview room. 

Jack in fact is happy to let Phryne interrogate Renée Fleuri, while he has a bit of a lean.

Now you may think S2 Ep6 Marked for Murder is all about the scarf.  But no, there’s the ubiquitous beret competing for accessory acclaim in an episode where some hats are lucky! And there’s something about roses too.

In many people’s favourite episode S2 Ep11 Dead Air, the beret re-emerges teemed with the black and white panelled coat again - when you’re onto a good thing, stick to it.

(unless you’re under attack) 

And where would a conclusion be without our Jack, pistol (and hat) at the ready?

And finally... (yes yes, this is coming to an end)

Season 2 Episode12

Unnatural Habits provides one habit that isn’t unnatural  - wearing the beret for some scaling and sleuthing, this time a ship’s bow.  And what a stunning millinery moment it is:

And later, another nocturnal navigation of the Pandarus’ hold where young girls are being  held captive prior to trafficking:

Fiendish Fletcher almost brings the beret undone:

Luckily the valiant, the intrepid, the fearless, yes DI Jack Lightning Robinson defies orders to save the day (the night actually). 

At the station Phryne and the beret witness Jack’s consoling of his ex and Phryne can only contemplate what is, and what might be, 

before leaving, framed in a shot not dissimilar to that of Jack’s profile (in Ruddy Gore) as Lin escorts Phryne to dinner:

Season 3 Episode 3

Murder and Mozzarella provides further opportunity for stylish sleuthing.  The episode deals with restaurants and recipes, romance amidst rivalries, and Phryne and Jack must play their parts. Phryne investigates using the break-in with crochet hook method, in classic black including beret.

If only it was Jack rather than Guido who found her fascinating.

The black beret has lived in some interesting times.  May there be many more.

[hysydney]

Now you see it, now you see it again Pt 15:  silk screen

Phryne’s blouses reflect the explosion of colour and patterning that typified the 1920s with its art deco, geometric designs, and eastern and Egyptian influences. 

One of these blouses  has a cowl neck, the silk draped in soft folds at the front, petal sleeves, a set in waistband and intricate buttoning to the V-shaped back. The fabric’s pattern of olive and dark green-greys resembles polished jade or perhaps Egyptian debens, weights.

It first appears in Blood and Circuses. Phryne, Dot and Jane are clustered around the kitchen table, tasting the contents of a saucepan. There is harmony of colour both inside and out into the courtyard with gentle pinks, peaches , beige and creams, greens and khakis. It is a simple scene of domestic felicity.

The change of mood is sudden as Mr B announces the arrival of a visitor. Domestic delight is shattered immediately and a sombreness descends on the scene.

Mr B: Mr Samson to see you, Miss Fisher, from the circus.... Oh. Should I suggest he call another time? 

Phryne: No, no, I'll see him. 

Dot: Who is he? 

Phryne: He's... ..someone I knew a long time ago.

It is not the visitor himself who engenders alarm, as Samson is as gentle as he is gigantic, as mild as he is massive.

Samson’s presence evokes memories of things past for Phryne.  Of circuses and her sister, the ever-present sense of loss, of guilt, of desire to know what happened.  The earlier scene in the kitchen reflects Phryne’s happy memories of being with her sister at the circus before she disappeared, both colours and composition - Jane and Janey’s ribboned plaits, the sepia tones.

The conversation with Samson and his request for Phryne to assist with an investigation of a suspicious death at the circus, takes them first to the veranda of Wardlow where a bunch of lavender complements Phryne’s dark purple suit jacket worn over the blouse ...

Sam: But I hear you're in the business of solving crimes. 

Phryne: I'd like to help you, Samson, but I can't. I can't go back there.

Then to City South to engage Jack’s help on a case that Phryne does not believe she can take on.  This time the coat has matching hat and feather trim.

Jack remains to be convinced of the need for his interference, having already assigned the case to the ghastly Snr Sgt Grossmith.  

But wait! Could Jack’s tie be a match for Phryne’s blouse?

Phryne, Samson and the blouse head off to take on the case without Jack’s assistance (for the time being),

and Jack decides, nonetheless, to keep a closer eye on things in the background, and has a bit of a lean (on Grossmith).

Jack: Miss Fisher was just inquiring about the carnival murder.

G’smith: Yeah, it's all in hand.

Jack: Perhaps you could use some assistance. Constable Collins, you'll be working with Senior Sergeant Grossmith.

But that’s not the end of the beautiful blouse. As Phryne decides to go undercover under the big top, we see the blouse being slowly transformed.

Phryne: Anything with feathers, fur or fins, Dot! Bring it all! 

Dot: Why the disguise, Miss? 

Phryne: Circus people are a very suspicious lot. They're not likely to tell the truth to an outsider.

The shadow of Janey’s disappearance, abduction and murder by Murdoch Foyle is a constant throughout the series. In this episode, the circus recreates the events that Phryne reveals to Samson are “never far from my mind.”  Murdoch Foyle himself lurks with intent:

And what of our Jack and his lack of interest in the case? Well, of course, he soon realises Grossmith’s duplicitous conduct, and it is he to whom Phryne reveals her guilt, in a scene as poignantly telling as it is tragic:

Phryne: It was too late. 

Jack: You were just a child. 

Phryne: It was my fault. 

Jack: No. No, I can't agree. I dismiss the charges. 

Phryne: You can't. I lost her, Jack. I lost her.

Now I know there’s a very similar blouse in Death Comes Knocking, but forensic examination has revealed it’s not the same  - similar silk chiffon fabric, but the sleeves, colour and fabric pattern are different.... So there goes that line of symmetry.

But there is another sighting...

The blouse’s second appearance is in King Memses’ Curse, as Foyle’s full narrative unfolds - his actions are the result of self-obsession and a self-proclaimed transcendence requiring sacrifices, Janey’s and Phryne’s among them.

Phryne wears the blouse with her detective trench coat throughout its occurrence in this episode.  We see it on her second visit to an academic, a former student of Foyle’s, who has agreed to help decipher the meaning of a ring and some inscriptions on two Egyptian debens, weights found on murder victims. Unbeknown to her, Rhodes is collaborating with Foyle and leading Phryne into a well-planned trap.

Rhodes’ cravat bears an uncanny similarity to the tones of the blouse, as do the decor and artefacts of his office.  The setting is harmonious rather than sinister reflecting Phryne’s ignorance of Rhodes’ complicity.

Phryne: So what's the significance of the ring? 

Rhodes: Well, Egyptians believed if your name was written down, it identified you and assured your ascendance to the afterlife. 

Phryne: And the four goddesses protected you? 

Rhodes: Yes. Yes, most sarcophagi have the four goddesses wrapping their wings around each corner to protect the soul on its journey. And I have those translations for you. They're just notes, phrases. The first one means 'to dedicate'. And the simplest translation of the second deben is 'the girl child'. 

Phryne: To dedicate the girl child. So that's what he thinks he's been doing. 

Rhodes: Girl child, or possibly daughter.

The horrible truth then comes to her as she understands the danger in which she has left Jane at home, despite a protection squad. Still unsuspecting of Rhodes’ involvement:

Phryne: Would you mind if I use your telephone?

Once she is at home the danger is immediately realised; a household drugged, Jane missing.

She goes straight to Jack and the differences in their demeanour and character are marked in their exchange; Jack composure and reason, Phryne desperation, the horror of history repeating itself leaving her in anguish and despair:

Jack: Alright. Let’s go through the facts calmly.

Phryne: How can I be calm when the fact is we haven’t the faintest idea where Foyle’s taken her!

(NP: I wanted to give my Jack a stillness and gravitas to counter the whirlwind climate that Phryne naturally creates around her. For me, it was important for him not to be thrown or dazzled by that atmosphere and to be the stillness in that storm.)

But they scarcely have time to consider where Foyle may have taken Jane when another tragedy reveals itself. Theresa Cavalli, another former student and also former lover of Foyle’s, is found, literally, on the sacrificial alter at the local church. (Father O’Leary must eventually question Dot’s association with his parish! It is littered with corpses...)

The colours of the mosaic floors and the vaulted transept seem too to reflect the tones of Phryne’s outfit; harmony amidst chaos.

From the church back to City South, where Phryne sees the extent of the forensic attention Jack has been giving the case.  And more sepia tones backgrounding their exchanges.

Their dates of birth link Foyle’s victims, and  Foyle himself. And then Phryne too.

Phryne: My father was drunk when he registered Janey's birth, and he put the wrong date on the certificate. It should have been me Foyle took instead of Janey. It's my birthday, Jack. Midsummer's Eve, same as the others. I'm Foyle's fourth goddess. That's why he's after me. 

Jack: So all he needs now for his ascension into the afterlife is you.

