Hanae Mori Jumpsuit, 1967

Photo by Irving Penn for US Vogue

I usually associate designer Hanae Mori with beautiful prints, and butterflies were a favorite design element of hers, but this over-the-top jumpsuit from 1967 is quite a bit wilder than anything I've seen of hers from this era.  Made of silk crepe, I am sure the workmanship on this was simply superb.  The bracelets are by New York jeweler Charles Elkaim.

New at Couture Allure - Vintage Dresses, Hats, and Purses

This week at Couture Allure, we've added more floral dresses for spring, more floral hats and some fabulous vintage and designer handbags.  Be sure to check our What's New pages to see all the latest listings!

1950s cotton full skirt dress by Matty Talmack

1960s cotton dress with yellow roses

1960s Adele Simpson silk shift dress

1960s Cover Girl bias cut linen dress

1960s floral hat

1940s large leather clutch purse

Weekend Eye Candy - Lucien Lelong, 1928

Claire Luce wears a dove gray satin coat trimmed in gray fox fur at the sleeves by Lucien Lelong in 1928.  Luce was a Zeigfeld star at this time, and she would soon move on to fame on the stage and in movies.

Guess the Date, Guess the Designer

Can you guess the designer?  How about the date?  I'll give you one hint.  This jumpsuit is NOT made of polyester!  Answer on Monday.

In the Swim: Vintage Swimsuits, 1955

Swim, swim, swimsuits from 1955!

Rose Marie Reid introduced a line of brightly colored swimsuits in the new Celaperm fabric.  Celaperm was a blend of Celenese acetate and elasticized cotton that was guaranteed not to fade or run.  This made the use of bright color combinations possible, such as in this blue and green tartan plaid.  Sold in 1955 for $18 (about $152 in today's dollar.)

If I found this swimsuit today, I'd guess it was from the 1930s.  But no, these suits by Cabana, which were made in an elasticized wool/angora blend, are from 1955.  They were probably offered at Bonwit Teller for the store's more conservative customers, who preferred the familiar styles of the past.  Sold in 1955 for $22.95 (about $194 in today's dollar.)

Cole of California offered a line of beach fashions influenced by Spain.  This strapless maillot in black Lastex is accented with bright red triangles and black braid.  Olé!  Sold in 1955 for $17.95 (about $152 in today's dollar.)

A Touch of Spring

I love pretty floral prints.  The dress and jacket ensemble shown here is by Harvey Berin and dates to 1961.  "Verdant leaf-green on white" is how the print is described.  Under the jacket, the sleeveless sheath can stand on it's own.  And if you're bold enough, top it off with a pouf of white blossoms and green leaves via the Sally Victor hat.  Nothing says Spring like a showy floral hat!

It's in the Details

 Pretty dress, isn't it?  From Spring 1949, this rayon crepe dress by Berkeley Juniors sold for $15 (about $143 in today's dollar.)  That's not an outrageous amount of money.  But I guarantee that if you go out and spend $143 on a modern dress at the mall today, the quality will not compare to this dress from 1949.  And you won't find the intricate details that make this dress so special.

You see, the light and dark stripes are not printed on the fabric.  Those are separate panels of fabric that have been seamed together.  To make the dress even more special, the seams are accented with contrasting saddle stitch embroidery.  I can't tell if the saddle stitching is done by machine or hand here, but it really serves to take this dress to the next level.  Saddle stitch is a variation of a basic running stitch with a longer stitch length.  It is intended to be a strong accent and is usually worked in a thick, decorative thread like buttonhole twist in a contrasting color.

Do you love it?

Fashion in Film - The Help

 I read "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett last year and loved it.  I finally took the time this weekend to watch the Oscar nominated film, and enjoyed it even more!!!!  In my opinion, costume designer Sharen Davis should have taken home the Academy Award for Best Costume Design because she nailed the look of the early 60s in Jackson, Mississippi.

