Wearing White - 1948

Wearing white in the heat of summer is a smart choice, as it reflects the sun's heat and also has a soothing psychological effect. Here's how women wore white for the summer of 1948. Included are our tips for the modern woman who wants to wear white, republished from an earlier post.

Left: Silver Fashions white cotton pique suit with gold buttons. Sold for $28 in 1948 (about $255 in today's dollar).
Center: Glamour Apparel white cotton blouse and skirt. Sold for $18 in 1948 (about $164 in today's dollar).
Right: Nancy Hood white pique suit. Sold for $23 in 1948 (about $210 in today's dollar).

Tip #1 - Choose the right white for your skin tone. Clear, bright white looks best on skin with blue undertones. For those with warmer complexions, cream or ivory is a better choice.

Left: Harry Keiser white cotton organdy dress with eyelet ruffle. Sold for $35 in 1948 (about $319 in today's dollar).
Right: Mary Stevens white dotted swiss dress. Sold for $35 in 1948 (about $319 in today's dollar).

Tip #2 - Select high quality fabrics with enough body to diminish show-through. Lighter weight fabrics should be lined for the best result.

Left: De Pinna white cotton pique dress. Sold for $40 in 1948 (about $365 in today's dollar).
Center: Cameo white cotton pique dress. Sold for $35 in 1948 (about $319 in today's dollar).
Right: Sol Meyerson white cotton dress with gold belt. Sold for $25 in 1948 (about $228 in today's dollar).

Tip #3 - Wear skin-toned underwear with white. White underwear will show through your dress! Choose a bra and panties in a color as close as possible to your skin tone. If your dress is not lined, a nude color slip will work wonders.

Judy Bond white cotton batiste gypsy blouse can be worn on or off the shoulder. Sold for $5 in 1948 (about $46 in today's dollar).

Tip#4 - Choose the proper shoes or sandals in soft beige, camel, silver, or bronze. Avoid wearing heavy colored shoes like black or dark brown. Bright pops of color like red or yellow on your feet can work if they are balanced with a matching accessory. White shoes will give a look that is too "matchy-matchy".

June Arden white eyelet peplum dress. Sold for $15 in 1948 (about $137 in today's dollar).

Tip #5 - White can appear too virginal, too sweet. Offset that tendency by showing enough skin. Choose sleeveless or low-cut styles over being too covered up.

First 3 photos by Landshoff.

Vintage Swimsuits - 1975

In 1975, the news in swimsuits is new lighter-weight Lycra fabrics that were used to great advantage in sleek maillots and daringly bare bikinis. Even the bathing cap is new in thin rubber that shapes to the head. The first 4 photos were taken at the East 23rd Street swimming pool in New York City, which is still in operation today.

At left: Jean-Louis Scherrer white lycra maillot. Sold for $165 in 1975 (about $674 in today's dollar).
At right: Stephen Burrows white nylon/lycra suit with sheer sides and back. Sold for $38 in 1975 (about $155 in today's dollar).

At top: Sirena black lycra bikini with a halter top. Sold for $18 in 1975 (about $74 in today's dollar).
At bottom: Missoni purple and white stripe cotton knit bikini and cover-up skirt. Set sold for $250 in 1975 (about $1021 in today's dollar).

At left: Catalina blue and black stripe maillot in nylon/lycra blend. Sold for $26 in 1975 (about $106 in today's dollar).
At right: Catalina uses the same stripe fabric combined with solid black in a bikini. Sold for $18 in 1975 (about $74 in today's dollar).

At left: White stretch terry t-shirt and shorts cover-up by Lois Anderson for Tannerway. Set sold for $38 in 1975 (about $155 in today's dollar).
At right: Christian Dior for Saks Fifth Avenue red strapless nylon/lycra bikini. Sold for $35 in 1975 (about $143 in today's dollar).

What do you wear with your swimsuit? How about this embroidered raffia bag with matching wedge sandals by Charles Jourdan, also from 1975.

First 4 photos by Deborah Turbeville, last photo by Rudolph Haussaine.

Awful 80s Fashion #8

It's been two months since my last Awful 80's post. How time flies! Today, Awful 80s fashion for the man in your life.

"Honey, what's for dinner?" "Oh, I don't know.....how about salmon?"

"Maybe if I lean up against my expensive car, they won't notice my pants."

Preppy checklist. Plaid jacket with green lining, check. Pink shirt, check. Green pants, check. Pink belt and pocket square, check. Wire rimmed glasses, check. Bow tie, check. Want to bet he's wearing pink Docksiders with no socks?????

Model: Take the picture quick before anyone sees me in this thing.

"I know, honey! Let's be twins today!"

He's big and bold, alright.

"What's the matter? What?????"

New at Couture Allure - Vintage Designer Dresses and Suits

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New to the site this week are several vintage dresses and suits from such designers as Leonard of Paris, Paganne, Norman Norell, and Lilli Ann. Be sure to click in to our What's New page to see all the new goodies in one place!

1970 Leonard of Paris panne velvet gown.

1950s Lilli Ann gray wool suit jacket in a larger size.

1960s 100% camel hair dress and coat with stenciled leopard fur trim.

1970s Paganne print dress.

