DIY 1955 Party Make-up

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to get this Far Eastern influenced holiday party look from December of 1955. Use one or more of these steps to change your appearance, or if you're quite adventurous, go for some serious glamour by following all of them. To see the look in more detail, click on the picture for a larger view. I must make note that many of these ideas are quite extreme and not at all practical by today's standards. Still, it is fun to get a glimpse into high fashion make-up artistry from the past.

1. Pluck away your entire eyebrow from the highest point of the arch out to the outer corner.
2. Cover the entire face and neck with a pale shade of foundation. There should be no pink tint.
3. Cover the eyelids up to the brows with pure white foundation or cream eye shadow. Blend carefully to accentuate the uptilt of the brows.
4. Pencil in the eyebrows with a very dark eyebrow pencil. Note the line of the penciled brow is higher and wider than the natural brow.
5. Outline the upper and lower lashes with dark eyeliner starting at a point near the bridge of the nose and extending both strokes out and away at the outer corners of the eyes.
6. Fill in the tiny triangle at the outer corners of the eyes with the white cream eye shadow.
7. Powder over the foundation with a pale ivory or beige. There should be no pink tint. No rouge or blush is used.
8. Outline the lips. The upper lip is drawn smaller and very thin. The lower lip is fuller. Fill in with bold red lipstick.

Wear your hair combed back straight and tight to the head. Add a black wig, if desired.

Parisian Hats During the War Years

1940

During WWII, the city of Paris was occupied by the Germans from June 1940 to August 1944. While most of the couture houses were shut down during those years, some women were still able to express their sense of fashion with hats. With each passing year, hat styles coming out of Paris got larger, higher and more elaborate. Its fun to see the progression as shown in these images from a French fashion magazine.

1941

1942

1943

1944

Fancy Tights - 1966

In 1966, skirt lengths were on the rise. The hosiery industry responded with fun and fancy tights in lots of open weaves, wild colors, and lush laces. I can remember my first pair of fun tights in bright neon yellow that mom bought for me in 1968. I wore them with a mini dress and patent shoes that were half white/half yellow. I loved those shoes.

Above, a Ballantyne cashmere turtleneck sweater is worn with Beautiful Bryans white lace tights. Ice cube bracelet by Vendome.

You'll see the ad for these Lady Exeter knee socks below. Here, they're worn over black tights.

Van Raalte shows "How to cope with knee-high, thigh-high, high-fashioned skirts."

"Who needs a pretty face with legs like Lady Exeter". The chantilly lace at left were ofered as tights or knee highs in black, brown, white, plum, blue, and honey. The shimmery solid geometric tights at right came in silver, brass, honey, brown, and cream.

Danskin benefited from the fashion trend by promoting their ballet tights as "not just for dancing".

And just for fun, an all-in-one stocking shoe by Nina Ricci for Herbert Levine. Silver mesh stockings are attached to pink soles with ice-cube plastic heels. ♥♥♥

George Carmel - New York Coat and Suit Company

1945

George Carmel was the owner of one of the finest coat and suit houses in New York. Carmel was one of 4 brothers who entered the business in 1918.

1955

George Carmel made expensive coats and suits that were considered investments in their day, as they were of the highest quality and would last for years and years.

1956

George's sons Lawrence and Monroe both joined the firm after finishing college. They continued the old traditions while at the same time bringing a more modern sensibility to the garments the company produced.

1959

While always attending the Paris couture shows, designers from George Carmel did not copy Paris models, but rather were inspired by the mood of the current fashions.

1961

Diana Adler was the head designer at George Carmel. She joined the firm in the mid 1940s and worked there until the company closed.

1967

George Carmel fell on hard times in the mid 1960s as fashion turned to less tailored and less expensive garments. The company closed in 1968.

Please note: Biographical information about George Carmel is copyright of Couture Allure and may not be copied without permission.

New at Couture Allure - Vintage Dresses and Last Chance Sale!

Today is your last chance to purchase a $50 bargain during our Last Chance Sale! We have new spring merchandise arriving and need to make room, so we're clearing our racks by offering you some fabulous buys. These items will disappear forever from the site tomorrow. Don't miss out!

1960s lilac sequins body hugging knit cocktail dress, just $50.00!!!!!

And, of course, we also have some new vintage items at Couture Allure. Be sure to check our What's New page to see all the latest listings.

1950s Dorothy O'Hara black draped cocktail dress in a larger size.

1950s velvet and taffeta full skirt party dress in a larger size.

1950s black satin full skirt dress with side drape.

1950s Milgrim silk satin with silver lace party dress. As Is, but still a beauty!

1970s pink metallic gown with lamé flowers.

Weekend Eye Candy - Flapper, 1925

From 1925, a quintessential Flapper. Doesn't she look rather bored with the whole thing?

Friday Charm School - The Art of Conversation, Part 5

Welcome to Friday Charm School! Today is our final installment in the Art of Conversation.

Conversation Essential 5: The Good Manners of Conversation

The good manners of conversation apply whether in a large group of people or a small gathering of acquaintances or friends. Here are five points to remember:

1. No Speeches or Monologues. No matter how interesting you believe your subject to be, please don't monopolize a conversation. Ask someone else for his opinion, change the subject, or move from one group to another.

