Missoni - 1982

Missoni knits from the spring of 1982.  So right now.

Photo by Avi Meroz for Missoni ad, Town and Country magazine, 1982.

Pauline Trigere Suit - 1983

At an estate sale over the weekend, I picked up a big pile of Town & Country magazines from the 1980s.  While not focused exclusively on fashion, Town & Country is full of advertisements for luxury goods including loads of high end designer clothing and jewelry.  I'll be bringing you lots of those images over the next several months.

This stunning suit by Pauline Trigere was featured in a full page ad for the Martha luxury boutiques in 1983.  It looks like the sawtooth trim on the jacket is likely black suede and I imagine it adorns wool crepe in a jewel tone, likely red, emerald or cobalt blue.  The suit is paired with a black fox fur hat and stole and black gloves.  This look was the height of American high fashion at the time.

Greta Plattry Swimsuit - 1955

Love, love, love!  This little feature from Harper's Bazaar not only shows us the swimsuit, but gives a flat image of the terrific fabric it's made of.  The fabric is an Everglaze cotton by Tarnmoor and features various ships in yellow on white.  Greta Plattry used the fabric to make the adorable two piece swimsuit in 1955.  She paired it with a yellow corduroy beach jacket.  Suit sold for $12 and jacket for $17 in 1955 (about $106 and $150 in today's dollar.)

Photo by Robert Randall for Harper's Bazaar, 1955.

Yves St Laurent Models His First Men's Collection - 1969

Hugely successful French couturier Yves St. Laurent designed his first collection of ready to wear clothing for men in the fall of 1969.  The clothing was sold exclusively in the Rive Gauche boutiques in New York and Paris. Here, a few of the designs are modeled by St. Laurent himself for Vogue magazine.  The photos were all taken at his home, Dar El-Hansh, in Morocco.

Above: White gabardine suit with flapped pockets, worn with a black cotton voile shirt and striped silk scarf.

 Laced glove leather tunic and corduroy jeans.  The tunic was also available in suede.

The same suit as the first photo, but in pale pink worn with a cotton floral shirt.

Photos by Patrick Lichfield for Vogue magazine, 1969.

Pleats Please, 1962

This yummy evening dress was designed by Jo Copeland for Patullo in 1962.  Made of pleated black crepe with criss-crossed bands forming the neckline and falling to a bow at the back.  The raised waistline was fashion news in 1962.  Notice how it allows the pleats to hug the body so the dress fits in a way reminiscent of a Fortuny Delphos.  The dress sold for about $200 in 1962 ($1565.00 in today's dollar.)

Photo by Horst P. Horst for Vogue magazine, 1962

Carolyn Schnurer Folkloric Dresses - 1955

Carolyn Schnurer was well known for basing entire collections on the fabrics and ethnic traditions of the countries she visited on her world travels.  For the spring of 1955, she featured a collection based on the folk lore of Norway with fabric prints and design elements inspired by Norwegian traditions.  The fabrics here are Everglaze cottons by Ameritex for Schnurer.  Schnurer also designed the co-ordinating jewelry.

Above:  Swimsuit with buttoned straps and little pockets, sold for $18.95 in 1955 (about $167.00 in today's dollar.)
Sun dress with the same buttoned straps and pleats at the hem, sold for $29.95 in 1955 (about $264.00 in today's dollar.)

Darling dress with suspender detail, gathered cap sleeves and pleats at the hem.  Sold for $29.95 in 1955 (about $264.00 in today's dollar.)

Photos from a 2-page ad for Carolyn Schnurer and Ameritex Fabrics, featured in Harper's Bazaar, 1955.