Adele Simpson Ensemble - 1964

You know I love Bergdorf ads.  But it's the outfit here that catches my imagination.  From 1964, the Adele Simpson rayon sheath dress with interesting seaming is set off with a matching capelet.  The cape was lined in contrasting silk and the set came with a leather tie belt in the same color as the cape lining.  The color combinations were wonderful: navy with vivid green lining and belt, sea green with turquoise, gold nugget with black or black with gold nugget.  The set sold for $160 in 1964 (about $1220 in today's dollar.)

Which color would you choose? 

Cotton Suits for Spring - 1961

Cool, comfortable and certainly chic, did you know cotton tailors well?  Here are two great examples from 1961.

Above: Ben Zuckerman sheath dress and 3/4 coat in luscious pink cotton pique. Yummy!

Adele Simpson blue cotton jacket and skirt paired with a printed silk blouse.  The little jacket is lined in the same fabric as the blouse.  The giant buttons add just the perfect finishing touch.

Test Your Fashion Eye Answer

Did you see it?  The suit is a navy wool with a bolero jacket over a bias cut midi length skirt, worn with a white silk blouse.  All three pieces are by Stavropoulos.  Nothing wrong there.

The gold tassel belt is by Richelieu and adds a perfect bit of sparkle.  Nothing wrong there either.

Chunky platform shoes by Viner Bros. worn with dark hosiery.  Nope, that's OK.

Gloves by Crescendoe-Superb.  Wait!  Gloves in 1970?  No, no, no, no, no!  Gloves, like hats, had gone completely out of favor by this time, especially with the younger fashion reader that editor Diana Vreeland was appealing to.  They look very out of place with this ultra modern 1970 suit.  Why include them in the photo?  My guess would be that either Vreeland was under pressure to appeal to her more traditional readers from the powers on high at Vogue, or the Crescendoe company required their gloves be used in fashion shoots as part of an agreement to buy ad space in the magazine.  What do you think?

Photo by Bert Stern for Vogue magazine, 1970.

Test Your Fashion Eye - 1970

This image comes from a 1970 issue of Vogue magazine.  When you look at this photo, can you tell what is "off" or "out-of-place" and why?  Answer tomorrow!

Jean Patou - 1947

This gorgeous evening gown was designed by Jean Patou in the spring of 1947.  Sparkling gold sequins cover the strapless bodice and glimmer over the pale blue tulle skirt.  A dress like this must have captured the imagination of every woman in Paris after years of war and deprivation. The color combination inspires me today.  What does the gown say to you?

White Dresses for Graduation - 1949

It's long been a tradition at many schools that the female graduates are required to wear a white dress for the ceremony.  I'm not sure of the reasons for this, but here are two pretty choices from 1949.

Left:  White dotted swiss with eyelet lace by Nona.
Right:  Embroidered organdy with a velvet sash by Junior Accent.

Did you wear white for your graduation?

Meet Nancy and Sandie

I had a private sale the other day and my friend Nancy stopped by to do a little shopping.  Nancy has a great eye for fashion and she pulled out this lovely 1950s cotton dress that looked rather blah on the hanger.  As soon as she put it on, the dress came alive.  It looks like it was made for her, just 60 years ago!  Nancy, you look beautiful!

Nancy brought along her friend Sandie.  Sandie tried on this sequin covered party dress from the 1980s, and WOW!  Talk about glamour!  She will take this dress along to wear on a cruise, and she is sure to stand out from the crowd.  Sandie, you look gorgeous!

Have you shopped for vintage lately?  Perhaps you should!

Bernardo Moon Sandals - 1967

Bernardo Rudofsky began business in Italy in 1946.  He is credited with inventing the modern day sandal for women.  This full page ad for Bernardo's "Moon Sandal" appeared in Vogue in 1967.  Picnic at a monastary, anyone?  I love the fact there is a portable record player with several rock and roll albums on the blanket.  The monk sure is having fun!

The copy from the ad reads as follows:

"The Un-Ascetic Sandal
When you get down to the basics in sandals, you get pretty close to what a 15th century monk wore around the monastery.
Bernardo says even the sandal that's basic enough to be right with bathing suits, party pyjamas and everything in between, doesn't have to be a bore.
These bright shining discs, more at home on the moon than in a monastery, are Bernardo's "Moon Sandals" designed for 20th century people by Eva Sonnino."

 The Bernardo Footwear company is still in business today.  In Spring 2011, the company re-released two vintage styles in limited editions.  The Moon in Madras sandal was one of them.  The sandals are hand crafted in Italy and there are still limited sizes available of the Moon Sandal in red.  You can shop for them here.

