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.

Dior Sundress - 1954

I usually think of opulent and magnificent ballgowns and cocktail dresses when vintage Dior comes to mind, but the house did cute cotton sundresses too, as evidenced by this photo from 1954.

Photo from L'Officiel, 1954.

Dior and Crystal - 1958

Another image in the series Gleb Derujinsky did with crystal chandeliers for Harper's Bazaar in 1958.  The model wears a black satin and velvet cocktail dress with coat by Christian Dior - New York and a head hugging cocktail hat by the same designer.  I like the addition of the mirror in this shot.

Photo by Gleb Derujinsky for Harper's Bazaar, 1958
Fashion editory, Diana Vreeland

Gloria Vanderbilt Wearing Christian Dior - 1954

The pages of my vintage Vogue and Harper's Bazaar magazines are often graced with images of well-known socialites, royalty and actresses of the time modeling fashion.  Our fascination with celebrity goes back many, many years. 

The caption for this 1954 photo says, "Mrs. Leopold Stokowski, whose career as an actress is off to a flourishing start, is chairman of the Patron's Committee for the Little Orchestra Society's series of Holiday Concerts for children, which are to benefit the St. Luke's Hospital Building Fund.  She wears a challis coat and trousers, flowered in brilliant red and green; and a chiffon blouse of the same creamy white.  By Christian Dior-New York."

Mrs. Leopold Stokowski is none other than Gloria Vanderbilt, whose acting career and marriage to the famous conductor would be over within the next year.  She likely made the plug for the hospital building fund  a condition of her posing for the magazine.  Vanderbilt would build a fashion empire with her famous jeans in the 1970s.

I do like this lovely little at-home ensemble by Christian Dior-New York.  It's a lot less formal than the clothing we usually associate with this label.  The set sold for $210 in 1954 (about $1,828 in today's dollar.)

Photo by Louise Dahl-Woolfe for Harper's Bazaar, 1954.

Dior Gloves Mystery Solved

Last week I showed you this image of the most incredible gloves and could not find a reference or verification of who made them and when (the photo was captioned Dior 1952 on Pinterest.) A huge thank you goes out to commenter Marshall Stacks for the help in providing the information I was looking for.

Image courtesy of Met Museum

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a pair of these gloves in it's collection.  They were made for Dior by Parisian glove maker Lionel LeGrand.  The museum dates these to 1949.  And the mystery is solved!  The gloves attach together at the back of the neck with tiny buttons so you can get them on and off.  Thank you Marshall!  I knew it would be nearly impossible to put these on if they were one piece!

The Most Incredible Gloves!

I stumbled upon this photo on Pinterest the other day and I had to share it with you.  The only caption was "Dior, 1952."  It's a lovely strapless dress, supposedly by Dior, but what I want you to notice is the gloves!  They extend into a stole-like strap that goes over the shoulders and around the neck.  I've never seen anything like them before and would love to know who made them.  If you have seen this photo before and know the source, could you let me know? 

My other question......how do you put these gloves on? 

Faces of the Paris Couturiers, Part 1

You know their names, but what about their faces?  In day 1 of a 3 part series, here are the faces of the French Couture from 1950.

Christian Dior

Jacques Fath

Jean Desses

Pierre Balmain

Robert Piquet

Nina Ricci

Marie-Louise Carven

All photos by George Saad for L'art et la Mode

Weekend Eye Candy - Christian Dior, 1959

Christian Dior couture, Fall 1959

The other day, I was sharing fashion plates from 1914 on my Facebook page.  This morning, I found this image of a Christian Dior evening gown from 1959.  I do believe St. Laurent, who was the designer at Dior in 1959, may have been influenced by the hobble skirts of an earlier age. 

Silk tunic over silk hobble skirt, 1914.

What do you think?

Autumn Inspirations, 1959

Christian Dior, Fall 1959

 Continuing my look backwards at beautiful clothing for fall, today's inspirations are from 1959.  Enjoy!

Christian Dior, Fall 1959

Pierre Cardin, Fall 1959

Autumn Inspirations, 1969

Pierre Cardin, Fall 1969

 Brrrrrr!  This morning it is 10 degrees cooler than yesterday, so I've taken a step back 10 years from yesterday's autumn inspirations to show you designer fashion from the fall of 1969.  It was one of those wonderful years when hemlines could be mini, midi, maxi or anywhere in between and you would still be in style.  Enjoy!

Christian Dior, Fall 1969

Jean Patou, Fall 1969

Autumn Inspirations, 1979

Christian Dior Boutique, Fall 1979

 It's 56 degrees this morning, the first time the temperature has dropped below 60 in many weeks.  It's August.  Are you thinking about your fall wardrobe yet?  Are you dreaming of wearing darker colors?  Layers?  Boots?  I've started listing vintage garments for fall at Couture Allure.  Today's autumn inspiration looks are from 1979.  What are you looking for for fall?

Yves St. Laurent, Fall 1979

Nina Ricci, Fall 1979

Weekend Eye Candy - Christian Dior, 1953

Meow!

The Making of Dior Haute Couture

Here's a little film to watch with your morning coffee. Take note of how many steps are involved and how many people it takes to produce this gorgeous dress from Dior Haute Couture Spring 2011. Enjoy!

Weekend Eye Candy - Christian Dior, 1951

I adore the way Dior balanced the fuller than full skirt with the elegant drapery at the neckline.  Dior Haute Couture, Fall 1951.

Weekend Eye Candy - Dior, 1956

Pretty roses printed on silk and fashioned into a deceptively simple dress by Christian Dior, 1956.

High Fashion Shoes - 1966

This image from 1966 made quite an impression on my Facebook fan page yesterday.  Everyone fell in love with these shoes!   What strikes me is how wearable and comfortable these shoes look.  There's not a 5" spike heel or a platform in site.  You could actually wear these shoes to a party and stand up all night!  From left to right the shoes are by Christian Dior, Charles Jourdan, Charles Jourdan, and Roger Vivier.  Would you wear them?

Weekend Eye Candy - Christian Dior Suit, 1950

Who needs a handbag when you've got pockets like these?  Christian Dior gray wool suit, Fall 1950.

White Wool by Christian Dior - 1955

For Fall 1955, Christian Dior showed this gorgeous suit in white wool.  The fitted skirt and bolero jacket are topped by a little swing coat.  He pairs the suit with a black satin top, black gloves and sparkling jewelery.  I love the idea of wearing a large brooch at the hip.  What about you?

Weekend Eye Candy - Christian Dior Suit, 1963

Melon.....yum.  The perfect color to take you from summer into fall.  Suit by Christian Dior, 1963.

Weekend Eye Candy - Christian Dior, 1950

Christian Dior Haute Couture, Spring 1950.  Layer upon layer of white silk tulle, each accented with rows of narrow Valenciennes lace.  A trail of white silk roses at the side waist.  Bliss.