Paris Cocktail Dresses, 1965

The hair! The jewelry! The make-up! But most importantly, the dresses! Today, cocktail dresses out of Paris, spring 1965.

Castillo black sheer cigaline over strapless satin lining.

Pierre Cardin pleated black crepe one shoulder dress with rhinestone bow.

Castillo black lace fitted dress with a ruffled lace overdress.

Simonetta black organza trapeze dress decorated with pleated ruffles
flares over a fitted underdress.

Dior white beaded flowers on silk organza with a matching mink trimmed jacket.

Lee Claire Cocktail Dress, 1958

I love bubble dresses, and everything about this one is perfection. The strapless black velvet bodice encircles the bosom like a sash. White point d'esprit dotted lace poufs out to form a delicious and fun party dress. It looks like one big polka-dot and I love it! Dress by Lee Claire sold for $90 in 1958 (about $681 in today's dollar.)

So, did you notice? Every post this week showcased polka-dots. I've gone dotty since I posted the Pierre Cardin purple polka dotted coat last Friday! I'll move on now.....promise!

The Look for Parties - 1965

What's the news in party looks for 1965? Beads, beads, and more beads. Metallics and pink. Big, big hair. Heavy eye make-up and pale lips. Bold jewelry.

Sophie of Saks white lace cocktail dress with beaded lace jacket. Necklaces by Star of Siam.

Mollie Parnis cocktail dress in beaded net that floats over a nude crepe lining. Huge pearl ring by Schreiner.

Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner pink mohair suit completely covered in pink sequins. Suit came with the pink silk blouse. Necklace by K.J.L.

At left: Sarmi red silk satin gown with a bow on one shoulder. Earrings by Mimi di N, rings by Schreiner.
At right: Sarmi golden jacquard silk one shoulder dress. Bracelet by Hattie Carnegie, earrings by Apex Art.

Larry Aldrich red and gold brocade cocktail dress edged in beaded embroidery. Sold for $225 in 1965 (about $1560 in today's dollar.) White mink bubble hat by Halston.

Vintage Evening Gowns & Cocktail Dresses

Holiday party season is nearly here. If you haven't found the perfect dress yet, I thought I'd spend the next few days giving you some inspiration. At Couture Allure, we've got loads of vintage cocktail dresses and evening gowns, all at affordable prices. Want to be sure your dress is unique? Wear vintage!

October 1964 - Silver and white brocade evening bodice and skirt trimmed with white ball fringe by Leslie Morris for Bergdorf Goodman's custom department. Worn with a white mink fur muff and yellow satin shoes with sparkling shoe clips.

Get the look with this 1960's beaded silver and white brocade evening gown at Couture Allure, $125.00.

September 1961 - Gold brocade on black silk top and skirt by Edward Abbott and sold at Bergdorf Goodman. Worn with black satin pumps and a black satin clutch. $110 ($793 today)

Get the look with this elaborate gold and silver brocade top and skirt from Neiman Marcus at Couture Allure, $95.00

Or this gold brocade on black fitted 1960's dress, at Couture Allure, $85.00.

October 1963 - Bright canary yellow brocade evening gown with matching stole by Nat Kaplan and sold at Saks Fifth Avenue. Worn with a black beaded necklace and black satin shoes.

Like yellow for evening? Not as bright, but still yellow, this 1960's Alencon lace evening gown is available at Couture Allure, $125.00.

Henry Rosenfeld - Designer for the Budget Minded

Henry Rosenfeld started his career as a shipping clerk in Manhattan's garment district. He worked his way up the ladder at Bedford Dress, Inc. before striking out on his own in 1942.

The war years were a difficult time for the garment industry due to government restrictions on fabrics and designs. Rosenfeld had contracted to buy fabrics for his line just before the OPA (Office of Price Administration) was preparing to set ceiling prices on fabrics to control inflation and help the war effort. Many garment manufacturers cancelled contracts to purchase fabrics in order to take advantage of the new, lower prices. But Rosenfeld was smart. He honored all of his contracts at the agreed-upon prices that were set before the ceilings went into effect. In later years, when fabric shortages affected the industry, grateful fabric manufacturers gave Rosenfeld first choice.

Elizabeth Hilt was the designer for Henry Rosenfeld, which was a budget label, with dresses ranging from $10.95 - $19.95 in 1946 ($121 - $221 today). Yet the dresses were well cut and simply tailored, which gave them an expensive look. In 1945, Rosenfeld grossed $8,000,000 on sales of 2,000,000 dresses to 12,000 stores.