Jack takes drastic action to ensure the maelstrom of Phryne’s reaction doesn’t harm her or those she loves.

Phryne: Foyle can have me, if he lets Jane go. 

Jack: You can't go and offer yourself. 

Phryne: Rhodes is the last one on Foyle's list, and he has the ring. I need to go back there. 

Jack: I won't let you. You're under arrest... For your own safety. 

Shadows and bars, so often the image of those Phryne defends, imprison her. But it is short-lived; Dot, conspiring with Hugh, releases her and she is drawn further into Foyle’s game plan.

Jack retraces Phryne’s steps from earlier that afternoon, to Rhodes’ office, its decor now quietly ominous:

Rhodes: Inspector. Come in. 

Jack: Thank you. 

Rhodes: I heard about Mr Monkton and Mr Waters. Terrible news. 

Jack: And Miss Cavalli's body was found earlier today. She was strangled. 

Rhodes: Oh. No. I'd hoped she was somewhere safe from him. 

Jack: She had a ring that Foyle was after. I believe Miss Fisher left it with you. 

Rhodes: Yes. A rare artefact from the Fifth Dynasty. The reign of King Memses. 

Jack: Given it's part of our investigation, we'll have to take it into police custody. 

Rhodes: Yes, of course. Miss Fisher left in a hurry, but I kept it safe for her, with the rest of the antiquities collection. Downstairs.

Phryne’s final visit too, seems to be shrouded in menace. There are eyes everywhere.

The camera provides a close-up of a statue of Anubis, the jackal god, god of the dead, watched over the process of mummifying people when they died.

Phryne is lead, inevitably, irrevocably, to Foyle.

Foyle: Well done, Phryne Fisher. Did you like my trail of crumbs? You can kill me now, but you'll never see your daughter or policeman alive. My fourth goddess.

When we drink from these sacred cups, you and I will leave this mortal life in peace and full knowledge. First you, Miss Fisher. Your limbs will grow heavy but your mind will calm. And I will help you cross over to the other side as swiftly as I can... And you too will lie beside your sister, for all time.

Jack and Jane combine forces to release themselves from entombment just in time to foil Foyle, and catch the flagging Phryne, semi-conscious from Foyle’s toxic draught.

So that’s it for the blouse, as we next see Phryne recovered and ready to host her birthday party in one of the most ravishing of gowns.

And as Phryne prepares to celebrate her birthday party, Jack slips into something more comfortable  - a lean, a matching tie and a glass of champers.

[hysydney]

Now you see it, now you see it again Pt 14: A coat tale

Coats of the late 1920s tended to be simpler than the outfits worn underneath. They typically closed with just a single, large button or extravagant, feature tab and buckle, wrapped and fastened to one side. They had few decorations; trim was usually narrow side panels, sometimes with cording, self-fabric trim, or embroidery on the sides or back. Many had fur shawl collars. Belts were not required and were optional as an ornamental feature that usually did not go all the way around the coat. 

Phryne wears a black and white woven cheviot wool coat, with white panel inserts at the sides and back, as well as from elbow to cuff, accessorised with black and/or white. It makes appearances in both Series 1 and 2.

And what a tale this coat could tell.

In Raisins and Almonds a complex plot involves allegiances - adherence to causes and family relationships that are tested. Marriage is scrutinised from the perspective of those honouring the commitment despite physical and emotional distance.

Phryne is investigating the death of a young man, Saul Michaels, a supporter of the Zionist cause. She, with Simon Abrahams, visits Josi Stein, a fellow Zionist, at the Kadimah to learn the meaning of a hand-written classical Hebrew note on a page from a text, which might offer a clue to the mysterious death.  We see the coat, accessorised with black and white down to the shoes, including a rather extraordinary brooch of  yarn and miniature knitting needles:

Josi Stein has little interest in helping Phryne investigate his friend’s death and is more interested in keeping the document than providing a translation.

Phryne: Mr Stein, I've unearthed some evidence that may explain your friend's death, but I need help to understand it. 

Josi: ... Saul was a student of Kabbalah, religious philosophical teachings. It may be from one of his books. That is all I know. 

Phryne: And this handwritten annotation, do you know what that means? It looks like Old Hebrew. 

Josi: Perhaps I could translate, but I would need to refer to some texts. If I can study it... 

Phryne doesn’t fall for that ruse and takes herself to the dead man’s rooms above the shoe shop.  Whilst an apprentice to Chaim Abrahams the cobbler, the victim was also a student, so the room is part bedroom, part study, part chemistry lab.  The coat contrasts the bright yellow walls of the bed-sit as Phryne begins to see that there may be a link between the Hebrew text, the lab and the young man’s death.

But the discovery of something far more rudimentary in the room leads to a more immediate clue...

and a consequent confrontation with Miss Leigh, to this point the chief suspect in the case. 

Phryne: Were you having a dalliance with Saul? 

Miss Leigh: That is none of your business. 

Phryne: For goodness sake, woman, I'm trying to save you from the gallows! 

We see the bars of the cell shadowing the wall and across Phryne’s coat as Miss Leigh admits to being Saul’s lover, despite the fact that she knew he would return to his wife overseas once he was able.

Miss Leigh: Saul had more to lose than I. He had a wife in Poland. They married at 16, but when he left, she promised that she would wait for him until they could be together in the Holy Land.

And a seque  - to the coat, Phryne and our Jack as Miss Leigh’s circumstances, and Phryne’s urging of her innocence, lead ultimately to Jack’s own revelations. First, his knowledge of Science.

Jack: I doubt my Ancient Hebrew will impress you, but I studied enough science to recognise those symbols. This is the symbol for lead and the symbol for gold. He who could turn lead into gold could cure all disease and make men immortal, theoretically. But how does it help Miss Leigh? 

Phryne: She wouldn't have killed him, Jack. She loved him. They were having an affair. 

Jack: He was married. 

Phryne: It happens. 

Jack: Well, there's your motive. Miss Leigh wouldn't be the first woman to kill in a jealous rage. 

Phryne: Miss Leigh doesn't seem the type to rage. 

Then Phryne and the coat go off to find the translation of the annotation.

Phryne: I need your help with my investigations, Mr Abrahams. I understand that you can translate from Old Hebrew...

Mr B Abrahams:  This is mystical nonsense. 

Phryne: But it was important to Saul, and I suspect it has something to do with his death. 

Mr B Abrahams: Show me. 'The invisible will become visible only through flames.' 

The man of honour is able to reveal the significance of the ‘mystical nonsense', 

and whilst contemplating what to write to the distant widow, the most intimate of his reveals is divulged:

Jack: I went to war a newlywed. 

Phryne: But you came home. 

Jack: Not the man my wife married... 16 years ago. 

Phryne: War will do that to you. 

Jack: My wife's been living with her sister for some time now. But a marriage is still a marriage, Miss Fisher. 

Phryne: Especially to a man of honour.

(I know, I know, she wasn’t actually wearing the coat in the last two pics but I just couldn’t stop myself it was required for context.)

And so to a favourite Ep for many of us: Dead Air.  

The coat appropriately reappears in an episode where Phryne’s outfits reflect the glamour of the radio stars of the 1920s.  Teemed again with the black French ‘cat-burglar’ beret, she also wears black gloves, and the coat supports a large cream cameo brooch to the lapel.

The radio station airs a popular series called The Polkinghorns with the main characters played by Jimmy and Hazel Creswick, her role winning Hazel an award.  

Playing parts is a motif throughout - Jack plays Archie, Phryne  plays a role or two, and Jimmy who plays Maurice Polkinghorn is really Harry. Uncovering who’s really who is critical to solving the murder.

It’s late in the ep that Phryne goes back to the radio station to flush out the killer by playing an old recording of a program associated with a past murder.  Sleazy Clarry continues to try his luck:

Phryne: Could you play this next? Special request. 

Clarry: Do I get one in return? 

Phryne: Save your breath, Clarry. Your charms are lost on me.

The recording of Twilight Melodies reveals Jimmy Creswick’s true identity, that of the former Harry Redpath, who is forced to show his hand (holding a gun).

Phryne: Louisa found you out, didn't she, Harry? Remembered your voice from her time in Perth... You dragged her body outside. Clarence couldn't hear any of it. Then you continued on to the awards night as if nothing had happened, and poor old Dodger saw it all. You realised he witnessed the murder, so you killed him too. 

Jimmy/Harry: You're not moving until Hazel walks through that door. She defied me, and if I can't have her, no-one will. I will kill her. And I'll kill you too, Miss Fisher.

Phryne manages to clobber Jimmy/Harry and Jack arrives to make the arrest, his transformation from Archie back to DI complete.

And some teasing from Phryne:

Jack: Miss Fisher? 

