Juli Lynne Charlot
Juli Lynne Charlot | |
|---|---|
 Charlot in 1947, wearing a circle skirt[1] | |
| Born | Shirley Ann Agin October 26, 1922 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 3, 2024 (aged 101) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1947–2013 |
| Known for | Circle skirt, poodle skirt |
| Label | Juli Lynne Charlot |
| Spouse | Philip Charlot |
Juli Lynne Charlot (born Shirley Ann Agin; October 26, 1922 – March 3, 2024) was an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. She first became a singer, appearing in several films, and also performed alongside the Marx Brothers. She created the poodle skirt in 1947, and made circle skirts during her career as a fashion designer. Later on, she made variations of Mexican dress while in Mexico, which led to her purchase of a manufacturing plant in Mexico City to produce and sell the variations.
Early life and career[edit]
Born Shirley Ann Agin on October 26, 1922, in Manhattan, New York to a Jewish family. Charlot began taking voice lessons at the age of 13.[1] After graduating from Hollywood High School, she performed with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera as a singer and also sang with an orchestra directed by Xavier Cugat.[1][2] Charlot also appeared in several films, including The Red Mill in 1945 and Night in Paradise in 1946, the latter film of which she was cast as a singer.[2] She later performed with the Marx Brothers, who asked her to tour with them at several military bases during World War II.[2] Charlot also began travelling worldwide in the company of some of the greatest names in show business at the time.[3]
Fashion designer[edit]
In 1947, at age 25, Charlot was invited to a Christmas party in Los Angeles and planned to create a dress for the event. Having little money, though, she decided to make her own skirt to wear, instead. Charlot stated in February 1953 "If I had known how to sew, or had the money to purchase better materials, I would have never made the circle skirt."[4] Additionally, Charlot's mother owned a factory which used felt, which allowed her to use that material.[4]
A week later, Charlot made two more circle skirts, taking them to a Beverly Hills, California boutique just prior to Christmas 1947. They were sold immediately; this started the Juli Lynne Charlot California company. A New York City dress manufacturer soon decided to invest some money in the factory.[4]
After Christmas 1947, a Los Angeles boutique requested a non-holiday motif. Charlot designed a skirt with the idea stemming from Dachshunds.[2] The skirts at the boutique in Beverly Hills were quite popular and sold out; in early 1948, Charlot designed a similar skirt with poodles, which was more successful than the previous skirts based on dachshunds.[2] The president of Bullocks Wilshire ordered the poodle skirts, which were then displayed in windows along Wilshire Boulevard.[2] The skirts were also ordered from Neiman Marcus in Dallas and Bergdorf Goodman in New York City.[2] Charlot's designs were so successful that one of them appeared in a national ad campaign for Maidenform bras in 1952.[5]
While in Mexico in the 1980s, Charlot took interest in a classic Mexican wedding dress and decided to create variations on it. This resulted in her purchase of a manufacturing plant in Mexico City to produce and export these dresses worldwide.[3] The factory later collapsed during the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, forcing her to abandon the dress business.[2]
In November 2008, Charlot had a one-woman show entitled "In Retrospect" in Cuernavaca.[3][6] In early 2009, the Izcalli Boutique in Cuernavaca presented an offering of some of the original designs that were still in Charlot's possession. The trunk show was a huge success and was accompanied by a Juli Lynne Calendar full of photos from her career.[6]
Personal life and death[edit]
Juli Lynne was married four times, including her second marriage to film editor Philip Charlot.[1] Charlot retired in Mexico, and purchased a home in Tepoztlán.[1][7]
Charlot died at her home in Tepoztlán on March 3, 2024, at age 101.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f Fox, Margalit (March 4, 2024). "Juli Lynne Charlot, Creator of the Poodle Skirt, Dies at 101". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 5, 2024. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Murphy, Brian (March 6, 2024). "Juli Lynne Charlot, creator of '50s 'poodle skirt' fad, dies at 101". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ a b c "This Week I Learned by Bill Hood". Thisweekilearned.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
- ^ a b c "Girl Who Couldn't Sew Booms Into Business With Circle Skirt". Toledo Blade. February 25, 1953. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved July 15, 2023 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ - The Origins Of The Circle Skirt, Jaynie Van Roe, 14 August 2009
- ^ a b [1] Archived June 10, 2017, at the Wayback Machine November 2008 Newcomers Cuernavaca Newsletter
- ^ Phillips, Hedy (March 5, 2024). "Juli Lynne Charlot, Inventor of the Poodle Skirt, Dead at 101". People. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
External Links[edit]
- Juli Lynne at IMDb