One of those stores was Lord & Taylor, which featured a Henry Rosenfeld dress in this ad for Glamour magazine in November 1949. This dress was sold in Lord & Taylor's Budget Shops for $17.95 ($163 today). Fashioned of rayon lamé in silver, gold, or gun-metal grey, it has a velvet sash at the waist.

Thank you to Rosenfeld's nephew for pointing out these photos that were featured in a Life magazine article about the designer and his company in 1951.

Vintage Cocktail Dress - One Last Illusion

We just have a peek of a dress in this 1949 ad for Coro Pearls, but what a peek it is! The dress, by Martini, has an off-the-shoulder neckline that reveals a glimpse of an attached red bustier that accents the decolletage. This gives the illusion that madame's racy red undergarments are showing, but it is part of the dress. I love the addition of the red hat. Just another way to entice without revealing too much.

Vintage Cocktail Dress with a Jacket

Here's another way to make an impression. This dress looks rather covered up for evening. But presto, chango:

Take off the jacket and you've got a strapless bombshell of a dress. Interesting how the buttons on the jacket match the buttons on the dress, so you have the illusion (there's that word again!) of one piece, when it is actually two.

This dress by Saks Fifth Avenue is from 1949. The ad states:

"Sheila Lynn's beautiful change-of-costume. Jacket on at the restaurant table, nude shoulders when the music begins."

Now if we only had a fancy restaurant around here that had dancing after dinner, I'd be all set. Love those strappy shoes!

Vintage Cocktail Dress - More Lace

Ooh la la, another use of Chantilly lace - this one from 1949 by Henri Bendel Young-Timers. The photo is in soft focus, so you may have difficulty making it out, but the dress is fashioned from black taffeta with the lace covering the bodice and forming the sheer cap sleeves. The scallops at the edge of the lace extend beyond the taffeta for an alluring neckline.

The dress was originally sold in brown, red, navy, and black and retailed for $69.95 (that's $634.00 today!). The model wears a black velvet bandeaux hat and a rhinestone bracelet. She carries a tiny clutch purse. This ad appeared in the November 1949 issue of Glamour magazine.

In other news, you may not know this about me, but I volunteer at the MSPCA dog shelter in Boston. Meet Lucky and Calvin.

Lucky the Chihuahua and Calvin the Cairn Terrier were surrendered to the shelter because their owners could no longer care for them. The two dogs have always been together and the shelter would like to place them together in a new home. I worked with these boys yesterday, and they are sweet as can be. If you are in the Boston area and are interested, or know someone who might be, please contact me or the Boston MSPCA.

Vintage Cocktail Dress - Another Illusion

More of that sexy lace, but this time it is hidden behind sheer black silk marquisette. The lace covers the deeply cut decolletage of pink silk satin. Another enticing illusion, don't you agree? Featured in a full page ad in the December 1957 issue of Vogue magazine.

Karen Stark was the designer for Harvey Berin and her name was found on the labels, though not in the ad shown here. Even though Stark was the designer, Berin had final say on whether a design would be produced or not. The company was known for its ultra-feminine styles.

"I like dramatic clothes for evening and uncluttered clothes for daytime. I like to use beautiful fabrics and unusual trimmings. I design for everyone - short women, tall women - but always very feminine women."

Karen Stark, 1966

Vintage Cocktail Dress - Illusion Lace and Goodbye, Mr. Blackwell

Trompe 'oeil - fool the eye.

Illusion - a deceptive appearance or unreal image.

Lace is so important for this holiday season, and I've always loved the look of 1950's illusion lace cocktail dresses. This one, by Mary Black, uses black Chantilly lace layered over flesh silk satin. The flesh satin blends with the wearer's skin to give the illusion that she is nude under the lace. Of course, nothing shows, but the dress certainly entices! From the December 1957 issue of Vogue magazine, this dress sold at high end department stores, such as Bergdorf's, I. Magnin, and Sakowitz.

Get the look with this 1950's cocktail dress by Carnival, available at our website:

In other news today, we mourn the loss of Mr. Blackwell, who was most famous for his Worst Dressed list each year. Richard Blackwell started his career as an actor, but abandoned that for fashion design in 1958. His designs were always extremely feminine and sexy. His first Worst Dressed list was issued in 1960, and included Zsa Zsa Gabor and Anna Magnani. The list brought Blackwell the celebrity he desired, and he became a favorite on the talk show circuit. He died October 19, 2008 at age 86.

Here's one of his incredibly sexy cocktail dresses, this one with an amazing rhinestone choker attached to the dress with rhinestone strands. It's available at my website, coutureallure.com. Click the picture to see the details.