Phryne: Hope you enjoyed the show, Jack. 

Jack: Constable, get him up. Harry Redpath, you're under arrest for the murders of Guinevere Redpath, Louisa Singleton and John Lockhart. And the attempted murder of Hazel Creswick. 

Phryne: You took your time.

And so ends this coat’s tale, although the episode concludes with Phryne wearing a  stunningly sensuous evening gown that reflects the colours of the coat.  (And I need any excuse or feeble link to post that duet...).  It is chiffon and lace heavily sequinned and beaded with black and white pearls in intricate floral and fleurs de lys patterns. It swings and sways as she sashays into the room where Jack is at the piano.

Phryne and Jack celebrate a successful outcome (and an engagement) with a tinkle on the ivories while they plan their next move:

♪ We're all alone, no chaperone ♪ ♪ Can get our number ♪ ♪ The world's in slumber ♪ ♪ Let's misbehave ♪

♪There's something wild about you, child ♪ ♪ That's so contagious ♪ ♪ Let's be outrageous ♪ ♪ Let's misbehave ♪

♪ You know my heart is true ♪ ♪ And you say you for me care ♪ ♪ Somebody's sure to tell ♪ ♪ But what the heck do we care? ♪

♪ They say that bears have love affairs and even camels ♪ ♪ We're merely mammals ♪ ♪ Let's misbehave ♪ ♪ We're merely mammals ♪ ♪ Let's misbehave ♪

[hysydney]

At home with Phryne Fisher: now you see it, now you see it again Pt 13

“Marion had the silk cardigan fabric and when she started designing for Phryne this was the first time she wanted to cut it up.” 

(MFMM Costume Exhibition catalogue, 2014)  

Phryne’s beautiful, soft silk knit long line cardigan is for ‘at home'. She wears it over cream silk faille pants or raw silk skirt together with cream silk blouses of various necklines and collars -  tie, mandarin, v-neck, round, roll, cowl and boat necks. She accessorises it with a long scarf with gold thread that follows the line of the cardigan, or a green silk chiffon brooch. Phryne looks relaxed and casual but elegant and stylish to entertain, and interrogate!

Right from the first episode, home sitting rooms double as investigation rooms. In Series 1 Episode 1 Cocaine Blues, headache powders are suspected of being laced with cocaine  - Phryne confirms the doctor’s opinion.

Phryne: Definitely cocaine.

Mac: I'm the doctor.

Phryne: Just to make sure.

Jack learns early on that he needs to find a place in the St Kilda incident rooms if his cases are to run smoothly. In Murder on the Ballarat Train an offer of tea precedes an offer of evidence.  This time a green ‘sea anemone’ silk chiffon brooch augments the outfit.

Phryne: Morning, Inspector. I was just on my way to see you. 

Jack: To explain yourself, I hope. 

Phryne: Tea? 

Jack: I can't believe your hide. Appropriating a child who should have been in the care of the state. 

Phryne: State care? You know what those places are like. And if that woman was Jane's aunt, I'll eat my cloche. The poor child clearly loathed her. 

Jack: None of this explains how that 'poor child' came to be in possession of Mrs Henderson's jewels, or what she had to do with the murder. 

Phryne: It's lucky for you I convinced Jane she should speak with you. Come in, Jane!

And from her own home to another’s in The Green Mill Murder, the cream and gold accessories blend seamlessly with the Freeman’s decor.  The Freemans are a family in crisis - societal prejudice and family secrets lead to confrontation and tension as Phryne finds ways to solve and absolve.

Death By Miss Adventure supports a similar theme of bigotry as the episode reopens wounds for Phryne with the reappearance of Murdoch Foyle, and Mac hides her own wounds  - ironic for a doctor.  Mac finds it difficult to open up to her closest friend, even in the comfort of her parlour.

Aunt P voices society’s intolerance of difference in a visit to Phryne’s home to warn her of the hospital board’s view of Dr Mac’s ‘unconventional activities’. The setting and Phryne’s outfit are in parallel for both conversations.

Narrow views of women’s place in society, with car racing as a metaphor, provoke reactions from Phryne in Blood at the Wheel. Her parlour and the cream outfit with green sea anemone silk chiffon brooch, play host to meetings with two men, one immediately after the other, Lachlan Pepper from the VAA and Jack.

Pepper comes to Phryne’s home to ensure she cannot race in place of Gerty Haynes. He dismisses suggestions of race fixing, is offhand at the mention of past attachments and perfunctory in his manner.

Pepper: You women are all the same. 

Phryne: I'm quite sure we aren't. 

Pepper: Ah, no, your threats are wasted on me, Miss Fisher. Your driving offences are on the record. My hands are tied... Good evening to you too, Miss Fisher.

Wheels within wheels as the confrontation with Pepper is immediately followed by a quieter dissonance between Phryne and Jack.   At this point Jack is unable to express the depth of his feelings for her, and she is so distracted by the case that she misreads the reasons for his dark mood and disquiet. 

Phryne: Did you follow up on Antony's story? 

Jack: The girl can't be found, but the manager of the York Street Hotel thinks Mr Rose checked in. 

Phryne: Hardly watertight. 

Jack: No, but I can't question him again without further evidence. 

Phryne: But you could question our friend Pepper. See what comes to light. 

Jack: I intend to. I'll see myself out. 

And so ends one of the most devastating scenes in the show (IMHO).

Thank goodness the cardigan makes another appearance and I don’t have to end the post at this point.  Dead Air has the cardigan and cream accessories playing host in Phryne’s parlour to interviews and evidence sharing again. 

First to the all-too-helpful Jimmy Creswick:

Phryne: While you're here, I would like a quiet word about Louisa. 

Creswick: Of course.

And then to Jack/Archie.  Here again we have mirroring of setting and outfits as in Miss Adventure and Wheel, but on this occasion the chord struck between Phryne and 'Archie’ is anything but dissonant.

Jack: Who told Hazel Creswick I should diversify into singing? 

Phryne: I'm not sure, but it certainly is a wonderful suggestion. 

Jack: I'm glad my feeble undercover attempt provides you with amusement. 

Phryne: I look for joy in all the dark places, Archie. 

I think Archie quite likes the thought of the dark places.  

Don’t we all!

[hysydney]

Phryne’s chinoiserie chic by day 

and by night…

[hysydney]

Now you see it, now you see it again Pt 12: Stole the show!

Fur as an accessory has been a symbol of lineage, rank, class and prosperity for centuries.  In the early 1900s French fashion designers such as Madame Paquin and Paul Poiret introduced elegant fur garments into their regular collections, having developed methods of treating it so that it was soft and comfortable to wear. Fur markets to support the fashion industry reached their peak in the 1920s and 30s, with the most expensive furs being sable, ermine, mink and fox.  Fox became the fur de rigueur with the glamorous film stars preferring white and grey fox coats.

Paul Poiret, followed by other designers, introduced fur stoles to his collection in 1917 and they remained popular for the large part of the century.  These pieces were thrown or draped over the shoulders so that the evening wear underneath could be glimpsed and appreciated.

Phryne wears the magnificent white fur stole with cream silk lining in several episodes of Series 1 and 2.

Its first appearance is at the opening of Death at Victoria Dock as an accessory with white felt cloche and grey silk detail to silk pants and blouse.  Phryne has an assignation with Gerald Waddington, dock owner, whose daughter has run away.  And Mr Waddington has other trouble too, with his workers on strike. The Hon Phryne Fisher needs to drive through a picket line to have her meeting.

The white of the stole and cloche, like the headlights of the Hispano, pierce the gloominess of waterfront, warehouses and workers.

Waddington: Think they're gonna intimidate me into breaking, but they won't win. 

Phryne: You didn't mention the job involved breaching a picket line. 

Waddington: And your aunt didn't mention that you were a commo. I've been told you dabble in sorting out... delicate domestic matters. My daughter, Lila. She's missing, and, uh, I need you to find her and bring her back with as little fuss as possible. 

Phryne: Do you think her disappearance could have something to do with your current troubles? 

Again, the white of the stole parallels the light of lamps in illuminating the dim office.

Evening mists surround the circumstances and their backdrop, presaging the gun shots and death that ensue.  The scene is set for a rather intricate plot that involves murder, anarchy and opposition, and familial frictions and secrets.

The contrast between Phryne’s white ensemble and the dark environment is what first ensures the stole illuminates the early scenes.  But it is the juxtaposition of the white of silk and fur and the blood red of the victim that is most poignant.

Phryne is too emotionally affected by Yourka’s death and her failure to be of assistance to him, for her to be aware of Hugh’s discomfort in her need to remove her bloodied clothes.

Hugh uses the stole as a screen, Phryne then comforts herself in it.

At home, and exhausted, Phryne is confronted by her Aunt Pru who sees nothing extraordinary in Phryne’s bloody hands, her state of undress, or her mood.  She has only concerns for own reputation and Jane’s apparent anti-social behaviour at school. Phryne has little will or emotional energy to engage.

The conversation though, thematically links three daughters with family difficulties - Jane, Lila Waddington and Nina Aliyena.

Phryne’s bath alleviates her distress to some extent but stimulates the resurfacing of images of the war, and we learn that Phryne suffers traumatic memories of her service. The blood of the victim, Yourka, and his plea clutching Phryne’s hand to pass on the red jewellery box to Nina, evoke similar circumstances on the Western Front, the same colour palette providing a visual link for the viewer.

Dot scoops up the stole along with the rest of the clothes to have the vestiges of the blood the dying Yourka expunged, even if the memories cannot be.

The stole reappears in Episode 2 of Series 2, Death Comes Knocking when Phryne comforts her cousin Freddy in the garden of her home. The white stole, the white piping of her blouse, the white pearl flower-shaped drop of her earrings pick up the white roses of her garden as Freddy contemplates the  joy inspired by a flower:

Freddy: But I can't help but feeling there's some hideous truth lurking in a dark corner of my mind. We're both home now. 

Phryne: We're safe. 

Freddy: Yes. I, uh... never appreciated flowers until France. It's amazing how a single stunted wildflower, struggling for survival in a battlefield of mud, can touch what's left of one's heart.

In Episode 4, Deadweight the stole is teemed first with the white felt hat with bronze flower motifs and pearl beading; later re-accessorised for evening. Here she slips it over a shoulder and arm to visit the morgue (as you do) to see what Dr Mac’s post mortem examinations have revealed.

Luckily, Jack makes an appearance at the morgue with the stole, and here’s a pic to prove it. (Phew, was starting to think that he might have had some kind of aversion to fur stoles after the earlier eps.)

The morgue encounter identifies the deadman’s brain as having been that of a boxer, so it’s to a bout of boxing that Phryne, the stole and Dot must repair to investigate the relationship between boxing, betting syndicates, boy gangs and butchery. 

Phryne doesn’t appear to feel the least over-dressed.

She wears the stole over a rather magnificent evening gown of lace heavily decorated with gold and silver sequins and bugle beads in floral motifs over a gold slip, with a silver and crystal headpiece and a stunning wound gold armband.

Phryne’s sleuthing around the big top identifies some match-fixing arrangements...

and an encounter with someone purporting to have some gifts to bear ...

Giorgos: Are you enjoying yourself? We will have a drink, after. 

Phryne: Lovely. Call on me later.

(Jack had already sussed him out as all talk, no action.)

What with weighted boxing gloves and police presence, Hugh steps into the ring instead of his young mentor to ensure a fair fight and to appease a baying crowd.

Collective breaths are held...

but Hugh comes up trumps much to everyone’s delight (except all the people who had bet on the big bloke from the Woolpackers). 

Even Jack gives Hugh a fatherly gesture of congratulations.

But there’s more investigation for Jack, Phryne and the stole, both at the station:

and in a return to the big top.  Mothers and sons - 

Phryne: A mother needs to protect her child, but only another mother knows how far she would go. 

So ends the episode as far as the fur stole is concerned. But I do feel I need to just remind everyone that Giorgos ends up being more  muscle than mojo, whereas our Jack is proven, once again, to be a man who keeps his promises.

Mr Butler: Pardon, Miss. If you're feeling up to it, the Inspector is downstairs. 

Phryne: Yes! Tell him I'll be down immediately. 

Jack: Miss Fisher. I believe I owe you a ride on the great scenic railway. 

Phryne: So Wallet means...? 

Jack: Possum. You win. 

Phryne: Oh! How can I resist a man who pays his debts? 

Jack: I wouldn't bother with the hat.

So he, Phryne and a mini version of the stole head off on a date. (Stole her heart maybe?)

[hysydney]

Now you see it, now you see it again 

Pt 11  - Carte blanche

“Women think of all colours except the absence of colour. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony.” ― Coco Chanel

Phryne’s white textured wool crepe overcoat makes several appearances in Series 1 and 2.  The single-breasted coat flares slightly from the waist giving it movement, the oversized fur shawl collar oozing the luxury and style we associate with Phryne Fisher.  She wears it both with a white felt cloche and a leopard print with feather detail, and white, pale yellow and/or black accessories.

It first appears in The Green Mill Murder (S1, Ep3) in the  ‘who dunnit’ reveal at City South towards the end of the episode.  The coat contrasts the night club barely-there evening wear of sleek black fringing and sparkling rhinestones.  It is warm and elegant and appropriately formal for an interview:

Phryne reveals the modus operandi first to an impressed Jack:

Phryne: See, he’s made modifications here and here. 

Jack: I don’t know who has the more fanciful imagination… Rogers for coming up with it, or you for working it out. 

Phryne: Jack! Me, obviously.

then nails the perpetrator, Rogers:

Case closed.

In the next episode, Death at Victoria Dock, the coat reappears with black and white accessories, mirroring the surrounds not only of the convent hallways and tiled floors, but the inhabitants themselves:

In Raisins and Almonds S1 Ep5, Phryne wears the coat and hat as she tracks down the relationship between a cottage garden and a deadly poison.  The coat with its soft trim and felt cloche blend with the pastel flowers and the painted backdrop of the terrace house.

The outfit is part of the reveal of this episode too:

 - as Phryne reveals a little more of herself to Jack:

- and Jack reveals a little of himself to Phryne:

Jack: I went to war a newlywed. 

Phryne: But you came home. 

Jack: Not the man my wife married… 16 years ago. 

Phryne: War will do that to you. 

Jack: My wife’s been living with her sister for some time now. But a marriage is still a marriage, Miss Fisher. 

Phryne: Especially to a man of honour.

In S1 Ep7, Murder in Montparnasse, the personal intrudes but this time it is Phryne who must divulge something of her life. She wears the white hat and coat as she insinuates her way into an investigation of a motor vehicle accident that ultimately leads to memories of a very  painful episode in her past.

Her light-hearted response to Hugh’s recreation of the scene of the crime has Jack too letting down his usual reserved guard.

The following scene shows the pair maintaining comfortable rapport.

As in Green Mill, the white coat provides a stark contrast to the later scene in the restaurant where Phryne wears all black, perhaps a symbol of the darkness of the abusive past relationship - and Jack and Phryne’s rapprochement continues…

Flowers and revelations recur when Phryne wears the outfit in Queen of the Flowers, S1 Ep9.

Jane’s mother reveals her presence, with devastating impact on both the surrogate mother and Jane:

The image above shows the detail on the cloche, bronze floral motifs with hand-painted beading, so appropriate for episodes with flowers as thematic trope.

Phryne wears the outfit to her appointment in the hall where the flower maidens are preparing for their festival performance, and we see the line and fall of the coat.  But not for long.

Phryne removes hat, coat and gloves to ensure the girls in her care are better prepared to face an, at times, hostile world than finishing lessons can provide:

Phryne: And I wish I could have taught Kitty something more useful than dancing or deportment or etiquette. …Take your coats off, ladies, and I’ll show you. 

Jack too appreciates what she shows them:

Then on to Season 2, Episode 8, The Blood of Juana the Mad. 

Phryne wears the coat with the leopard print cloche and feather corded detail, and black accessories - gloves, bag and shoes. Her outfit here appears too, to pay homage to the surrounds and the dress regulations of those within the medical faculty.

Her estrangement from Jack is most marked at the beginning of the episode with some settings foreshadowing a later resumption of more harmonious relations.

Their exchange highlights the tension between the two - Jack determined to separate himself both personally and professionally from Phryne as he realises he can no longer isolate each of the two facets of their relationship; Phryne on the other hand believes they can and should.

Jack: I know Dr MacMillan is an old friend, but it would be easier if you left me to investigate. 

Phryne: Without me? What about the safe? You couldn’t have opened that without me. 

Jack: Not as easily. 

Phryne: Or the blood trail. 

Jack: Not as quickly. 

Phryne: What about Hugh? I helped him to… 

Jack: Helped what? 

Phryne: Do you really want me to go? 

Jack: I don’t want you to go. I need you to go. Please go home. 

Phryne: Very well. Sayonara. 

Phryne, in profile and framed by pillars, provides the third figure in the stained glass panelling after Jack’s exit.

Fortunately the episode ends with them in tandem -  so to speak - on a motorbike, and there’s more talk of what the future might hold:

Jack: I think we’re more of a waltz, Miss Fisher. 

Phryne: Not a tango? A good waltz is slow, and close. 

Jack: I’ll try to stay in step, all the same.

And that’s the last of the beautiful white coat although the colour, style and trim may well be a  presage of another scene or two with another white coat… but that would be another post!

[hysydney]

Now you see it, now you see it again

Pt 9: …of mists and mellow fruitfulness

Fabrics for women’s clothes became elaborate during the ‘20s. With the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb in the early part of the decade, enthusiasm for Egyptian art influenced  patterns on fabrics, and the use of beading, sequins and crystals.  Accessories reflected the impact of egyptology as well, such as snake bracelets worn on the upper arm. The growing awareness too of Chinese and Japanese culture was reflected in fashion, with kimono inspired stylings, prolific use of colour, and embroidered silks (note to self - chinoiserie coat next).

Phryne wears the autumnal-toned jacket in several episodes over the first two seasons. It has both Egyptian and Japanese influences and is distinctly of the era. 

For Essie Davis, it was one of her favourite Phryne Fisher pieces:

Another one of my favourite costumes is what I wore on the very first day of filming - to meet Murdoch Foyle (Phryne’s younger sister’s murderer) in jail. It was black silk pants with a little black top in sheer black chiffon with beading and a fantastic antique short-sleeved jacket in an orange, gold and black design that reminds me of a Margaret Preston painting.  I’ve worn it on a few occasions through both series, right up to the Christmas episode...

Some deco wallpaper on either side of the autumnal jacket echoing the influences of the time:

The jacket is a black kimono-style, worn open, with wonderfully wide short, bell-shaped sleeves. Heavily embellished with gold, silver and bronze brocade and metallic thread work, it has bold scallop and papyrus motifs, and is lined with pale green silk.  Phryne wears it with black pants and sheer black blouse, jet beads and green or onyx drop earrings, and black beret when outdoors. 

Anything with such autumnal colours summons images of the most anthologised poem (so I read) in the English language - Keats’ To Autumn.

Keats’ autumn is a time of late warmth and plenty, despite its hovering on the threshold of winter’s desolation.  

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; 

It celebrates the beauty of shortening days, of late blooms, of brown fields, of the last lingering touches of the sun before everyone retreats to their fires and hot toddies.  Autumn is not, according to Keats, a time to think bitterly on the passing of time but to the seasonal cycle which softens the edges of winter’s approach. In time, spring will come again, the fields will grow again, and the birdsong will return. There is acceptance of progress and change.

Phryne’s jacket not only acknowledges distinctly autumnal tones, but the episodes in which it features reflect Keats’ theme of valuing letting go and looking forward.

The jacket makes its first appearance in Death by Miss Adventure (S1 Ep10) when Phryne is at home, in the midst of investigating a gruesome murder at a local factory.  She breezes into the kitchen where she receives the morning’s mail.

Her mood changes dramatically as she reads the letter from Murdoch Foyle, something she does in the privacy of her boudoir.

’Miss Fisher, I realise you have taken steps to ensure I remain at His Majesty’s pleasure indefinitely. We did not end our last meeting on the best of terms, but I write in the hope that you will agree to meet with me. You want the truth, above all else, and I want my freedom. So I have a proposition that may be of mutual advantage. 

Yours, Murdoch Foyle.’ Phryne blames herself for Janey’s disappearance, seeing only endless winter in the circumstances surrounding it, unless she can make a deal with Murdoch Foyle to understand what happened. 

When Keats thinks about the flowers of spring and summer, he’s thinking about the seeds that are being dropped to bloom next year, and not what happened last year. 

And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells With a sweet kernel; to set budding more, And still more, later flowers for the bees …

Phryne has an incredible ability to mask her feelings, to disguise pain, to turn around and behave divergently.  Superficially, to those around her, there has been no painful reminder of the past that continues to gnaw at the core of her being. And this is how she behaves immediately after reading Foyle’s proposal. She dons beret and sunglasses and heads back to the murder scene, where she engages in light banter with Jack.  He discourages her involvement in the case, she doesn’t share her placement of Dot inside the factory.

Jack: You again, Miss Fisher. What are you doing here? 

Phryne: I was just passing. 

Jack: I see the threat of a trespass charge hasn’t discouraged you. 

Phryne: If I were easily discouraged, you would have frightened me off on our first crime scene. 

Jack: OUR first crime scene? Correct me if I’m wrong, but you agreed to leave this one to the police. 

Phryne: You’re never wrong, Inspector. Just a little behind the times. Roderick Gaskin won’t be pursuing this complaint. 

Jack: Ah! If you’re good, I’ll keep you informed. 

Phryne: Give my regards to the tea lady.

Her parting comment gives us a gorgeous view of the jacket and accessories.

The death at the factory has both professional and personal connections for Mac. Whilst she shares the professional, she doesn’t share the personal.  This complicates the conversation Jack and Phryne have with her later.

Delicious pairing of autumnal colours, non?

And this is despite Phryne’s sharing her receipt of Murdoch Foyle’s letter with her friend. The external setting for this conversation provides a beautiful contrast to the autumnal colours of the coat - autumn and the anticipation of new growth, new greenery. Keats would approve.

Phryne: Murdoch Foyle wrote to me. 

Mac: Why? Has he confessed? 

Phryne: No. But he has a proposition. He wants me to visit him at the jail. 

Mac: Tell me you’re not going. 

Phryne: Perhaps he wants to tell the truth about what happened to Janey. 

Mac: Or perhaps he’s just toying with you. The man is evil. You’ve made sure he’s locked up. Now just forget he ever existed. Stay away from him, Phryne. Mac advises her, like Keats, to look forward rather than back.  

This is a time too where Mac could have shared her own anguish with Phryne as her oldest friend, that she has lost a lover in Daisy Murphy, not only a patient at the factory. But she doesn’t. Despite her advice to Phryne in relation to Foyle, she harbours her own wintery discontent.  

Phryne remains in her autumnal outfit to confront Foyle, torn between the advice from Mac to move on, and from Mr Butler to persevere.  

Foyle sees opportunity, expressed in Keatsian terms, as the prospect of future summers:

Foyle: Tell me, what kind of evening is it?

Phryne: One that you’ll never see.

Foyle: Well, that’s where you’re wrong. I think you might be prepared to help me see the sunshine again.

Phryne is rent.  She wants resolution, she wants the knowledge that only Foyle can provide, but she wants justice too - justice for her sister, absolution for the guilt she unjustifiably feels.

Foyle lays down his terms making his bargain in relation to the passage of time and human mortality.

Foyle: My time is precious, Miss Fisher. We both have something the other desires. What if I told you what happened to your sister? … Ohh. I do have something you want after all. 

Phryne: What would that cost?

Foyle: My freedom. You rescind your objection to my parole and I will tell you everything.

Phryne: You’d come straight back here.

Foyle: Not if I’m innocent.

Phryne: There’s only one way out of here for you. Confess what you did to my sister and hang for it. Otherwise, stay here and rot in hell.

Foyle: My day of resurrection will come, Phryne Fisher, whether you help me or not. 

Stalemate. And a hint of what’s to come. Foyle then fades into the mists of the prison as Phryne moves onwards, outwards, to the sunshine.

And just to complete the seasonal cycle in this episode, we have the beautiful scene where Phryne reveals her true feelings to the one person she absolutely trusts and to whom she is more open than to anyone else. Jack is reassuring, affirming, appropriately by an open fire, with the bronze surrounds glowing in the firelight:

Jack: I’m not going to ask what you plan to do, because I already know. 

Phryne: How? 

Jack: I had a telephone call this afternoon from the Governor of City Gaol. 

Phryne: You are well connected. 

Jack: He told me you paid Murdoch Foyle a visit. 

Phryne: He offered me a deal. Information about Janey’s death. 

Jack: In exchange for…? 

Phryne: Securing his release. 

Jack: I hope you’re not asking for my help. 

Phryne: But I am. Tell me not to place myself above the law. Not to let a killer loose because I want the truth. Tell me there’s a greater good than my own need to know. 

Jack: You never listen to me, anyway. 

Phryne: Humour me. 

Jack: You know what to do.

The jacket reappears, briefly, in S2 Ep2, Death Comes Knocking.  Phryne wears it for the first seance she hosts on behalf of her Aunt Prudence. 

In this episode too, we have those being locked in the past, scouring years gone by for answers, unable to move on.

Freddy Ashmead is trying to regain memories of the end of a battle at Pozières’ where Aunt Pru’s godson, Roland, was killed.  Freddy is endeavouring to move forward, but cannot. He, like those to whom Keats appeals, is in anguish:

Where are the songs of spring? Ay, Where are they? 

Aunt Pru arranges the seance to assist Freddy discover the past and accept a bravery award for his actions.  It does little apart from disturbing him further.

The jacket here not only reflects autumnal tones and the need for those involved in the search for answers to progress, but its tones are reminiscent of WW1 battlefields and diggers’ khaki uniforms.

And could it be that someone else is, again, dressed to tone?

The jacket appears finally in a transition to winter, in the Season 2 finale, Murder under the Mistletoe.  Again there are unresolved conflicts from the past that haunt the present.   Cold and snow shroud death and sorrow linked to an old mining accident that killed many men and lead to the murder of a child.

Phryne’s jacket blends beautifully with the mantlepiece decked with Christmas stockings, including one for Laurie, a young boy supposedly lost in the mine tragedy.  Memories and their significance not only surround the mine accident but people and relationships resulting from it. Maintaining links to the past or moving on are in counterpoint.

Phryne: Who's Laurie? 

Aunt Prudence: Len always hung a stocking for poor Laurie. He was a little boy. The mine's youngest victim. 

Phryne: A child died that day? 

Aunt P: He begged his father to let him go with him for a Christmas treat. I can assure you, if Edward had known that he was there, he would not have allowed it. 

Vera: Neither would I. 

Phryne: Did nobody else survive the cave-in? 

Aunt P: Please, Phryne! It's why Nicholas and I wish to sell the land and the mine - to erase those dreadful memories. 

Vera: Erase the memories? As if Isobel and I could ever forget Mitch. Of course not. I-I'm so sorry... 

Isobel: If you didn't want to forget Dad, why did you marry Nicholas? 

Moments later and Vera’s wail is heard upstairs and Phryne, Mac and Dot contemplate her death by statue.  Then a knock at the door...

Phryne opens it to Hugh and our Jack as drifts of snow float across the autumnal colours.  The force  is just in time to be with them. (!)

In considering the motive for Vera’s death, the significance of the evidence -  the statue of Rodin’s kiss and a love poem by Wordsworth - provides clues.

Jack: So either one of them could have set up the trip-wire.

Phryne: Nicholas could have found the poem and murdered Vera for revenge. 

Jack: And Quentin murdered her because of... thwarted love? 

Phryne: That would do it, especially if it's been thwarted long enough. 

An exchange of knowing looks when it comes to extended frustrated phrack:

And just to prolong the trope, still in teamed autumnal tones, Jack and Phryne practice a little thwarting of their own:

Jack: I don't want anyone taking chances, so lock your door. 

Phryne: But, Jack, if I lock my door, nobody could get in. 

Jack: It's too great a risk, Miss Fisher. Lock it tight. Goodnight.

The final lines of Keats’ poem are particularly moving as he entreats the reader to consider the music of autumn rather than wish for the songs of spring.

Where are the songs of spring? Ay, Where are they? Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,— 

He describes the music of the birds’ songs as they leave for their winter migration. In Keats’ final verse there is an understated sense of inevitable loss but an acceptance too of the human condition. 

And could it be more apt for our pair?

And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

[hysydney]

Now you see it, now you see it again -  part 10

Chinoiserie chic

Orientalism has been a recurring theme in Western decorative arts since the16th century, with textiles and clothing among its most prominent exemplars. Eastern ideas of textile, design, construction, and utility have been realised again and again as a positive contribution to the culture of the West.

1920s’ fashion saw a renaissance of chinoiserie, with heavily embroidered silks, patterned fabrics, frog buttons, cross and Mandarin collars, loose wide sleeves, all of which borrowed significantly from the prevailing Chinese influences.

Phryne’s wardrobe reflects these designs, with her stunning red qipao or cheongsam (see @foxspirit1928′s post here) and a wonderful array of short and long embroidered silk jackets, that we glimpse once only.

But there is at least one that makes a second and third entrance and it is of particular significance for Marion Boyce who spoke of this in interview in the MFMM Costume Exhibition Catalogue (2014):

‘This coat I’ve had for many, many years. I found it in a second hand store years ago  and it’s always been my coat if I’m really late coming home from work and I have a particular event. This is my ‘go to’ coat which then became Phryne’s.  Chinoiserie in the 1920s was quite enormous and very much part of the 20s, and really after the Chinese closed their trading borders that was the last time, so I felt it was a really important part of the history.’

It is an original Chinese bridge coat - black silk, heavily embroidered with white floral motifs, and black frog buttons.  The costume team added cream cuffs and belt to finish off the ensemble.

It makes a brief appearance in Episode 1 of the first series, Cocaine Blues when Phryne attends the hospital. The coat complements Mac’s lab coat and the exchange between them also clearly sets the scene for Phryne’s determination to act on behalf of the disadvantaged and marginalised. Here it is the victim of an illegal abortion.

Phryne: Has she given you any details about what happened? 

Mac: They never do - either fell down the stairs or claim to be completely mystified. This one's not even offering her name. 

Phryne: No clues in her purse? 

Mac: You don't have to save the world, Phryne. 

Phryne: Where are her things?

She wears the Chinoiserie Coat again in Death at Victoria Docks (S1, Ep 4), with a black and white felt hat and white leather gloves, and white pants and blouse beneath.

It is an episode whose plot interweaves families divided and political dissension.  There are two story lines that intercept  where families have come adrift and daughters choose to leave.  The Waddingtons’ daughter Lila has run away from a family secret, and Peter the Painter’s anarchist associations have estranged him from his daughter, Nina.

Phryne first goes to the Waddingtons to confront  Mrs Waddington and her step-son Paul on what she has discovered. Lila ultimately seeks refuge within convent walls, and the black and white of the coat is reminiscent of the cloistered halls:

(need a shot of the back of the coat - stunning!)

Phryne: Of course, I thought it was strange that a man like Gerald Waddington would make a donation in cash, rather than by cheque. And that you were so unsurprised by it, Mrs Waddington. 

Paul: What have you done? 

Phryne: Your sister is safe, Paul. But there is no doubt that she has suffered because of your deception. Hasn't she, Mrs Waddington?... It was the small things that gave away your love affair at first. The touch of a hand. But when Lila discovered you together and knew for certain, the only choice was to make her doubt herself. And what better way than to take her faith and turn it against her? 

Phryne then goes to the docks to address Lila’s father, who is also embroiled in a dockland dispute and murder.  Phryne trades her services and tact for peace on the docks.

Phryne: The Reverend Mother has agreed that Lila can stay at the convent on the condition that she finish her schooling before she makes any decision about her calling. 

Mr W: Thank you. I suppose you'll be wanting your fee. 

Phryne: I'm not sure I need a monetary payment. But I could settle instead for... peace talks on the waterfront... in return for my absolute discretion. 

Mr W: You drive a hard bargain, Miss Fisher.

And a finale in the coat... DI Jack wants to see how reconciliation was achieved.  Their conversation is conducted with a ship’s mast in the background amidst sea mists, the black and white of the police car, the creamy-grey timbers and iron all providing a harmonious palette to the dialogue.  DI Jack references her charm, and she finds there’s a lot more to this detective than meets the eye:

Jack: You'd almost think someone twisted Waddington's arm. In a charming way... I've had my fair share of strike action. 

Phryne: What? The police strike of '23? 

Jack: Mmm. Shoulder to shoulder... (says he, as he and Phryne stand shoulder to shoulder)

Jack: A lot of good men lost their jobs. I was one of the lucky ones. 

Phryne: I would've picked you as more of a fence-sitter. 

Jack: It'd be a tactical error to think you had me pegged just yet, Miss Fisher. 

Phryne: I'm very glad to hear it.

In Queen of the Flowers (S1 Ep6) the coat reappears but this time with black accessories - the black beret, black gloves and black pants and blouse.  This time too we have families at the core of the plots, as parental responsibility and accountability are tested.

Phryne and Jack are on a case with murky undertones, of exploitation of young girls. Power and position provide masks for manipulation and murder.

When the coroner’s report reveals more than a drowning, Jack attempts to protect Phryne from the truth.  She insists, he doesn’t hold back. They work as a team.

Phryne: And Kitty was alive when she drowned. 

Jack: That's the conclusion. But there was bruising suggestive of someone a lot more hefty than Rose Weston. 

Phryne: What kind of bruising? 

Jack: You don't need to know. 

Phryne: Tell me. 

Jack: A man's boot print across the small of her back. 

Phryne initially draws a wrong conclusion about the wearer of the boot.  In her exchange with  young Derek, the Mayor’s nephew, the floral coat foregrounds the floral preparations for the Queen of the Flowers event:

But then the true depths are revealed - of not only the Mayor’s abuse of young girls, and murder to cover his offence, but of a grandfather prepared to sell his granddaughter to repay debts. The true relationship between those with blood ties is questioned.

