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Cotton Suits for Spring - 1961
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...
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Adele Simpson Ensemble - 1964
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...
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Carolyn Schnurer Folkloric Dresses - 1955
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...
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Pleats Please, 1962
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...
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Yves St Laurent Models His First Men's Collection - 1969
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...
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Greta Plattry Swimsuit - 1955
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...
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Pauline Trigere Suit - 1983
At an estate sale over the weekend, I picked up a big pile of Town & Country magazines from the 1980s. While not focused exclusively on fashion, Town & Country is full of advertisements for...
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Missoni - 1982
Missoni knits from the spring of 1982. So right now.Photo by Avi Meroz for Missoni ad, Town and Country magazine, 1982.
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What's Under That Vintage Dress?
I post pictures of gorgeous vintage clothing here on my blog and on my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds daily. The comments and questions I receive most often deal with the tiny waists or fit of...
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What's Under That Vintage Dress? Part 2
Monday's post about foundation garments got a lot of interest with comments, emails and even a phone call! Here are a couple more examples today.The strapless cocktail dress by Ceil Chapman shown...
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Balenciaga Evening Gown - 1963
Hi-low hemlines....they've been around for years and years. For spring of 1963, Balenciaga created this gorgeous gown. The hemline exposes the ankle in front and lengthens to form a train in back....
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Vacation Time! Are You Taking Vintage in Your Suitcase?
I am headed off for vacation and road trips for the rest of this month, but not to worry! My assistant will be in the office to ship your orders and answer your questions while I'm away.If you're...
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Monte-Sano and Pruzan Suit, 1966
Monte-Sano and Pruzan was a high-end maker of tailored suits and coats based in New York. For the Fall of 1966, they embrace the Mod era with a marvelous wool check enhanced with gold lurex threads...
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Teal Traina Suit - 1966
Here's another good example of a fashion trying to bridge the gap between classic clients and the newer Mod looks for the younger generation in 1966. Venerable old New England department store Jordan...
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Exciting News at Couture Allure!
You may have noticed that the Couture Allure website and this blog have been quiet lately. There's a very good reason for that. I have been working very hard over the last couple of months opening 3...
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La Vigna Vicuna Trench Coat - 1954
Thinking about your winter coat yet? You can't go wrong with a classic trench style like this one by La Vigna from 1954. La Vigna was a coat and suit manufacturer based in New York that was best...
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Plaids the Couture Way - 1952
Today I want to show you some couture garments from 1952 that are made with plaid fabrics. When looking at these designs, notice how perfectly the plaids are matched at the seams, across openings and...
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6 Hilariously Awkward Model Poses - 1960
I was perusing a fashion magazine from 1960 this morning and kept coming across pictures in which the model was posed in a very awkward way. I thought they might bring a little fun to your day.This...
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Valentino Cape, 1969
This exquisite cape by Valentino comes from his couture collection for Spring 1969. The coral branches on the ivory satin are completely painted by hand. Worn with coral colored crepe pants....
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Couture Allure Supports Reading Is Fundamental
I was a painfully shy child. I found comfort in reading. Books were my friends, stories were my playmates, reading taught me about the world. Children's literacy is near and dear to my heart. But we...
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1930s Chanel Adaptation Dress and Jacket Ensemble
In the days before Chanel made ready-to-wear clothing, it was common practice for Mme. Coco to authorize American department stores and high end boutiques to make reproductions of her designs for women...
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Fantastic Floral Hats from 1954
Evidently French milliners had decided 1954 was the year of fanciful floral confections, judging by these marvelous hats from that year. Some are stunning, some are silly, all are striking. Which one...
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Vintage Butterfly Dress
This image came across my Pinterest feed last night. I can't find any attribution for the designer or year. I'm pretty sure this dates to right around 1959-62 and it sure looks like a Vera Neumann...
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Valentino 1989
Just added to the Couture Allure website is this stunning Valentino 2-piece evening ensemble from the Spring/Summer 1989 collection. This set was featured in the book "Valentino: 30 Years of Magic",...
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Time to Say Goodbye
After 15 years selling the best in vintage clothing and accessories, the time has come for me to retire. I am sad to say goodbye to my customers and friends in the vintage community, but I am happy to...
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