Givenchy - 1959 and 1984

  Last night, I found this photo of an Hubert de Givenchy couture evening gown from 1959. I love polka dots!

In a serendipitous chance of symmetry, this morning, I found this image of an Hubert de Givenchy couture gown from 1984.  What goes around comes around...again and again.

Weekend Eye Candy - Givenchy, 1958

Suddenly, the holiday party season is upon us.  How about an oh-so-feminine velvet bubble dress with matching fur lined hooded bolero?  Yes, please!  Ensemble by Hubert de Givenchy, 1958.

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.

Givenchy, 1974

Givenchy channels the 1930s in the red and white striped silk blouse from 1974.  Timeless.....

Weekend Eye Candy - Givenchy, 1958

First, a bit of business.  The winner of yesterday's giveaway of "The Fashion Book" is Suzanne.  Congratulations Suzanne!  I'll email you shortly for your shipping address.  And thank you to everyone who entered my giveaways this week.  I hope all the winners enjoy their books and I hope those of you who didn't win will continue to follow my blog.  I truly love sharing my fascination with vintage fashion here.

In the spring of 1958, Givenchy designed this dress and jacket ensemble in turquoise wool with a marvelous textured weave.  Love that wide lapel and the belt makes the entire outfit sing.  The car is a Ford.  Hubby says it's a Fairlane.  I think I'm in love.

White Lace by Givenchy, 1954

This photo was taken to feature the nylon stockings, but all I can focus on is the glorious, billowing lace of Hubert de Givenchy's couture evening gown from 1954.  Look how he took such care with the inner skirt so what you see exposed behind the high hemline matches the outer skirt.  The white satin pumps were made by I. Miller for Givenchy.

Another view of the same gown.  Quite stunning, isn't it?

Givenchy Dress - 1955

Hubert de Givenchy created this haute couture black silk taffeta dress for Spring 1955.  Having learned pattern drafting many years ago, I view this dress from a sewer's standpoint.  I can't look at this photo without wondering how in the world Givenchy made the fabric do what it does here and what do the pattern pieces for that skirt look like?  I'm sure the dress is built upon a stiff foundation so the skirt holds its bell shape.  There appear to be seams between the front buttoned panel and the draped side pieces.  That front panel probably falls straight to the hem and the side panels are pulled around to the front and sewn one on top of the other at the hem  And, even though you can't see them, I am sure those soft folds are held in place with hundreds of tiny invisible hand-worked stitches.  In the end, what looks like a dress with lots of movement and softness is actually just the opposite.  And that is one example of the art of couture.

Weekend Eye Candy - Givenchy, 1956

I don't need to say much.  Just take a deep breath and let it out slowly as you take in the masterful details of this strapless evening gown by Hubert de Givenchy from Spring 1956.

Weekend Eye Candy - Givenchy, 1962

This sumptuous evening gown by Givenchy is from 1962.  The bodice is covered in pink, blue and silver sequins which sets off the rose pink silk satin skirt to perfection.  Audrey Hepburn was Givenchy's muse and I can certainly see her wearing this gown, can't you?

Party Clothes - 1958

I always enjoy looking a pictures of vintage party clothes.  I know it's still summer, but the holiday party season will be here before we know it.  Have you started to think about what you'll wear this year?  These designer garments are all from Fall/Winter 1958.  The photos are by Richard Avedon.

Mainbocher white satin dinner dress with cut-away armholes.  To wear with it, a pink floral silk ottoman coat lined in quilted white satin.

Deep yellow satin dress with a huge bell shaped skirt by Balenciaga.

Also by Balenciaga, a fuchsia satin ball gown with a lace bodice.  I'd love to see this gown full length to see the shape of the skirt, wouldn't you?

Pink silk moire fashions a strapless bubble dress by Givenchy.  Love the way the bodice is knotted!

Givenchy uses pink again, this time a deep magenta satin, for this dinner coat.  Note the stand-away collar which would become hugely popular in the early 60s.

I love all these garments, but I must confess that the dark stockings with light shoes looks a bit jarring.  It wouldn't be my choice!