And running through the background is another thread of parent-daughter dissonance, of Jane’s relationship with her birth mother.  She returns after years of absence to reclaim her daughter, in confused and psychologically unstable state of mind.  Jane is torn, as is Phryne. 

To whom does Phryne reveal what she feels? Who can and does reassure her? 

Phryne: Well, my school of social graces was a complete disaster. 

Jack: There are enough fox trotting young ladies in this town. You taught them to demand justice instead. And no doubt they'll all become firebrands in their own right and try to change the world, God help us. Oh. Janie's adoption papers, a little the worse for wear. 

Phryne: Thank you. But Jane's mother will always be her mother. 

Jack: And what will you be? Her guardian angel? 

Phryne: Much more my style.

[hysydney]

Now you see it, now you see it again

Pt 8: By the silvery moon

Phryne has a wonderful array of evening wear and few of these glamorous gowns do we see more than once, they are such unique and stunning creations.

Evening gowns of the 1920s separated themselves from formal afternoon dresses by being sleeveless. Bare arms were wrapped in silk shawls, furs, capes, or the arms of a  handsome man. Gowns had deep V or U-shaped necklines. Accoutrements included beading, fringes, fur and feathers.

Evening wear was designed to be as loose as day wear but made with more expensive fabrics such as silks and fine cotton net. Beading and sequins were the rage for the entire 20s decade. When  spangles were discovered on clothing in King Tuts Tomb in 1922, the sequins industry boomed. At first beads and crystals were placed in small clusters to accent the hip, bust, shoulder, or hem, and to accent layers, with gold and silver metal embroidery also creating the illusion of beadwork. But by the end of the decade in some of the most extraordinary designs, all over glass beading or sequins on net created the very fabric of the gown: 

These gowns were often handmade in Paris, with houses such as Lanvin, Patou, Chanel, Vionnet, and the Callot sisters significant at the time. In Phryne’s case, a local couturier is influenced by and able to compete with international designers.

The creamy white silk satin evening gown with intricate self patterned floral motifs makes two appearances - first, a glimpse, when Phryne is at home, in S1 Ep11 Blood and Circuses:

Here Phryne wears the dress unadorned, without accessories, to have a tête-à-tête with  Samson from the circus.  The silk’s satin sheen picks up the crystal on the occasional table as well as the gentle glow of the lamp, the three forming a silvern arc in the room. The  soft, gentle atmosphere is perfect to induce Samson, a childhood friend, to help her break into Mr Jones, the circus master’s, office:

Phryne: How would I get myself into a position to take a peek through Jones' papers? 

Samson: No. The boss is as straight as an arrow. 

Phryne: Then he'll have nothing to hide. But if, hypothetically, we were to take a look through his papers, where would we find them? 

Samson: Anything important is kept in the strongbox. 

Phryne: Could you get into it for me? 

Phryne is at her most persuasive... but not seductive. 

However, in the gown’s reappearance S2 Ep3 Dead Man’s Chest, we see it in a new light (as it were) as Phryne wears it for some preprandial provocative patter, during some supper subterfuge and in an after-dinner delightful diversion.

The aperitif

There’s a provocation for viewers as we see the glow of the bedroom window (exterior) followed by a corner of Phryne’s boudoir itself, with the voice over of an encounter between Phryne and Jack. 

Phryne (whispering): Jack! Shhh ... Jack! (sighing) 

Could it be...? 

Pan to settee - unfortunately not, but a charming scene ensues nonetheless. Enter the creamy white silk gown, a chaise longue, some champagne, a devilishly handsome couple and a script that we know by heart....  

Phryne: (pop of a cork) Jack, this is a temperance household. The sound of a popping cork could lead to my eviction. 

Jack: More so than entertaining a man in your private parlour? 

Phryne: A man? I thought you were a police officer. 

Jack: I'll try my best to be less entertaining. 

Phryne: You should join Hilly's Temperance Union. 

Jack: Some of us are not here on holiday. 

Phryne: It doesn't have to be all work and no play...

 We see Phryne draped in a chair, as if she were modelling for Jacques Leclerc for an edition of La Vie Parisienne.

The gown is accessorised with diamante hair comb, moonstone drop earrings, and heavy silver pendant, as Phryne is dressed for dinner. As she sips on champagne, Jack has a  ‘some of us are not here on holiday’ cup of tea for his pre-dinner drink. And could it be that the silver sheen of the dress picks up the silver of the tie?

She is at her flirtatious best - reclining, seductive, as she gives Jack the fob watch on a chain, an instrument of hypnotism.  Jack looks nonplussed:

Jack: Don't tell me, it just fell into your hands. 

Phryne: After it fell out of the dead man's pocket. 

Jack: (reading) 'My darling.' 

Phryne: Glad I'm forgiven. 

Jack: (continues reading) 'On our golden anniversary.' 

Phryne: Has it been that long? 

Jack: (continues reading) From Mrs Johnson to Mr Johnson. 

Phryne: Presumed to have run off with the stolen household items, including the missing doubloon. 

Jack: Any forwarding address? 

Phryne: They left with the ferry. That's the last anyone heard of them. 

Jack: Where's their quarters? 

Phryne: Already plundered. The Temperance Union's battle plan. 

And where has she secreted the item plundered?  Why... in the neckline of the creamy white silk.

And just in case Jack hadn’t paid quite enough attention to the décolleté, she draws his attention to it again as he reads on...

Jack: (reading on) ‘Lips that touch liquor shall never touch mine'. 

Phryne: I preferred 'my darling'. 

It’s under the table

The dress and accessories make a perfect dinner outfit and Jack and Phryne are placed side by side.

During dinner Phryne engages in some irresponsible service of alcohol, which Jack finds distracting.  But it does give an opportunity to see  this gorgeous evening gown’s shoe accessories:

... and a very nice woolly sock and shoe detail.

After dinner minx

Jack and Phryne interrogate Gerald (who oddly didn’t come to dinner) in his rather messy study, which accounts for his inability to find evidence of ownership of rare coins. It gives us an opportunity to see the gown in full profile  - the accessories, 

the dropped waist,

the symmetrical neckline and asymmetrical hemline, 

and a certain symmetry between the pair:

And the scene is set for a date:

Phryne: I think we need to take another look at our crime scene.

By the light of the silvery moon I want to spoon To my honey, I'll croon love's tune Honey moon, keep a-shinin' in June Your silvery beams will bring love's dreams We'll be cuddlin' soon By the silvery moon...

[hysydney]

Now you see it, now you see it again

Pt 7: Well suited... or not

During the 1920s women’s suits for work or travel presented many of the same stylistic features as men’s - practical but elegant, with a straight, curveless cut. Suits were mostly made of wool with straight, hip-length jackets worn over straight matching skirts presenting a narrow silhouette.

Phryne wears few suits as part of her day wear but does have a stunning example which she wears in both Seasons 1 and 2  - the red/beige plaid with shawl fur collar.  And when she wears it, there is a certain amount of chemistry involved.

The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed. ― C.G. Jung

In S1 Ep4, Death at Victoria Dock, the red suit is very much part of the contrasting red and white colour palette, worn with deep red felt hat with red felt trim, black handbag and shoes.

We first see it when she goes to interview the family of missing school girl, Lila in their home, where Phryne picks up on some chemistry between Lila’s brother  Paul, and step mother.  

Then, she continues her interviews with the Mother Superior at the convent where Lila presented to become a postulant; the suit blends with the stained glass and frescos of the surrounds

But it appears equally in harmony in terms of colour tones in her own home:

The suit reappears similarly accessorised but with a rather gorgeous red beaded handbag, in the very next episode, S1 Ep5 Raisins and Almonds when chemical formulas must be discovered, as chemical compounds become motives for murder.

Jack’s knowledge of hidden equations impresses at home:

And in the lab the red suit is worn for both a gruesome discovery, 

and for the discovery of the formula for artificial rubber worth its weight in gold, and worth murdering to obtain.

Despite the chemistry between our two, the man of honour remains stoic.

And then there’s S2 Ep7, Blood at the Wheel.  Argh, we so need to discover the hidden formula here, but it doesn’t happen, not in this ep. The chemistry is all wrong.

Phryne wears the suit with red hat(s), red leather gloves, handbag and shoes, as she shows she is ignorant of Jack’s feelings of the night before and usurps his breakfast, before dashing off to confront Ailsa.

With a change of hat, this time with black and cream felt circles, we can see the silhouette of the suit in Ailsa’s garage:

The outfit too becomes the source of her acting in favour of Ailsa, against Jack, as she delays his making an arrest until after Ailsa can reconcile her deed with her adopted daughter:

Delay by locking

Delay by stocking

Back at the station (and we might have a continuity issue here with hats), Phryne counters Lachlan Pepper’s complaints about the race with a revelation about his bloodline. (At least there’s a bonus lean with hands in pockets in the background)

The stocking returns in the final scene:

Phryne: Ah, Jack, I was beginning to give up hope. Whisky? 

