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A Rare 1954 Documented Jacket by Claire McCardell

March 11, 2014, 3:51 am
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When I found this Claire McCardell jacket, I recognized it immediately as being featured on the cover of the May 1954 issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine, a magazine I have in my archives.

While Bazaar calls it a bateau-neck shirt, this garment is really a kimono styled jacket that is open in the front.  I can just see Diana Vreeland telling the model to "put in on backwards" for the photo shoot! Perfect to wear over a swimsuit or with a simple black dress or pants, this piece bears the rare Claire McCardell Pieces label and was originally sold at Lord & Taylor.

The jacket is ingeniously cut in parallelogram shaped pieces and there is a 6" gap between the front opening edges when it is laid flat. The fact that McCardell juxtaposed the very angular geometric shape with polka dots delights me! If it didn't have the labels and the documentation, I'd swear the jacket was from the 1980s.  That's how forward-thinking McCardell was.  She made simple, unfussy clothing in great fabrics.  All of her garments are still relevant and completely wearable today.

Now that you know the shape of the jacket flat, look at the cover photo once again.  As the model is posed, the jacket is completely gaping open in the back!  It can't be clipped or pinned together.  If it was, the bottom hem wouldn't flare out as it is.

This rare Claire McCardell Pieces jacket is now available at Couture Allure.  Check it out to see lots more photos!
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Diana Vreeland Puts St. Laurent on the Cover of Vogue - 1963

March 12, 2014, 4:38 am
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April, 1963.  Diana Vreeland is making her influence known at Vogue magazine, where she was hired the previous year.  Sometime during 1963, Vreeland took over as Editor-in-Chief from Jessica Daves, though her name would not show up on the masthead as such until sometime in the spring of 1964.  Until March or April of 1964, Daves is listed on the masthead as Editorial Advisor and Vreeland's name is not listed at all.  But I digress.

Diana Vreeland was an early champion of the work of Yves St. Laurent, after he opened his own couture house in 1962.  In her efforts to bring a more youthful vibe to the pages of Vogue magazine, she featured St. Laurent's fresh take on fashion frequently.

For the cover of the April 15, 1963 issue of Vogue, Jean Shrimpton wears Yves St. Laurent's polka dotted silk evening gown with separate beaded top.

In the same issue, St. Laurent is given a full page color image of another of his evening looks in the editorial spread, "Paris - When it Shimmers."  Vreeland calls the two piece evening dress "ravishing."  And she features St. Laurent's look one page ahead of Dior's linen daytime dress.  Oh la la!

Both images by William Klein for Vogue, April 1963.

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Designer Hats from Paris - 1960

March 17, 2014, 3:17 am
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Pierre Balmain
I posted these gorgeous hat photos on my Facebook page yesterday.  Everyone loved them so much, I thought you might like to see them here. All from Paris, all from the spring of 1960.

Rose Valois

Paulette

Gilbert Orcel

Jean Patou

Claude St. Cyr

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Adele Simpson Convertible Dress - 1956

March 18, 2014, 4:16 am
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A seemingly simple dress and jacket set by Adele Simpson from the spring of 1956 takes a surprising turn.  In the small photo at the left, the dress appears to be one piece.  But remove that little bolero....and is that a strapless dress now?  Why, yes!  I believe it is!  3 looks in 1!  The ad calls this ensemble the "Important 'peel off' costume."  Made in imported Italian silk by Chardon Marche.

Photo from a full page ad for Adele Simpson that appeared in Harper's Bazaar, 1956.
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David Crystal Pastel Rainbow - 1956

March 19, 2014, 3:42 am
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The perfect dress for a sultry summer evening, don't you think?  The pastel rainbow of a skirt is knife pleated all the way around and set off to perfection with the solid blue bodice that buttons down the back.  Dress by David Crystal in Celanese Arnel jersey for spring 1956.  Sold for $40 (about $345 in today's dollar.)  Oh, and the wicker chair is by Widdicomb, another famous mid-century brand.

Photo by Louise Dahl-Woolfe for Harper's Bazaar, 1956.
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Welcome Spring!

March 21, 2014, 4:26 am
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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.

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Neutral Navy - 1956

March 24, 2014, 3:19 am
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Navy blue.  It's one of those neutral colors that is flattering on most everyone. It goes with every other color. It is perfect if black is too harsh on you. And, subliminally, navy says "success."

This two page ad for Rayon fabric from 1956 features 5 different navy blue dresses, all available at Henri Bendel. The hats are by Adolfo of Emme.

Above left:  Sheath dress with short jacket by Rembrant.
Above right:  Full skirt princess dress by Junior Sophisticate.

Left:  Sheath dress with short cape by Highlight.
Center:  Shirtwaist dress by Ira Rentner.
Right:  Full skirted dress by Richard Cole.

Which dress is perfect for you?  How do you wear navy blue?

Both photos from a 2 page advertisement for Rayon in Harper's Bazaar, 1956.
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Saks Ad - 1970

March 26, 2014, 4:11 am
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Here's something I just don't get.  This is a full page ad placed by Saks Fifth Avenue in a 1970 issue of Vogue magazine.  You and I both know how wild and colorful the prints used in clothing were at this time. The ad copy even states, "Liberated spirit. Coloring around-and-around, deep-beaded and braided on pure silk surah."

Why, then, did Saks chose to print this ad in black and white instead of full color?  Yes, the advertising cost would have been higher, but this ad just doesn't convey the dress as it should.  Perhaps 1970 was a time of belt-tightening and cutting costs. I find this a lot in the pages of most fashion magazines from this time period.  Clothing that should be shown in all its colorful glory is disappointingly printed in black and white.  OK, rant over.

I love the way the elaborate beading and braid at the neckline complements the wild print.  There is no designer mentioned, so this is likely by Saks' custom design department. Sophie Gimbel had just retired the year before, so I don't know who designed this beauty. I can tell you that the dress was $130 in 1970 (about $787 in today's dollar) and was worth every penny.

Photo from a Saks ad appearing in Vogue 1970.

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Bernardo Moon Sandals - 1967

March 31, 2014, 4:32 am
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Bernardo Rudofsky began business in Italy in 1946.  He is credited with inventing the modern day sandal for women.  This full page ad for Bernardo's "Moon Sandal" appeared in Vogue in 1967.  Picnic at a monastary, anyone?  I love the fact there is a portable record player with several rock and roll albums on the blanket.  The monk sure is having fun!

The copy from the ad reads as follows:

"The Un-Ascetic Sandal
When you get down to the basics in sandals, you get pretty close to what a 15th century monk wore around the monastery.
Bernardo says even the sandal that's basic enough to be right with bathing suits, party pyjamas and everything in between, doesn't have to be a bore.
These bright shining discs, more at home on the moon than in a monastery, are Bernardo's "Moon Sandals" designed for 20th century people by Eva Sonnino."

 The Bernardo Footwear company is still in business today.  In Spring 2011, the company re-released two vintage styles in limited editions.  The Moon in Madras sandal was one of them.  The sandals are hand crafted in Italy and there are still limited sizes available of the Moon Sandal in red.  You can shop for them here.



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Meet Nancy and Sandie

April 1, 2014, 3:09 am
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I had a private sale the other day and my friend Nancy stopped by to do a little shopping.  Nancy has a great eye for fashion and she pulled out this lovely 1950s cotton dress that looked rather blah on the hanger.  As soon as she put it on, the dress came alive.  It looks like it was made for her, just 60 years ago!  Nancy, you look beautiful!

Nancy brought along her friend Sandie.  Sandie tried on this sequin covered party dress from the 1980s, and WOW!  Talk about glamour!  She will take this dress along to wear on a cruise, and she is sure to stand out from the crowd.  Sandie, you look gorgeous!

Have you shopped for vintage lately?  Perhaps you should!


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White Dresses for Graduation - 1949

April 7, 2014, 3:34 am
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It's long been a tradition at many schools that the female graduates are required to wear a white dress for the ceremony.  I'm not sure of the reasons for this, but here are two pretty choices from 1949.

Left:  White dotted swiss with eyelet lace by Nona.
Right:  Embroidered organdy with a velvet sash by Junior Accent.

Did you wear white for your graduation?
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Jean Patou - 1947

April 8, 2014, 5:18 am
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This gorgeous evening gown was designed by Jean Patou in the spring of 1947.  Sparkling gold sequins cover the strapless bodice and glimmer over the pale blue tulle skirt.  A dress like this must have captured the imagination of every woman in Paris after years of war and deprivation. The color combination inspires me today.  What does the gown say to you?
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Test Your Fashion Eye - 1970

April 9, 2014, 4:15 am
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This image comes from a 1970 issue of Vogue magazine.  When you look at this photo, can you tell what is "off" or "out-of-place" and why?  Answer tomorrow!
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Test Your Fashion Eye Answer

April 10, 2014, 4:31 am
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Did you see it?  The suit is a navy wool with a bolero jacket over a bias cut midi length skirt, worn with a white silk blouse.  All three pieces are by Stavropoulos.  Nothing wrong there.

The gold tassel belt is by Richelieu and adds a perfect bit of sparkle.  Nothing wrong there either.

