Day to Date

It's an age old problem...what do you wear when you've got to look professional at the office, but jazzed up for an evening out with no time to go home and change? This vintage 1950's outfit by Jerry Gilden solves the problem in a simple but effective manner. The strappy black fitted dress is perfect for a date. Add the matching overblouse for wearing during the day.

When it's time to transform your look, simply remove the overblouse, pop on some sparkly jewels and those fabulous heels you brought from home! Problem solved!!!

See this dress and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

Slip Into Something

I am an admitted old movie addict. You know that line where the femme fatale says, "Let me slip into something a little more comfortable...". These pajama sets are what she was talking about. Ah, those were the days, when sweatpants and oversized t-shirts didn't exist!

Pale peach silk charmeuse pajamas from the 1930's.

Luxurious rayon satin pajamas from the 1940's.

Asian influence rayon pajamas, also from the 1940's.

See these pajamas and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

Interesting Details

I don't think there is anything sexier than a vintage 1940's suit. Fitted through the waist, with flared hips and shoulder pads to balance the hip width, nothing is more flattering to the feminine figure. As an added bonus, these suits always feature unusual design details that make them totally unique and unlike anything you can buy today.

This particular beauty is fashioned from a black and brown boucle knit. The designer has decided to use a plain boucle for the A-line skirt and a co-ordinating plaid boucle for the jacket. The lines of the plaid are very subtle and are fashioned from an ombre yarn in the primary colors of the rainbow. If those lines in the plaid were any larger, it would be too much, but the single strand of yarn makes this suit go from good to gorgeous!

Note how perfectly the plaid is matched from the body of the jacket across to the sleeves. To get this right, the pieces of the jacket must be laid out on the fabric with great care when cutting. Then the seamstress has to get those lines matched up perfectly when sewing the garment. As a final touch, the collar and lapels have been finished with topstitching in the ombre yarn.

I also like the fact that the back darts have been placed in such a way that the vertical lines of the plaid form a gentle curve, serving to visually make the waist smaller.

See this suit and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

Individuality Takes Over

In the late 1960's, we begin to see the influence of "streetwear" on fashion designers. By 1968, young fashionistas had begun to wear clothing found in antique stores, army-navy outlets, and shops selling ethnic imports. It became important for young people to have their own individual and unique look. Designers soon caught on, and in 1968-69, peasant, gypsy, and ethnic looks were prevalent in body skimming styles.

This exotic dress in a high quality cotton is printed with a Far East Indian block print. The gentle A-line shape and bell sleeves are typical of the era.

See this dress and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

Inspiration Part 2

Designer Vera Neumann was greatly talented with colorful graphic designs for her textiles. Whenever I encounter a bright, splashy print in a simple dress or scarf, I can almost always be assured of finding the Vera signature in the lower right corner. Such is the case with this simple 60's cotton shift dress. Vera has taken inspiration from the colorful handcrafted tie dyes of the hippies, and made a more sophisticated version for the "Ladies Who Lunch" set.

A bright print like this is sure to cure those "End of Winter" blues! See this dress and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

Inspiration Comes from Anywhere

In the March 2006 issue of Bazaar, there is an interview with designer Marc Jacobs on the occasion of the opening of the latest Louis Vuitton store in Hong Kong. Marc speaks about design inspiration when he states, "Everything I see and do gets digested and comes out (in my designs) someway, somehow." Designers have a distinct way of looking at the world around them and translating what they see into something new and beautiful.

Take beadweaver and designer Susan Mandel as an example. Sue just bought this lovely Victorian era reticule from me. Sue states, "I find a lot of inspiration for my beadwork from past styles and designs - some designs are timeless."

We can't wait to see how Sue translates this Victorian design into something that works for today! Take a look at Sue's Beadweaver Blog. Or, if you're feeling inspired, purchase her beadweaving patterns.

Just Tip me Over!

We've talked before about how a designer sometimes uses the design of the fabric for inspiration. Such is the case with this sweet late 1950's dress. The fabric is a cotton pique with a large scale black and white plaid. Line drawn daisies fill the white squares of the plaid.

But the designer of this dress decided to make things more interesting by cutting the pattern on the crosswise grain, thereby tipping the daisies on their sides! What a great idea to add a bit of whimsey and visual interest to a simple summer sundress!

See this dress and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .