Weekend Eye Candy - Jean Desses, 1953

I am in love with everything about this image.  The dress, yes of course.  But note how the model's hair is pulled back tightly to the head.  She wears large dangling earrings and no other jewelry.  The rolled neckline accents the scoop that exposes just enough, but not too much.  Evening dress by Jean Desses, 1953.

Weekend Eye Candy - Givenchy, 1953

Hubert de Givenchy designed this stunning ballgown in 1953.  White silk satin strapless gown is set off with an embroidered long stole lined in pink.

Weekend Eye Candy - Christian Dior, 1953

Meow!

Weekend Eye Candy - Pierre Balmain, 1953

Pure perfection in my mind.   Those white roses at the waist are just the right finishing touch.  Pierre Balmain, 1953.

Weekend Eye Candy - Germaine Lecomte, 1953

From Spring 1953, Germaine Lecomte pleated silk dress with a sheer coat that sweeps over it.  All in pink, mais oui!

Ball Gown, 1953

Pierre Balmain haute couture ball gown, 1953.  Blue silk faille with blue beading.  New Year's Eve anyone?

Weekend Eye Candy - Jeanne LaFaurie, 1953

This stunning evening gown from 1953 was designed by Michel Goma during his time as the head designer for Jeanne LaFaurie.  In 5 years time, Goma would buy the business and rename it with his own label.  The gown is made of pale turquoise silk organza with jeweled embroidery.

Nina Ricci Dinner Dress - 1953

This is one of those garments that doesn't need much elucidation on my part.  I adore everything about this Nina Ricci dress from 1953, especially the roses that decorate the shoulder inside the asymmetric neckline.  It just brings me joy.

Weekend Eye Candy - Mme. Gres, 1953

How do you take an ordinary striped dress and make it more interesting?  First, have it designed by a master draper like Mme. Gres.  Then make a shelf bust that curves up into tucked cap sleeves.  Finally, in a bit of whimsy, fill the shelf bust with silk flowers.  J'adore!

Weekend Eye Candy - Jaques Fath, 1953

If you're wearing green today, it might as well be Jacques Fath from 1953, right?  Enjoy your St. Patrick's Day!

Friday Fur - Maggy Rouff, 1953

I've been puzzling over the construction of this white mink jacket? stole? for the last couple of hours.  Designed by Maggy Rouff in 1953, I think this is is a jacket with splits in the sleeves at the elbows so it looks like you're holding a separate muff.  But it could certainly be a separate muff.  What's your theory?

Friday Fur - Christian Dior, 1953

From Fall/Winter 1953, Christian Dior designed this mink fur jacket from Emba's Lutetia gunmetal gray mink.  Look how Dior wraps the pelts around the sleeves instead of lengthwise from shoulder to cuff.  I love the lines of this little swing jacket.  How about you?

Vintage Hats - 1953

A hat doesn't have to be big and boisterous to make a statement.  Just look at these examples of head-hugging caps from 1953.  The designers of these hats were able to add a lot of style by keeping the details to scale.  Notice how this type of hat looks better with a sleek hairstyle.  Also note that even though each model is wearing a hat, the emphasis remains on her face with groomed brows, heavy eyeliner, and color on the lips.

Weekend Eye Candy - Jacques Heim, 1953

Jacques Heim Haute Couture, Fall 1953.  How did he get the skirt to fall in those wonderful rounded shapes? At first I thought perhaps the skirt was attached to the lining at intervals to make those "tube" shapes.  But no, you can see this is not so at the right side of the photo where the model is holding the skirt out.  I would love to see the inner construction of this dress, wouldn't you?  And how about those long, long gauntlet gloves?

 Another view of the same dress.

UPDATE:  Thank you to commenter Victoria of Love Fashion Love Vintage.  These are called organ pleats because of the way they resemble the pipes on an organ.  While I agree that this fabric has body, I don't think it is a heavy velvet or corduroy.  And while there is likely some type of inner stiffening, the shape of the pleats cannot come from that alone, else the skirt would just flare out and not fall into those rounded shapes.  You can see in the second photo that each pleat is a separate gore.  And if you could see the inner construction of the skirt, you would likely find some type of tape sewn from gore seam to gore seam at the upper third of the skirt.  The tape would be smaller in circumference than the skirt itself and would hold the lovely rounded shapes up and away from it.  Does that make sense?

The Perfect Suit, 1953

Perfect from head to toe.  Note how she lets her suit be the star by using a smaller handbag and hat.  Look how the buttons elongate the figure from the waist to the hem of the skirt.  And I'll bet there are hidden hooks or buttons to close that collar if you want to.  Note the perfect eyebrows and simple makeup.  And don't forget  your gloves.  To get the look today, use animal printed fabric or faux fur please.  Suit by Raphael, 1953.