Chunky platform shoes by Viner Bros. worn with dark hosiery.  Nope, that's OK.

Gloves by Crescendoe-Superb.  Wait!  Gloves in 1970?  No, no, no, no, no!  Gloves, like hats, had gone completely out of favor by this time, especially with the younger fashion reader that editor Diana Vreeland was appealing to.  They look very out of place with this ultra modern 1970 suit.  Why include them in the photo?  My guess would be that either Vreeland was under pressure to appeal to her more traditional readers from the powers on high at Vogue, or the Crescendoe company required their gloves be used in fashion shoots as part of an agreement to buy ad space in the magazine.  What do you think?

Photo by Bert Stern for Vogue magazine, 1970.

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Cotton Suits for Spring - 1961

April 17, 2014, 4:02 am
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Cool, comfortable and certainly chic, did you know cotton tailors well?  Here are two great examples from 1961.

Above: Ben Zuckerman sheath dress and 3/4 coat in luscious pink cotton pique. Yummy!

Adele Simpson blue cotton jacket and skirt paired with a printed silk blouse.  The little jacket is lined in the same fabric as the blouse.  The giant buttons add just the perfect finishing touch.
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Adele Simpson Ensemble - 1964

April 23, 2014, 3:50 am
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You know I love Bergdorf ads.  But it's the outfit here that catches my imagination.  From 1964, the Adele Simpson rayon sheath dress with interesting seaming is set off with a matching capelet.  The cape was lined in contrasting silk and the set came with a leather tie belt in the same color as the cape lining.  The color combinations were wonderful: navy with vivid green lining and belt, sea green with turquoise, gold nugget with black or black with gold nugget.  The set sold for $160 in 1964 (about $1220 in today's dollar.)

Which color would you choose? 
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Carolyn Schnurer Folkloric Dresses - 1955

May 5, 2014, 3:24 am
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Carolyn Schnurer was well known for basing entire collections on the fabrics and ethnic traditions of the countries she visited on her world travels.  For the spring of 1955, she featured a collection based on the folk lore of Norway with fabric prints and design elements inspired by Norwegian traditions.  The fabrics here are Everglaze cottons by Ameritex for Schnurer.  Schnurer also designed the co-ordinating jewelry.

Above:  Swimsuit with buttoned straps and little pockets, sold for $18.95 in 1955 (about $167.00 in today's dollar.)
Sun dress with the same buttoned straps and pleats at the hem, sold for $29.95 in 1955 (about $264.00 in today's dollar.)

Darling dress with suspender detail, gathered cap sleeves and pleats at the hem.  Sold for $29.95 in 1955 (about $264.00 in today's dollar.)

Photos from a 2-page ad for Carolyn Schnurer and Ameritex Fabrics, featured in Harper's Bazaar, 1955.
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Pleats Please, 1962

May 13, 2014, 4:26 am
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This yummy evening dress was designed by Jo Copeland for Patullo in 1962.  Made of pleated black crepe with criss-crossed bands forming the neckline and falling to a bow at the back.  The raised waistline was fashion news in 1962.  Notice how it allows the pleats to hug the body so the dress fits in a way reminiscent of a Fortuny Delphos.  The dress sold for about $200 in 1962 ($1565.00 in today's dollar.)

Photo by Horst P. Horst for Vogue magazine, 1962
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Yves St Laurent Models His First Men's Collection - 1969

May 15, 2014, 5:27 am
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Hugely successful French couturier Yves St. Laurent designed his first collection of ready to wear clothing for men in the fall of 1969.  The clothing was sold exclusively in the Rive Gauche boutiques in New York and Paris. Here, a few of the designs are modeled by St. Laurent himself for Vogue magazine.  The photos were all taken at his home, Dar El-Hansh, in Morocco.

Above: White gabardine suit with flapped pockets, worn with a black cotton voile shirt and striped silk scarf.

 Laced glove leather tunic and corduroy jeans.  The tunic was also available in suede.

The same suit as the first photo, but in pale pink worn with a cotton floral shirt.

Photos by Patrick Lichfield for Vogue magazine, 1969.

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Greta Plattry Swimsuit - 1955

May 20, 2014, 3:34 am
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Love, love, love!  This little feature from Harper's Bazaar not only shows us the swimsuit, but gives a flat image of the terrific fabric it's made of.  The fabric is an Everglaze cotton by Tarnmoor and features various ships in yellow on white.  Greta Plattry used the fabric to make the adorable two piece swimsuit in 1955.  She paired it with a yellow corduroy beach jacket.  Suit sold for $12 and jacket for $17 in 1955 (about $106 and $150 in today's dollar.)

Photo by Robert Randall for Harper's Bazaar, 1955.
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