1950s Branell wool dress and bolero jacket with ermine fur trim.

1960s plus size gold brocade evening gown and opera coat set.

Weekend Eye Candy - Norman Norell, 1958

One more garment from the Brooklyn Museum collection. This 1958 evening dress by Norman Norell is trimmed with rows of black fox fur. This dress was not shown in the exhibit, but is in the book, "High Style" that accompanies it.

Charles James Highlights at the Brooklyn Museum Exhibit

The Brooklyn Museum exhibit "American High Style: Fashioning a National Collection" includes many examples of the work of couturier Charles James. James worked closely with the museum through his involvement with the Design Lab and persuaded several of his clients, including Millicent Rogers, Austine Hearst, and Dominique de Menil, to donate their Charles James garments to the collection at the Brooklyn Museum. In 1993, Erik Lee Preminger donated 24 Charles James garments worn by his mother, Gypsy Rose Lee, to the museum. As a result, the museum holds nearly 200 garments and 600 related Charles James materials, including drawings and patterns of his work.

Many of Charles James' best known evening gowns were on display as part of the exhibit. Shown here are just a few. All photos were taken by me, and thanks to the museum for allowing photos for educational purposes! We appreciate it!

"Butterfly" ball gown, 1955.

Ivory silk satin evening gown, 1951.

"Four Leaf Clover" ball gown, 1953.

"Diamond" evening dress, 1957.

Evening dress, 1946.

"Tree" ball gown, 1955.

Two Charles James evening gowns, 1948 and 1947.

I hope you've enjoyed my reviews of the New York exhibits. I surely enjoyed visiting them!

Exhibit Highlights - Brooklyn Museum

Doggy coat and leash, 1920.

Here are some of my favorite pieces from the exhibit "American High Style: Fashioning an American Collection" at the Brooklyn Museum. You can see my review of this exhibit here. All photos were taken by me, and thanks to the museum for allowing photos for educational purposes! We appreciate it!

Madame Eta Hentz dress, 1944. That is not a print.
Each of those interlocking wings is individually seamed and stitched.

Sorelle Fontana evening gown and wrap worn by Ava Gardner in The Barefoot Contessa, 1954.

Claire McCardell swimsuit and sundress, 1944.

Carolyn Schnurer bathing suit and sundress, 1950.

Two 1940s evening gowns by Elsa Schiaparelli.

Elsa Schiaparelli necklace, 1938.

Evening gown by Marguery Bolhagen worn to the Kennedy inauguration ball.

Mme. Grés silk taffeta ball gown with incredible sleeves, 1969.
This was my favorite piece in the entire exhibit.

Two gowns by Gilbert Adrian inspired by cubism, 1944.

Pink silk poppy skirt and cape by Arnold Scaasi, 1983.

Halston tie dyed silk chiffon caftan, 1975.

Want to see more? You will find photos of all the pieces in the exhibit at the Collection Database of the Metropolitan Museum website. Tomorrow I'll show you some of the Charles James pieces in the exhibit.

Review of the New York Fashion Exhibits - Brooklyn Museum

I was lucky enough to take a short trip to New York a couple of weeks ago with the sole intent of seeing the concurrent fashion exhibits on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum. Both exhibits feature treasures from the Brooklyn Museum's extensive costume collection that has been transferred to the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute.

After my disappointment in the exhibit at the Met, I could only hope that the Brooklyn Museum's exhibit, "American High Style: Fashioning a National Collection" would take a better approach. My breath was literally taken away when I walked through the doors to be greeted by this display.

Clean walls, simple mannequins, and no clutter allowed me to focus on what the exhibit was all about - the clothes. And, unlike the Met, the Brooklyn Museum allowed non-flash photography! Shown here, from left to right: Pink gown by Bonnie Cashin, striped gown by Charles Worth, red gown by Charles James, and gold beaded evening set by Norman Norell.

The exhibit, curated by Jan Glier Reeder, features exquisite clothing from both American designers and French couturiers who influenced American fashion. Two large rooms are divided by angled walls to allow the display of more mannequins, and several smaller rooms feature rare garments and accessories. Above is a grouping of several of Charles James' most important designs.

And here, an entire wall of couture by Elsa Schiaparelli.

From left to right: French couture by Jean Desses, Mme. Gres, Fontana, Balenciaga hidden behind Dior, Givenchy, Yves St. Laurent, and Chanel.

A grouping of gowns and coats by Charles Worth.

Halston tie dye caftan next to a silk gown by James Galanos.

Fashion by American women designers included Vera Maxwell, Claire McCardell, Bonnie Cashin, and Carolyn Schnurer.

In my opinion, the Brooklyn Museum exhibit is far more successful that that of the Met, as I was able to enjoy the clothing and it's design for it's own sake without distraction and noise. Another plus is that the Brooklyn Museum was far less crowded than the Met. My advice? If you can only choose one, choose the exhibit in Brooklyn. And if you can't get to either, I highly recommend the book that accompanies the exhibit, "High Style: Masterworks from the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art". You can get the paperback version for $25.00 plus shipping from the Brooklyn Museum Shop. Amazon only offers the more expensive hard cover version. Over the next two days, I'll show you more highlights of the Brooklyn exhibit.