2. No Foreign Languages. In today's multi-cultural society, it is common for guests to speak more than one language, but it is the height of bad manners to speak in any language unknown to others in the group. The exception is if you have a guest who does not speak English. In this instance, you should speak in his or her language and translate for the benefit of others, or speak in English but translate for the guest who does not speak it.

3. No Guest Left Out. Involve everyone in your group in the conversation. Be sure to include late arrivals by bringing them up-to-date. Assume that everyone has at least one subject on which he can talk in a fascinating manner. Make it your mission to discover that subject and make each guest feel at ease.

4. No Attacks on Anything! Please, no blanket attacks on religion or politics. Reasonable discussions are fine, but be careful that any of these do not lead to heated exchanges or opinionated statements. As a guest, respect the household you are visiting.

5. No Strong Statements on Moral or Ethical Questions. The same reasons hold true here as for rule 4. Nothing should be said in any group which could offend any member of that group.

Always remember the first rule of good manners is to be considerate of others. Relax and enjoy the conversation!

The Look - 1978

I am a woman of few words today, but who needs words when you have images such as these? This was the look of high fashion in 1978.

Paco Rabanne

Pierre Cardin

Van Cleef and Arpels

Yves St. Laurent

Per Spook

Fashion Inspired by the Movies - Brigadoon

In September of 1954, the movie Brigadoon was released. Based on the Broadway play of the same name, the film starred Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse, the magical dancing duo that had starred in Singin' in the Rain two years previous. Irene Sharaff designed the costumes for Brigadoon and her worked earned her an Oscar nomination.

Fashion trends inspired by movies were nothing new at the time. Dorothy Lamour's sarong in Jungle Princess from 1936 inspired a fashion classic. And in 1951, Elizabeth Taylor's white strapless dress from A Place in the Sun inspired the most popular style for proms that year.

A several page ad in August of 1954 featured "Brigadoon Fantasy Fashions" by Greta Plattry. Plattry was one of America's best known sportswear designers in the 1940s and 50s, and she was a perfect choice to design fashion based on the ethnic clothing of Scotland. Following are the rest of the ad pages with pictures by Richard Avedon.

Tweed wool jersey blouse and full skirt with embroidery at the neckline. Set sold for $36 in 1954 (about $294 in today's dollar).

Top: Pleated white cotton blouse with short wool kilt worn with matching wool shorts underneath. Ensemble sold for $56 in 1954 (about $457 in today's dollar).
Bottom: Plaid wool full skirted jumper with white cotton blouse. Ensemble sold for $52 in 1954 (about $425 in today's dollar).

Left: Red wool flannel jumper worn over white wool sweater. Ensemble sold for $48 in 1954 (about $392 in today's dollar).
Right: Red flannel jumper with the same white sweater and tasseled knee socks. Ensemble sold for $36 in 1954 (about $294 in today's dollar).

Velveteen jumper worn over a printed wool/cotton challis blouse. Ensemble sold for $60 in 1954 (about $490 in today's dollar).

Gene Berk for Paganne

1972

Gene Berk began his fashion career as a menswear merchandiser. By the early 60s, he was designing sportswear for Oleg Cassini, both in America and in Italy. He designed for Cole of California and even worked in a few movies. In 1965, Berk went out on his own and formed Paganne, Ltd. He was the president and designer of the company. In 1967, his company was bought by Printogs and was operated as a wholly owned subsidiary.

1974 "Bicycle Race" print

Though not trained as an artist (he was a pre-law dropout), all of Berk's prints began as small sketches that he drew on a pad in his workroom. Those sketches were then sent by air mail to artists in Como, Italy, where they were translated into life sized paintings, then into screens, then into sample swatches of fabric. Each step was sent back to New York for approval by Berk before going on to the next.

1974

When the rolls of finished fabric arrived in New York, Berk's imagination would go to work. Yards of fabric would be unrolled onto a work table and he would then conjure up various ways to use the print in several garments. His sketches inspired the fabric, then the fabric inspired the clothes.

1974 "Vagabonda" print

In the early years of Paganne, Ltd. garments were made of silk jersey, cotton knit, wool knit, and velveteen. Later in the 60s and then into the 70s, most of the garments were made of Quiana nylon, Antron nylon, or Banlon nylon. Most of his prints were signed "©Paganne". One print would often be made in several color variations.

Couture Allure currently has one Paganne dress for sale, a geometric nylon in blue and white on black.

Please note: Biographical information about Gene Berk and Paganne is copyright of Couture Allure and may not be copied without permission.

Fun with Mink - 1966

I am a firm believer that if you chose to wear fur, you should always chose vintage. That keeps coats and stoles already in existence out of our landfills and at the same time doesn't support the unneeded slaughter of today's animals for fashion. In showing images of vintage furs on this blog, I hope to inspire you and show you how beautiful they can be for the modern woman.

By 1966, fur makers were playing with new color combinations and unique constructions. Enjoy these mink coats from the winter of that year.

Laurence Kaye showed the first chevron striped mink, pieced in gunmetal gray and white.

Emeric Partos mink dress with an optical illusion pattern in white, gray, and black.

Veneziani mink coat in horizontal rings of color ranging from white to dark brown.

Ben Kahn mink ski jacket with chevron stripe insets.

Maximillan double breasted coat, brown mink set off with pale beige in the front.