Jack: Oh, no, thank you. 

Phryne: You're not indulging tonight? 

Jack: I came to return something of yours you left in my car. 

Phryne: You didn't wash it? 

Jack: I didn't see much point. The exhaust pipe burnt right through it. 

Phryne: It was only a small delay. 

Jack: Engineered by you, once again to your own advantage. 

Phryne: I know we have some minor points of contention, Jack. But we enjoy uncovering the truth together, don't we? 

Jack: Therein lies the problem...

But then we’d be back at the gold bolero post... 

[hysydney]

Now you see it, now you see it again

Part 6: Timeless tweed

Phryne has a number of gorgeous tweed coats, whose style, cut and fall perfectly suit her adventurous spirit yet sophisticated worldliness. This post looks at the tan estate tweed coat with flecks of beige and red piping that she wears in Series 2, Episodes 8 and 12.

In Series 2, Episode 8, The Blood of Juana the Mad, Phryne accessorises the coat with a brilliant shot red/tangerine silk scarf and crimson felt hat with crimson and tangerine feathers.

Tweed evokes certain literary stereotypes such as the country gentleman/woman, the university professor, the academic - the cloth carrying with it a certain sophistication.  In Juana, we see  evidence of this:

The professor

The intellectual

Tweed became the sporting attire of the 19th and early 20th-century gentleman and as such was the performance fabric of its time. The English gentry adopted tweed as the ideal outdoor cloth on their country estates.  Resistant to wind and water with excellent insulating properties, wearing the rugged fabric made hunting, shooting, and fishing comfortably enjoyable pastimes.

Shooting

Phryne is able to establish her credentials among the staff and students of the hallowed halls of the university medical school. Indeed in the tan tweed she appears very much part of the establishment, the tones of her ensemble blending with the ornate timber panelling and stained glass.

More difficult is the maintenance of her credentials with Jack, the episode following as it does the deterioration in their relationship which occurred in Wheel.  Can a sophisticated tweed weave wonders in the torn fabric of their bond? (#very bad puns#) 

Why yes!

Jack: What are you doing, Miss Fisher? 

Phryne: What we do best, Jack. And I'm afraid I'm going to have to touch you.

The coat reoccurs in the penultimate episode of the series, Unnatural Habits. Thank goodness there is less Phrack tension, and things are being tied together nicely. (#another bad pun# #it’s the rosé#) 

In this episode Phryne wears the coat with black accessories, including the black cat burglar French beret, black leather gloves and black drop earrings. 

Tweed was not only popular with the English gentry, but also became favoured among the Victorian middle classes who associated it with the leisurely pursuits of the aristocracy.  It was worn for virtually every sporting and adventure endeavour including golf, cycling, tennis, motoring, and mountain climbing.

Appropriately, Phryne’s pursuits in this ensemble include the maritime equivalent of mountain climbing, scaling the Pandarus’ bulwark:

And just to complete some greater symmetry between Phryne and our Jack in the episode and series, the tweed ensemble does give rise to a rather lovely blending of tones and tempers...

[hysydney]

Now you see it, now you see it again

Part 5: “… the intertissued robe of gold and pearl” (Shakespeare, Henry V)

Called the Cemetery coat, it is antique cotton lace, stitched with sequins, bugle-beads and chenille embroidery, with faux fur collar and edging.

 ‘The original 1920s black net fabric for this swing coat was purchased from an antique dealer. Green, black and chocolate iridescent sequins were added with faux fur trims for movement.  The coat was made for a scene in Death Comes Knocking set in a cemetery…’ (MFMM Costume Exhibition catalogue)

 I wanted her to have a lot of panache - and wanted the silhouette of Phryne jumping off the cemetery wall to look like a big beautiful parachute flying then collapsing on the ground. - Marion Boyce

In Season 2, Episode 2 Death Comes Knocking, Phryne wears this bejewelled coat in a late-night entry to the cemetery to investigate the strange circumstances that appear linked to her cousin’s lost memories of a WWI battlefield. The eerie and misty darkness of the surrounds are intercepted not only by police flashlight but by the iridescence of Phryne’s coat.

The interplay of police investigation and Phryne’s personal involvement with the case continues into the interview room and Jack’s office. The relationship between light and dark in terms of mood as well as colour are signified by the coat.  

In this episode, our Jack both rejects Madame Bolkonsky’s prognostications of his greatest passion and yet is affronted by Phryne’s dalliance with Warwick Hamilton. Denial and desire are powerful adversaries, rather like the juxtaposition of flashes of light cast by a jewelled coat in a place of the dead, which continue to glisten before Jack throughout the interrogation at the station and subsequent conversation with Phryne in relation to Warwick Hamilton’s motives.  Are the jewels a glimmer of light in this shadowed relationship?

The coat reappears three episodes later in Murder à la Mode, an episode that brings together fashion and jewellery as motives for murder.  How appropriate to see the magnificent bejewelled coat again!

 “While the coat was made with the cemetery scene in mind, Marion felt it was such a gorgeous outfit that needed another look onscreen so it also features later in the ‘fashion’ episode, Murder à la Mode.” (MFMM Costume Exhibition catalogue)

 The coat first reappears in the morgue, in parallel to its appearance in the cemetery in the previous episode - although Jack and Phryne are working more as a team and presumably their appearance there together is planned.

Following this mortuary meeting, there is further questioning by Phryne and Jack of the sisters at the House of Fleuri. Phryne’s coat bedazzles there as missing pearls are discovered in the rear standard of the camera. 

Phryne’s profile in the coat framed by the salon interior is pure cinematographic elegance.

And our Jack learns not to dismiss fashion as frivolous, indeed he admits to its potential to be fatal.

[hysydney]

Now you see them, now you see them again …

Pt 4  - as deep as the Pacific Ocean: the blue appliqué coats

Phryne wears dark blue beautifully.  She has two sheer deep blue coats with heavy appliqué which gives both texture and contrast to the sheer cotton/chiffon fabric of the coats.  One is used in a publicity shot that exemplifies her elegance, style but fearlessness:

(image courtesy ABC)

She wears the first of these in the opening episode  of Series 2, Murder Most Scandalous as she appears on Jack’s case to investigate the murder at the Deputy Commissioner’s, Jack’s ex father-in-law’s, home. 

Not only must Jack wrestle the crime scene from the local branch, but must contend with the conflicting loyalties of family and duty.  Phryne’s appearance complicates and causes some consternation for our Jack

Phryne meets Jack’s ex-wife Rosie at the crime scene.  Their outfits depict their differences, despite Rosie’s classic elegance. Phryne’s coat is teemed with a blue jersey scarf and blue straw hat with extravagant blue and ash-brown feathers, the brown a reference to Rosie’s colour scheme which emphasises the contrast between them.

Jack’s awkwardness in the home of his ex father-in-law with his ex-wife in the face of Phryne’s flamboyance provides some delightful scenes:

The coat next appears in Murder à la Mode in S2 Ep5, an episode that is all about fashion and includes some insights into Phryne’s views on its import to the wearer and the observer. 

This time she wears it with a deep blue feather boa, a navy velvet felt hat with silk satin band and self-covered buttons, and satin gloves.  Phryne looks completely at home in a house of fashion, in an interview room or at home:

The coat and accessories form part of the investigative ensemble in the final episode of Series 3 Death Do Us Part.

There is none of the awkwardness now between Phryne and Jack that we saw when Phryne first wore the outfit.

Another blue coat, also heavily appliquéd, makes regular appearances as part of Phryne’s fabulous wardrobe.

In Series 2 Episode 6, Marked for Murder, an episode about teams and loyalty, or not,  Phryne wears the coat when she announces to Jack that she’s on his team. Once again, this is as Jack must continue to negotiate an investigation that involves his ex.

Here she teems the coat with, as described in the Costume Exhibition Catalogue, a  “navy velvet hood with tassel ...luscious navy velvet with silk satin insert and tassel.  The hat is an original 1920s hat bought from an antique dealer.” 

In the final episode in the second series (apart from the Christmas ep), Unnatural Habits, Phryne wears the coat with navy camisole and silk faille pants. Being on Jack’s team in this episode has serious consequences.

And in Series 3 Episode 6, Death at the Grand, the coat is again accessorised with a blue straw feathered hat but with cream scarf as Phryne confronts her own family associations and misconnections.

And our Jack does seem to wear a complementary tie whenever she wears one of these coats - team seems to be the key!

Murder Most Scandalous

Murder à la Mode

Marked for Murder

A case for both the boys and girls in blue!