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.

Carolyn Schnurer Swimsuit, 1952

I love the composition of this photo.  Louise Dahl-Wolfe was a genius.  Carolyn Schnurer designed this swimsuit for her 1952 collection.  The textile mimics the texture in the antique Japanese woven bamboo box. 

Travilla Dress - 1958

Travilla's version of the sack back dress from 1958.  The dress is likely fitted to the body under the blouson that falls from the thin shoulder straps and tucks back in under the waistband.  The magazine calls this a "cocktails-through-dawn" dress.  I like that description.  Sold for $125 in 1958 (about $1,007 in today's dollar.)

Photo by Louise Dahl-Wolfe for Harper's Bazaar.