History and High Heels: April 15, 1912

April 14-15, 1912 is a time that will live in infamy for years to come. The sinking of the RMS Titanic came at a time when enthusiasm for new technology ran high. This beautiful, stately, and "unsinkable" mammoth vessel celebrated the triumph of man over nature's unbridled chaos. It's sinking into the frigid waters off of New Foundland and the loss of over 1,500 lives sent shockwaves into western society. Faith in technology crumbled and was only further decimated by the atrocities experienced in World War I.

The RMS Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage April 10th, 1912 from Southampton, England with a passenger list of 1,324. The staggering cost of a first class ticket on this vessel headed to New York City was between $2,500 to $4,500 (that's about $43,860 to $78,950 in today's market). As Candace Keener notes, "first class consisted primarily of wealthy industrialists and their families, among them John Jacob Astor IV and even J.P. Morgan -- who was forced to cancel his passage due to business conflicts. Among the second-class passengers were businessmen and members of the clergy (even a teacher and chauffeur are recorded to have been traveling second-class). Third class, or steerage, was comprised mostly of European immigrants." Just before midnight on a cold, moonless night the ship's operators had received 6 ice warnings before it scraped against that fateful iceberg in the North Atlantic. The lookouts only had 30 seconds between spotting the iceberg and impact, making avoiding the collision impossible. Five compartments were ruptured as the ice ripped through the Titanic's hull causing irreparable damage. It took just over 2 hours for the vessel to sink to the bottom of the ocean. Due to a shortage of lifeboats and proper emergency procedures, approximately 1517 people perished on the Titanic or in the freezing waters. This number includes the ship's musicians who stayed on board and played on the deck to keep spirits up and Captain Smith.
*facts from history.com and howstuffworks.com

This tragedy has remained embedded in our culture's conscience, not only due to the intrinsic shock of the event, but also thanks to the work of James Cameron to recreate the sinking. His beautifully mastered film re-ignited our fascination with the Titanic and rocketed actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet into stardom. Ever since watching this movie in middle school, I have had a deep respect and admiration for Kate Winslet and all of her films. She not only is extremely classy, but also incorporates a wonderfully rock & roll edge to all of her looks. One can see it clearly in her most recent appearance at the Titanic 3D premiere, where she wore an elegantly draped black dress with crystal cap sleeves & brooch. This added edge to her look makes her a great inspiration for fashionistas everywhere.