Weekend Eye Candy - Givenchy, 1977

Today's June bride wears an elaborate headpiece made from tiny white silk flowers.  The same flowers adorn the off-shoulder neckline of her bridal gown.  Exquisite, isn't she?  Givenchy, 1977.

Weekend Eye Candy - Givenchy, 1974

I am inspired by all things 70s right now and this red and white striped silk blouse knocks me out.  Hubert de Givenchy, spring 1974.

Vintage Couture Dresses - 1971

1971 was a schizophrenic year in fashion.  From minis to maxis and kooky to sophisticated, it seemed every designer had their own idea of what women should be wearing.  Here, looks from the haute couture for Spring 1971.  Would you wear any of these today?  Which one is your favorite?

Guy Laroche orange silk evening gown with kimono sleeves and tassels.

Philippe Venet zebra print jumpsuit.

Pierre Cardin leather zodiac dresses.  There was one for every sign.  Shown here are Cancer and Aries.

Lanvin midi dress in a wild print.

Givency sequined top and sheer maxi skirt over hot pants.

Audrey Hepburn in Givenchy Eveningwear, 1963

Yesterday, we looked at Audrey Hepburn in daywear from Givenchy's line for Spring, 1963. Today, she wears evening gowns from the same collection. The wonderful and imaginative hair designs are by Alexandré. The first photo is one of my favorites of Audrey.

Hepburn poses with her husband Mel Ferrer in a pink tulle confection.
The tulle cocoons intricate beading and embroidery.
A gossamer white silk tulle stole adds another layer of fantasy.

Blue cloqué silk déshabillé that falls in loose folds to a slight train at the back.

White lace with appliqued mauve, pink, yellow and blue silk daisies, then beaded and embroidered in gilt thread and sequins. Don't you wish this photo was in color?

Vivid yellow silk shantung with woven-in dots. The strapless neckline blooms like a flower.

Pink cloqué silk wrapped gown that exposes a bit of leg in front and has a tiny train at back.

All photos by Bert Stern.

Audrey Hepburn Wears Givenchy, 1963

White with black tweed suit with a black silk twill cowl neck blouse and white hat.

Just before beginning filming of "My Fair Lady", Audrey Hepburn posed for these photos in clothing from Hubert de Givenchy's line for Spring 1963. Hepburn wore Givenchy exclusively after he designed the costumes for her 1954 film "Sabrina". Before meeting the designer, and before her career exploded, the actress said she still wore homemade dresses.

Hepburn's normal wardrobe consisted of 3 day suits, two in beige or gray and one in black, coats that would last for several seasons, and several late-day and evening dresses for use when she was working. At home in Switzerland, she wore pants and sweaters. After work, she wore a déshabillé, or dresssing gown, to relax in.

Whether for day or evening, Audrey Hepburn had a sure eye for fashion, and she had a thorough understanding of proportion and of her image in Givenchy designs. Here, her choices for daywear from the line. Tomorrow, we'll look at eveningwear. All clothing by Givenchy, Spring 1963. Hair by Alexandré.

Pink tweed suit with a deeper pink linen overblouse and wide belt.

Beige jersey dress with a pseudo-overblouse that is cut on the bias
and fastens with buttons at the sides.

9/10 length white gabardine coat shaped close to the body in front
and loose in the back is worn over a brown silk linen dress with cap sleeves.

Short dinner dress in yellow silk with beaded clusters.

All photos by Bert Stern.

Weekend Eye Candy - Givenchy 1968

Green feathered coat by Hubert de Givenchy, 1968.

If you're a fan of Couture Allure on Facebook, you saw this coat on Wednesday, when I did a retrospective of green garments through the years in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Not a Facebook fan yet? Come join the fun!

1957 Vintage Swimsuits - Tina Leser, Givenchy, and Polly Hornburg

Gorgeous swimwear from 1957:

Tina Leser was one of the premier American sportswear designers in the 1940's and 50's. Here she fashions a skirted halter swimsuit entirely in yellow cotton pleats. Each pleat is edged with white loop braid. This suit sold for $35.00 (about $272.00 in today's dollar) at Bonwit Teller, Julius Garfinkle, and Bullock's-Wilshire. In my opinion, it's worth every penny.