Saks Ad - 1970

Here's something I just don't get.  This is a full page ad placed by Saks Fifth Avenue in a 1970 issue of Vogue magazine.  You and I both know how wild and colorful the prints used in clothing were at this time. The ad copy even states, "Liberated spirit. Coloring around-and-around, deep-beaded and braided on pure silk surah."

Why, then, did Saks chose to print this ad in black and white instead of full color?  Yes, the advertising cost would have been higher, but this ad just doesn't convey the dress as it should.  Perhaps 1970 was a time of belt-tightening and cutting costs. I find this a lot in the pages of most fashion magazines from this time period.  Clothing that should be shown in all its colorful glory is disappointingly printed in black and white.  OK, rant over.

I love the way the elaborate beading and braid at the neckline complements the wild print.  There is no designer mentioned, so this is likely by Saks' custom design department. Sophie Gimbel had just retired the year before, so I don't know who designed this beauty. I can tell you that the dress was $130 in 1970 (about $787 in today's dollar) and was worth every penny.

Photo from a Saks ad appearing in Vogue 1970.

Neutral Navy - 1956

Navy blue.  It's one of those neutral colors that is flattering on most everyone. It goes with every other color. It is perfect if black is too harsh on you. And, subliminally, navy says "success."

This two page ad for Rayon fabric from 1956 features 5 different navy blue dresses, all available at Henri Bendel. The hats are by Adolfo of Emme.

Above left:  Sheath dress with short jacket by Rembrant.
Above right:  Full skirt princess dress by Junior Sophisticate.

Left:  Sheath dress with short cape by Highlight.
Center:  Shirtwaist dress by Ira Rentner.
Right:  Full skirted dress by Richard Cole.

Which dress is perfect for you?  How do you wear navy blue?

Both photos from a 2 page advertisement for Rayon in Harper's Bazaar, 1956.

Welcome Spring!

Christian Dior, 1951

Now that Spring has officially sprung, I thought you might enjoy these takes on combining Mother Nature's floral bounty with fashion.

Maggy Rouff, 1951

1950, cartwheel hat in the form of a daisy.

David Crystal Pastel Rainbow - 1956

The perfect dress for a sultry summer evening, don't you think?  The pastel rainbow of a skirt is knife pleated all the way around and set off to perfection with the solid blue bodice that buttons down the back.  Dress by David Crystal in Celanese Arnel jersey for spring 1956.  Sold for $40 (about $345 in today's dollar.)  Oh, and the wicker chair is by Widdicomb, another famous mid-century brand.

Photo by Louise Dahl-Woolfe for Harper's Bazaar, 1956.

Adele Simpson Convertible Dress - 1956

A seemingly simple dress and jacket set by Adele Simpson from the spring of 1956 takes a surprising turn.  In the small photo at the left, the dress appears to be one piece.  But remove that little bolero....and is that a strapless dress now?  Why, yes!  I believe it is!  3 looks in 1!  The ad calls this ensemble the "Important 'peel off' costume."  Made in imported Italian silk by Chardon Marche.

Photo from a full page ad for Adele Simpson that appeared in Harper's Bazaar, 1956.

Designer Hats from Paris - 1960

Pierre Balmain

I posted these gorgeous hat photos on my Facebook page yesterday.  Everyone loved them so much, I thought you might like to see them here. All from Paris, all from the spring of 1960.

Rose Valois

Paulette

Gilbert Orcel

Jean Patou

Claude St. Cyr

Diana Vreeland Puts St. Laurent on the Cover of Vogue - 1963

April, 1963.  Diana Vreeland is making her influence known at Vogue magazine, where she was hired the previous year.  Sometime during 1963, Vreeland took over as Editor-in-Chief from Jessica Daves, though her name would not show up on the masthead as such until sometime in the spring of 1964.  Until March or April of 1964, Daves is listed on the masthead as Editorial Advisor and Vreeland's name is not listed at all.  But I digress.

Diana Vreeland was an early champion of the work of Yves St. Laurent, after he opened his own couture house in 1962.  In her efforts to bring a more youthful vibe to the pages of Vogue magazine, she featured St. Laurent's fresh take on fashion frequently.

For the cover of the April 15, 1963 issue of Vogue, Jean Shrimpton wears Yves St. Laurent's polka dotted silk evening gown with separate beaded top.

In the same issue, St. Laurent is given a full page color image of another of his evening looks in the editorial spread, "Paris - When it Shimmers."  Vreeland calls the two piece evening dress "ravishing."  And she features St. Laurent's look one page ahead of Dior's linen daytime dress.  Oh la la!

Both images by William Klein for Vogue, April 1963.

A Rare 1954 Documented Jacket by Claire McCardell

When I found this Claire McCardell jacket, I recognized it immediately as being featured on the cover of the May 1954 issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine, a magazine I have in my archives.

