1951 Lilli Ann Suit

What's not to love about a Lilli Ann suit? And this one from 1951 is one of the best I've seen. The designer has taken a wool gabardine with a woven stripe at one edge and cut the various pieces of the jacket to showcase the stripes. One sleeve has the stripes across the cap, exactly matching the stripe going across the yoke of the body. The stripe is found on one side of the collar, but not the other. And just so the whole thing looks balanced, a long vertical stripe is appliqued down the opposite side. Genius! This suit sold for $90 in 1951, which equals about $750 today.

Lilli Ann suits are a perennial favorite with vintage fashion afficianados, and this one is available at our website. Here the brown velveteen of the collar is echoed in the sleeve cuffs and velveteen piping edges the slits at the jacket hem. This one is in a larger size, too! Click the picture to see the listing.

1951 Suit in Miron Wool

This ad, found in the July 1951 issue of Vogue magazine is not for the suit, but for the wool it was made from. This suit was made by Roxspun from "Miroque...Worsted with a vertical rib. One of Miron's unique new texturals, 100% Virgin Wool."

I often find labels sewn into garments from the 40's and 50's that identify the manufacturer of the fabric, as well as the manufacturer of the garment itself. Miron is one of these.

Here is an early 1950's suit by Fashionbilt, also made of Miron wool. It's available at our website. Click the picture to see more!


The Miron label is sewn right next to the Fashionbilt label on the inside of the right front of the jacket. A well-known fine fabric was just as important as the maker of the garment to a woman back in the 50's, when suits were expected to last many years.


The Miron Woolen Mills were located in Clinton, MA, a tiny town north of Worcester in the central part of the state. Sadly, the building was demolished in July 2008 to make way for a CVS. Another piece of fashion history makes way for modern retail.

1964 Bill Blass Evening Gown with Hat

Yes, the answer to Saturday's quiz is Bill Blass.

"A new incandescence of sharp-contrast colors, Bill Blass couples vivid Moroccan rose with saffron in cool-touch textured silk. Shapes them into a new look for after-dark drama, inspired by the mystery of Morocco and the native Caftan."

At this point, in 1964, Blass was the vice-president of Maurice Rentner and his name was on the label. He bought the company in 1967. It is interesting to see that as early as 3 years before buying Maurice Rentner, he was promoting himself and his name by joining with Cover Girl for their advertisements. There is no mention of Maurice Rentner in the ad.

Vivid colors such as these are just starting to show up in fashion, and will become all the rage in a couple of years time. It is interesting that Blass uses them for evening.

Valentino Beaded Suit 1964

Valentino Garavani was born in Italy in 1932. He grew up wanting to study art and design, and moved to Paris at age 17, where he studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts and the school of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. He then apprenticed at Jean Desses and Guy Laroche. With a solid background in French couture, he returned to Rome in 1959 and opened his own atelier.

Rome in the early 60's was a playground for the jet-set. Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, and Gina Lollobridgida were all there working on films. Elizabeth Taylor visited Valentino's atelier in 1960 while filming Spartacus, and began a friendship and fashion collaboration that has spanned the decades.

In addition to Hollywood actresses, Valentino's first fashion shows were also attended by Parisian society women whom Valentino had met during his years there. His designs were met with favorable fashion press, and a couture dynasty began.

The beaded suit shown above was featured in the October 1964 issue of Vogue magazine. "Valentino's night ideas - dazzling, provocative, with some of the impish dash of his day clothes. Valentino's spectacular black suit, covered entirely in beads. All around the jacket, including cuffs - loopy bead fringe. The blouse, sleeveless black velvet."

Gorgeous, isn't it?

Valentino Suit 1964

More Italian couture, this time from Valentino, as pictured in the October 1964 issue of Vogue magazine. Valentino was a great favorite of Diana Vreeland, editor-in-chief of Vogue, and this issue features several pages of his fashions.

"The guaglione ideas of Valentino, suggesting a tough little Italian boy - sassy and adorable. A suit with a pullover in swaggering checks of grey and khaki wool; high pockets, a loose buttoned belt; short swinging grey skirt with panels front and back. With it, a khaki turtleneck blouse, deep round boy-cap of checks."

I had to look it up in the dictionary. Guaglione: Boy, young boy, frivolous and unreliable person (adj) funny, playful, irresponsible. This suit does show the young look just starting to emerge in fashion, which will become ubiquitous by 1968.

This is not a traditional jacket that buttons up the front, but rather a pullover top with a polo style neckline in heavy tweed. The turtleneck, up to now considered a casual look, is paired here with a suit - another young boyish touch. The belt is worn loose and slouchy. And that newsboy style brimmed hat!

This suit was available in America at Lord & Taylor, probably as copies made from the original purchased by the store.

More about Valentino over the next two days.

Galitzine Palazzo Pajamas 1964

As mentioned yesterday, Galitzine is most famous for introducing palazzo pants in 1960, and here we see one of the earliest incarnations as shown in the October 1964 issue of Vogue magazine. Named "Palazzo Pyjamas" by Diana Vreeland, they were a relaxed but sophisticated evening look.

Princess Irene Galitzine was born in Russia, but her family fled to Rome during the Russian Revolution when she was only 1 year old. She studied art and design in Rome, and then turned to fashion. She worked for the Fontana sisters for three years as an apprentice. There are conflicting reports as to when she started her own house with dates ranging from 1946 - 1949.

Success came when Galitzine was given the pretigious "Filene's Young Talent" award in Boston in 1959, and her designs were introduced to America. She was voted "Designer of the Year" by the Italian press in 1962 and given the "Sunday Times International Fashion Award" in 1965.

Galitzine closed her house in the late 60's, but reopened 1970. Princess Galitzine died in October 2006. Her house is still in operation today.

Shown above are her palazzo pyjamas in black matelasse. "Softened folds at the neck continue under the short top tier, and flare to a tunic over wide pants. The back - bared to the waist. In America at Lord & Taylor." There is a wide black satin ribbon sash at the waist, tied in a big bow at the front. The model wears little jeweled evening slippers.