 50 of the main costumes were made from scratch using vintage fabrics.  The rest were true vintage sourced from costume shops and vintage stores.  The accessories used in the film, like hats, handbags, jewelry and sunglasses, were all true vintage.

 Davis also achieved perfection in showing the differences in wardrobe worn by the young white women, their older mothers, and the daily uniforms and "Sunday best" of the black domestics.

She also did a brilliant job of portraying social misfit Celia Foote with her too-tight dresses and her low-cut necklines that scandalized the Junior League membership in their more demure clothing.  Bravo to Sharen Davis for a job well done!

If you haven't seen "The Help", I highly recommend it.  For a more in-depth discussion with Sharen Davis about the costumes designed for the film, this article from the L.A. Times is a great read.

Weekend Eye Candy - Mme Gres, 1966

Photo by Dominique Laporte for L'Officiel

Mme. Gres presented this daring bare midriff gown for Spring 1966 in a wonderful and wild printed silk.  Those triangular cut-outs are strategically placed to show off the curve at your waistline.  Love the dress, but the addition of the yellow drape is an unfortunate choice, in my opinion.  I think the dress would stand perfectly on it's own.

Silver Swimsuits - 1966

I've shown you before how popular silver was in 1966.  Here, this shimmering color even goes to the beach.

Photo by Henry Clarke for US Vogue.

Silver maillot by Silvia de Gay for Robert Sloan made of metal coated Dupont nylon.  Suit sold for $35 in 1966 (about $245 in today's dollar.) 

Photo by Bert Stern for US Vogue.

Cole of California silver swimsuit with a cowl neckline.  The cutaway sides and back are filled with nude fishnet.  Made of Dupont nylon and mylar.  This beauty also came in gold. 

My How Things Have Changed

This 1956 full page ad for Macshore Classics appeared on the inside front cover of a high fashion magazine.  I find this ad charming, with the model's scowl and her indignation that her husband has accused her of spending too much money on her blouse.  Here's the ad copy:

"I've never been so insulted!  Just don't worry about my being a 'flighty spendthrift' or ever getting your bank account confused with Mr. Rockefeller's.  I know this exquisite Macshore wash 'n' wear dacron and pima blend blouse looks like 'an outrageous ten or twelve dollars', but actually it only cost $3.98.  And Macshore Classics happens to have a whole wonderful line of these smart luxury-looking sleeveless blouses priced at a mere bagatelle of just $3 and $4."

Can you imagine any company today putting this ad in a magazine, much less on the inside front cover?  By the way, that $3.98 in 1956 is equal to about $33 today.

Leap Day

It's Leap Day!  Let's all jump for joy because we have an extra day to live it up this year!

  Go have some fun today!

Jo Collins - 1958

Jo Collins was a junior label made by Mandel Manufacturing Company in St. Louis.  St. Louis, MO was the center of junior clothing manufacturing in the U.S. from the 1930s into the early 1960s.  Jo Collins was likely not a real person, but rather just a name used by the manufacturer.  The Jo Collins line consisted of dresses, suits, and separates in junior sizes and was active from about 1949 to the early 60s.

The rose print dress above is from 1958 and was made of Everfast cotton.  I love rose prints and this one is especially pretty.  

The same rose print cotton is used in separates as part of the same line in 1958.
Left:  One-piece playsuit.  Sold in 1958 for $8 (about $63 in today's dollar.)
Center:  Blouse and skirt.  Sold in 1958 for $16.50 (about $129 in today's dollar.)  
Right:  Blouson top and shorts.  Sold in 1958 for $14 (about $110 in today's dollar.)

As I've said before, I love coordinating separates.  Don't like the blouson top?  Wear the little blouse from the center with the shorts.  Pop the skirt over the playsuit.  The possibilities are are limited only by your imagination!

Favorite Academy Awards Gown

I am quite amused this morning reading various opinions regarding who wore the best and worst gowns last night to the Academy Awards.  One site gives Gwyneth Paltrow an A for her Tom Ford gown with matching cape, another site gives her an F.  One site says Glenn Close's dress and jacket by Zac Posen were a "Hit", another calls it a "miserable Fail."  When did we start grading the gowns worn by Academy Award attendees?  I prefer to just enjoy the fashion and say everyone looked beautiful.