While Bazaar calls it a bateau-neck shirt, this garment is really a kimono styled jacket that is open in the front.  I can just see Diana Vreeland telling the model to "put in on backwards" for the photo shoot! Perfect to wear over a swimsuit or with a simple black dress or pants, this piece bears the rare Claire McCardell Pieces label and was originally sold at Lord & Taylor.

The jacket is ingeniously cut in parallelogram shaped pieces and there is a 6" gap between the front opening edges when it is laid flat. The fact that McCardell juxtaposed the very angular geometric shape with polka dots delights me! If it didn't have the labels and the documentation, I'd swear the jacket was from the 1980s.  That's how forward-thinking McCardell was.  She made simple, unfussy clothing in great fabrics.  All of her garments are still relevant and completely wearable today.

Now that you know the shape of the jacket flat, look at the cover photo once again.  As the model is posed, the jacket is completely gaping open in the back!  It can't be clipped or pinned together.  If it was, the bottom hem wouldn't flare out as it is.

This rare Claire McCardell Pieces jacket is now available at Couture Allure.  Check it out to see lots more photos!  For another interesting perspective on the styling of this jacket for Vogue, check out Jonathan's post about it on his blog Kickshaw Productions.

Incredible Use of Gingham - 1954

I am always amazed that designer Jerry Parnis doesn't garner as much recognition today as her sister Mollie.  Jerry did incredible things with cotton, her favorite fabric.  Here she uses black and white gingham check to great effect.  I hope you can see the details of the curving bands appliqued to the skirt and accented with gathered bows.  And what could be a design that is too "girly" is heated up with a deeply cut neckline.  Do you love it as much as I do?  Dress by Jerry Parnis, 1954.  Hat by John Frederics.

Photo from a full page ad for Mooresville fabric in Harper's Bazaar, 1954.

Short Break

Couture Allure will be on a short break for the next couple of weeks while we host family visiting from the frozen tundra of the north.  I'll be back with new blog posts and new items for the website soon!

Rose Marie Reid Swimsuits, 1954

Tired of winter?  Here's a bit of relief.  This ad for Rose Marie swimsuits is from November of 1954 and featured two jewel-toned suits for tropical vacations during the winter of that year.  The suits are incredible, but note the matching scarves that were designed specifically to coordinate by Rex.  And then note the addition of the rhinestone starfish brooch on the pink scarf.  Love!

"Pouf go those winter winds! Blaze goes the sun...and from Trinidad to Tuscan, Majorca to Miami, you're part of the fun!  Smart girl, if you're a second-vacation traveler, revitalizing for the rest of the year. Lucky girl, if your first flight is in fashion...a new shape that says you've arrived!  The shape, a feather boned sheath.  The suits, "Court Lady," left, $19.95. "Beau Catcher," right, $17.95." (That's about $173 and $156 in today's dollar.)

Photo from a full page ad appearing in Harper's Bazaar for Rose Marie Reid, 1954.

Every Day Will Count

Today marks the 4th anniversary of the tragic death of my sister Barbara. As I do each year, I want to share her words with you. This is a reprint of a post I wrote in February, 2010. Please hug someone you love today.

Thank you all so very much for your heartfelt thoughts, prayers, and words of condolence over the past week. The loss of my dear sister has been devastating to me and my entire family. Your words meant a lot.

My sister Barbara was 5 years younger than me, which disproves the theory "Older is wiser", as she taught me many life lessons through the years. Barbara taught me how important it is to define your dreams and then go and get them for yourself. She taught me that it was OK to pursue being happy with my life. She taught me to take care of myself first, so I could be the best mom possible for my children. She taught me what it means to be a friend through her ability to listen and care. She taught me what it means to be a sister through her love for me, Pam, Becky and Brenda. She taught me what it means to be a daughter through her abiding love and respect for our parents. She taught me what it means to be a mother through her willingness to do anything for her children. She taught me what it means to be an aunt through her caring for all her nieces and nephews.

Barbara's passing has left a rift in my family that will never be filled. I wish that I had spoken with her in the week before she died and told her how much I loved her. As it is, I must believe that she knows it somehow.

Please reach out to someone in your family today and tell them that you love them. You never know if it will be your last chance.

During the past week, I found the following passage written by Barbara in her journal. It was written sometime in 2000, the year she turned 39. It was read at her memorial service on Thursday, and I want to share it with you here.

"What can I say, but be true to you and you will never disappoint yourself.
Try to treat your children as you would see your perfect self behave.
Don't sell yourself short. Amazing things can happen - even at 39.
If you were to know that you would have your last year on earth - how would you live your life?
Don't settle.
Know that every day will count.
Go surf, ride the bike with the kids, plant a tree, put a fence in, put a hot tub in.
Try to make a difference for your children."

Rest in peace now, my beautiful sister. I love you.