Vintage Swimsuits - 1953

I've always felt that more coverage is sexier than trying to show as much as you can.  Perhaps these swimsuits from 1953 will help illustrate my point.  Do you think these suits are more enticing than a tiny bikini?

And I just love the idea of a little swing jacket as a swimsuit cover-up!

1953 Couture

I was doing some research about a couture garment recently and was struck by the popularity of stripes for the spring of 1953.  Mme. Grés seemed especially fond of striped silk for that season.  Which is your favorite?

Mme. Grés

Mme. Grés

Manquin

Schiaparelli

Mme. Grés

Maggy Rouff

Weekend Eye Candy - Charmis Swimsuit, 1953

I posted this photo on the Couture Allure Facebook Fan page this past week and it got such a positive reaction, I wanted to share it with those of you who may not have seen it. This has got to be one of the sexiest swimsuits I have ever seen. French, of course. Probably heavily boned or wired at the top. And it probably came with removable straps. Black wool and Lastex maillot by Charmis.

Toni Owen, Sportswear Designer

Toni Owen was one of the best known designers of American sportswear in the 40s and 50s. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, Owen taught for 2 years before moving to Orange, New York to become manager of a clothing shop there. Not satisfied with the sportswear on offer, she began to design separates and her career as a fashion designer began. She soon moved to New York City and started her own company, with headquarters on Seventh Avenue. Toni Owen received a Mademoiselle Merit Award for Fashion Design in 1947, and a Coty Award in 1949. In 1950, Vogue magazine named her as one of America's top 12 designers.

Owen was best known for her coordinated, interchangeable separates that were offered in a wide range of sizes, both women's and juniors. Here from 1953, is a group of cotton separates available in solids and a clover print. Tops, skirts and capri pants were all mix-and-match and came in dark or light blue, red, and putty.

Prices for the separates ranged from $6.98 to $12.98 in 1953 (about $58 to $107 in today's dollar).

In 1958, Toni Owen did a multi-page ad with General Foods to introduce their Gourmet Foods line. The lead line was "Because You're An Entertaining Woman". Here, a pleated skirt and a portrait collared blouse in pink moire. The pieces were also available in blue, white, and black. Blouse sold in 1958 for $13 and the skirt for $17 (about $99 and $129 in today's dollar).

Mix and match wool jersey top with a tweed full skirt that had an attached velveteen cummerbund in pink or blue. Top sold in 1958 for $10 and the skirt for $30 (about $76 and $228 in today's dollar).

Here, Owen pairs a wool jersey top with a floral print tweed full skirt in pink or blue. Top sold in 1958 for $10 and the skirt for $35 (about $76 and $266 in today's dollar).

Embroidered rayon separates in red or black to be mixed and matched as you desire. Prices from 1958: Cardigan jacket $23, skirt $30, blouse $12, and pants $25 (about $175, $228, $91, and $190 respectively in today's dollar).

By the way, the Gourmet Foods line included such canned delicacies as Green Turtle Soup, Lobster Newburg, Crepes Suzette, and Cherry Pickles. Yuck.

1953 Pin Curl Hairdo with Variations

This basic hairdo was all the rage in 1953, and it is easy to do with pin curls! I'm going to assume that those of you interested in creating this look already know how to do a basic pin curl set with your fingers and bobby pins or hair clips. If not, here are basic instructions for that technique.

For this style, the hair is cut about 4" long overall and set as follows:

1. Part the hair on the side. Set the front section of hair in two rows of pin curls, three to each row and wound away from the part.

2. Set each side section of hair in four curls wound toward the face.

3. Set the back of the hair in two rows of 6 curls. Curls should be wound away from the center toward the front.
4. Allow the hair to dry under a hair dryer or overnight. Remove the pin curls, gently style the hair into waves, and use hairspray to set.

Here are several variations to suit different face shapes. All variations except the last use the same set shown above:

Round face and short neck? Cut hair a bit shorter overall, comb hair flatter at the sides and use an off-center lift to break up the roundness.

Long face and neck? Cut hair slightly longer overall. Part farther to the side and build out the style at the sides for width.

Long nose? Cut the front section approximately 2" long and brush it into a fluffy upstanding bang. Hair in the back should hug the head.

Receding chin? Cut the front section shorter and form a small soft bang that extends only slightly beyond the hairline. Keep the hair in back close to the head with flipped-up ends.

Irregular hairline? Use 4 pin curls per row in the front instead of 3. Use a center part and form symmetrical dips on each side.