Instead of rehashing last night's Oscar fashions for you, I thought I would share one of my favorite gowns from the past.  Grace Kelly wore this gorgeous silk satin gown to the 27th Academy Awards in 1955.  The photo was taken for the cover of Life Magazine by Phillipe Halsman.

 The gown was designed by Edith Head (here with her back to the camera) and was worn with a matching evening coat.

Grace Kelly won the Best Actress Oscar that night for her role in The Country Girl.

It is said that the yards and yards of silk used for the gown cost over $4,000.

I love the coat worn over the dress.  It makes it that much more regal and special, don't you think?



Here you can see the gown in motion as Grace accepts her award.  Enjoy!

New at Couture Allure - Vintage Dresses and Hats!

New this week at Couture Allure are more vintage dresses for spring and some wonderful hats that are perfect for Easter, the Kentucky Derby or the Queen's Jubilee!  Be sure to check our What's New pages to see all the latest listings.

1950s silk full skirt dress

1950s full skirt dress.

1970s Malia cotton sun dress.

1970s Oscar de la Renta silk and metallic dress.

1950s gold metallic cocktail dress.

1960s roses hat - Kentucky Derby!

Weekend Eye Candy - Christian Dior, 1949

Christian Dior, Spring 1949.  I don't really need to say anything else, do I?

Red Dress - 1949

One red dress, perfect for a day of shopping on 5th Avenue or the Champs Elysees.  Cotton pique is set off with a long row of buttons down the front and a bow at the neckline.  The huge full skirt has deep unpressed pleats and pockets at the hips.  By J.L.F Originals.  Sold in 1949 for $35 (about $441 in today's dollar.)  Bring your own reusable shopping bag, in this case a straw on by Simon.

Adele Simpson Dress and Capelet - 1964

I always enjoy these ads from Bergdorf Goodman.  The artwork is superb and the wording is beautifully descriptive.  Today, "The Capelet Costume" from February, 1964.  Sold for $160 (about $1,170 in today's dollar.)

"The Capelet Costume...full-of-flair and elegant bravado.  Watch this shape-in-the-news sweep South and into Spring '64, a beautiful balance of crisply-controlled width and eased slenderness.  Adele Simpson flings the breezy little silk-lined cape over a dress of matching rayon Fibranne, its waistline lashed with a sliver of leather.  Navy with vivid green lining and belt, sea green with turquoise, gold nugget with black or black with gold nugget.  Sizes 6 to 16.  From our Plaza Collections, Fourth Floor."

I do think I'd have to choose sea green with turquoise lining and belt.  How about you?

In the Swim: Vintage Swimsuits, 1959

Whether you're going on a tropical vacation or just dreaming of one, you're sure to be inspired by these vintage swimsuits from 1959.  2 piece suits were still considered pretty daring at this time, but they begin to show up more and more at this time and into the next few years.  Which one do you like?

Cole of California made these 4 co-ordinates in Siamese silk plaid.  The 2 piece swimsuit could be worn with or without the matching sarong skirt and beach jacket.  4 piece set sold for $70 in 1959 (about $545 in today's dollar.)

John Weitz pleated cover-up is worn over a 2 piece Lastex and cotton faille suit.  Set sold for $25 in 1959 (about $195 in today's dollar.)

Jantzen International Set "Shoji" suit was inspired by Japan.  Fashioned of elasticized mohair-type knit.  Sold for $25 in 1959 (about $195 in today's dollar.)

Catalina maillot in nylon/Lastex knit.  Blue flowers float on a navy background.  Sold for $20 in 1959 (about $156 in today's dollar.)

Sea B's satin Lastex suit in a floral print of turquoise and orange or apple green with blue.  This likely came with removable straps.  Sold for $18 in 1959 (about $140 in today's dollar.)