What's Under That Vintage Dress?

I post pictures of gorgeous vintage clothing here on my blog and on my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds daily.  The comments and questions I receive most often deal with the tiny waists or fit of the dresses shown.  In our modern world, where most of our clothing is styled to be loose or made with stretch fabrics, we find it difficult to relate to wearing a dress that molds to the body like this. The answer, of course, is what she is wearing under that gown.

Before the late 1960s, every woman wore control undergarments, whether they be girdles, corsets, or an all-in-one, as shown here.  Every woman, every day.  You just can't get the look and fit presented in that first photo without some kind of foundation garments. Period. 

Red dress with cape by Pauline Trigere.  All-in-one corselet by Warner's. Both photos from a 2-page ad for Warner's in Harper's Bazaar, 1961.

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.

Weekend Eye Candy - Pauline Trigere, 1973

 My post about Pauline Trigere yesterday brought up this image of a Trigere gown from the Fall of 1973.  Memories!

I sold the identical gown several years ago on my Couture Allure site.  It was a stunner!

Photo by Richard Avedon for Vogue, 1973.

Pauline Trigere Dress - 1970

If I had come across this outfit in my travels, I would have dated it to the mid-to-late 70s.  It is my experience that these handkerchief hems and floaty capes are more Disco than Boho.  But I would have been wrong, wrong, wrong.  This full page ad for Nan Duskin that features the Pauline Trigere ensemble is from the spring of 1970.  Still learning after all these years!

 Here's a very similar ensemble by Trigere in the collection of the Met Museum.  This one is dated 1971.

Full page ad for Nan Duskin from Vogue, 1970. Illustration by Duffy.

Meet Jenn!

 Meet Jenn!  Here she is at her cousin's wedding wearing a Pauline Trigere evening gown she purchased at Couture Allure.  Both she and the bride are beautiful, but I'm kind of partial to the shimmering gold of that Trigere dress.  Thank you for sharing the photo Jenn!

Pauline Trigere evening gown purchased at Couture Allure.

Pauline Trigere Dress, 1966

What a perfect dress for those hot summer days!  Pauline Trigere designed this beauty in 1966.  Note the 3-dimensional flower petals at the hem.  Jeweled sandals by Bernardo.  Earrings by Sandor Goldberger.

Pauline Trigere, 1957

No words necessary.

Pauline Trigere Dress - 1956

Pauline Trigere, one of America's most famous designers, designed this dress in the spring of 1956.  I love the unusual capelet collar that sits away from the shoulders.  Made of a beige and white wool tweed with a gathered skirt.  Sold in 1956 for $250 (about $2,112 in today's dollar.)  The doggie hug?  Priceless! 

New at Couture Allure - The Most Wonderful Pauline Trigere Dress

1950s Pauline Trigere silk full skirt dress

I listed several dresses for spring and summer this past week, but today, I just want to share one with you.  This 1950s full skirt dress by Pauline Trigere is a rare and wonderful treat.  Lovely roses adorn the substantial silk twill fabric and the skirt is huge with a 322" circumference at the hem.  Trigere pieces from the 40s and 50s are quite difficult to find now and I've never seen a full skirted dress by her for sale anywhere.  As an added bonus, it's not too tiny!  Bust 38" and waist 27".  Love it?  Me too!

Psychedelic Florals, 1966

When taking requests for this week's blog posts, Sarah asked for some psychedelic florals.  Here you go, Sarah!  These are all from 1966 and early 1967.  Which is your favorite?

Emilio Pucci

Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner

Pauline Trigere

Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner

Emilio Pucci

American Fashion Spring 1955

As much as we like to look at and dream about Parisian haute couture, American designs were more relevant and more affordable to a 1955 woman here in the U.S.  The styles shown here were featured in an American magazine geared to the average homemaker.  Just as fashion magazines and blogs influence our choices today, a 1950s housewife would see these photos as inspiration for ways to update her wardrobe.  The big difference is that she couldn't run out to H&M or Target and grab a cheap "fashion fashion" version.  No, our 50s homemaker would probably sew her own version or save a few dollars each week for months to be able to purchase one of these designer items that she would then wear for years to come.

Above, Pauline Trigere suit with a striped silk belted jacket and narrow wool skirt.

Golden suit by Claire McCardell worn with blue shoes.

Vera Maxwell silk paisley dress and paisley lined beige silk coat.

Larry Aldrich blue tunic and skirt worn with a nude shoe.

Maurice Rentner cotton sateen floral dress.

7 Important American Designers, 1954

So often we read about American fashion designers from the 1950s, and we love to drool over the clothes they made, but we have no idea what the designers themselves looked like. I stumbled across this photo which was part of an ad for Chrysler cars in 1954. The ad headline states, "7 top fashion designers find Chrysler Corporation's 1955 cars a stimulating new concept of good design."

Click on the picture to enlarge and you'll see the faces behind the clothes.

From left to right: Tim Brigance, Anne Fogarty, Clare Potter, Lily Daché, Nettie Rosenstein, Pauline Trigere, and Claire McCardell.

Weekend Eye Candy - Pauline Trigere 1966

Since I'm away on a buying trip this week, you get a second dose of weekend eye candy today. From 1966, a Pauline Trigere strapless beaded evening gown is worn with David Webb jewelry.

New at Couture Allure - Vintage Dresses and Vintage Suits

Newly listed at Couture Allure are several designer dresses and a couple of fabulous vintage suits.

My favorite this week is this gorgeous 1950's red and yellow brocade cocktail dress with matching swing coat by Frank Tisch.

Here's a stunning 1970's Pauline Trigere evening gown. Worked in a hand-painted silk georgette with gold metallic woven in, this gown's design is based on the style of an Asian cheongsam mixed with an Indian sari.

You have got to click in and see the other pictures of this 1950's Rothmoor suit. The matching cape is attached with buttons at the shoulders, and the jacket itself is fitted and belted. Simply smashing!

New, old stock, this gorgeous 1970's Victor Costa for Neiman Marcus dress is worked in white Cluny lace layered over nude color taffeta lining. Perfect for a summer formal party or wedding!

One of our last prom dresses this season, this 1950's party dress is worked in light blue chiffon layered over pink taffeta and it has darker blue free floating drapes in the back.

You know we love Davidow suits, and this one is earlier, dating to the immediate post-war years of the mid-late 1940's.

Also this week, we've marked down and moved several things to our Sale page. Grab these bargains while you can!