I had no idea Hubert de Givenchy designed swimwear. This black skirted suit is his design for Jantzen. Made of acetate and nylon woven with Lastex, the suit sold for $25.00 (about $194.00 in today's dollar). The turban is by Adolfo.

My favorite of today's suits, this Catalina maillot is designed to emulate the styling of blue jeans. Navy blue orlon with Lastex is topstitched with contrasting thread and rivets decorate the front. Sold for $20.00 (about $155.00 in today's dollar).


Polly Hornburg was a native Bermudian who designed play clothes and swimwear for her 6 Calypso stores in Bermuda and Jamaica, as well as for stores all over the US. She was also known for designing one piece suits for skin-diving. Long sleeved and long legged, this elasticized cotton knit would keep you warmer in deeper waters. The high neckline dips to a deep V in the back, which I figure makes this suit more sexy than practical, but I'm not a diver, so what do I know? Sold for $30.00 (about $233.00 in today's dollar).

New at Couture Allure - Vintage Designer Dresses

New this week at Couture Allure, we've added several designer dresses among others.

This 1960's mini dress is by Michael Mott for Paraphernalia. Paraphernalia was New York's answer to the London Mod boutique movement which opened in 1965. Betsey Johnson was the first in-house designer for Paraphernalia, and Michael Mott took over when she left to start her own business. Super rare, this dress is in blue velvet and is decorated with glass stones. It's no coincidence that Mott also designed jewelry, many times with large glass rhinestones.

This 1960's coat dress is a Givenchy Adaptation by Dan Millstein. The Dan Millstein company was one of the manufacturers that would send it's designers to Paris and pay a cover charge to attend the couture showings. They would then purchase several originals, bring them back to the US, and copy them with the designer’s approval.

This late 1960's skirt and vest set is by highly sought-after designer Mr. Dino. Mr. Dino is known for Pucci style prints. This set is made of cotton velveteen and does have the Mr. Dino signature in the print.

This elegant 1950's black silk full skirted dress is by another sought-after designer, Ben Reig. It has a distinctive neckline treatment with a floating band that ties in a bow.

Just in time for Viva Las Vegas, this 1950's Hawaiian made sarong dress comes with a matching stole. In nearly mint condition, I don't think it was ever worn!

Finally, one of my favorite dresses without a label this week is this 1960's cocktail dress. Take a look at those black satin roses at the hem!

Oscar Night - 1954

Oscar Night 1954 - Audrey Hepburn wins Best Actress for Roman Holiday. Although she would be nominated 4 more times in the next 14 years, this was her only win. The dress is by Givenchy, who was designing her costumes for Sabrina at the time.

Enjoy the Academy Awards tonight everyone!

Three Women - One Givenchy Dress 1962

Vogue Magazine, July 1962 featured an article about "The Beautiful People", which discussed what the rich and titled were doing for the summer. These gals were the Princess Diana's and Paris Hilton's of their time. The three Frenchwomen were considered fashion individualists, yet they all owned the same dress from Hubert de Givenchy's Spring/Summer 1962 collection. The short dinner dress was made of silk crepe, and the wide bateaux neckline dropped to a V in the back. The soft gathers at the waist were a hallmark at the time.

Above, Baronne Guy de Rothschild (Baroness Marie-Hélène de Rothschild) owned the dress in pink and wore it with a large diamond brooch at the side waist. The Baroness was an active socialite in Parisian circles, and was also well known for refurbishing the Château de Ferrières in the country outside of Paris. The Chateau had been occupied by the Germans during WWII, and sat empty until 1959.

Mme. Françoise de Langlade was the editor of French Vogue. She owned the Givenchy dress in turquoise. Langlade had worked for designer Elsa Schiaparelli and at Harper's Bazaar before joining Vogue. In 1967, she was married for the third time to Oscar de la Renta.

Countess Roland de Solages, the former Eliane David-Weill, was a member of the family that owned the Lazard Frères banking empire. She also owned the Givenchy dress in turquoise.