Is Dressing Well a Thing of the Past?

Here's what I believe. It does no good to watch this and say, "I wish people would dress with more elegance." It has to start with each one of us. You and I need to set the example each and every day, just like Professor Przybyszewski. I'm not saying we need to wear gloves and hats. I am saying I will think each day about how I present myself to the world. Will you?

My friend Liza over at Better Dresses Vintage said it far better than I ever could.

My New Muse

I've been packing up my office for the last couple of days in anticipation of our move this weekend.  What a job!  In doing so, I came across a French magazine from 1988 that I had forgotten about.  I flipped through it quickly and this image stopped me cold.  The magazine gave credit to the clothing designer, the makeup artist, the hair stylist and the photographer, but gave no mention of who the model was.  I posted the picture on my Facebook page, along with several others from the same photo shoot and an all day guessing game ensued about who she is.  Guesses of Isabella Rossellini, Helena Bonham Carter, Geena Davis, and Nastassja Kinski all proved wrong.  Then I got a private message with the answer.  This is model Celia Forner, who hails from Spain.  She had a brief career both in print and on the runway from 1987 to 1994.  Isn't she beautiful?

Photo by Cynthia Hampton for L'Officiel, 1988.

Dots and Spots, 1959

Need I say more?  Dress by Pat Premo, Spring 1959. 

Ad in Harper's Bazaar, January 1959.

Where I Have Been....Where I Am Going and a Sale!

Over the past few months, you may have noticed that the pace of new vintage dresses coming to Couture Allure has slowed down considerably and that my posts on this blog have become erratic.  There's a reason for that.

Winter.  I can't do winter any more.  You'll recall my road trips down south in January 2011 and 2012.  In addition to shopping for vintage all along the way, my husband and I were also scouting for a new place to live during the winter months.  And we've found it in delightful Dunedin, FL.  We've both worked for years and years to get to this point and our dream is finally coming true.

In 2011, we made the decision to start working toward selling our home here in Massachusetts.  It took us a year of hard labor making repairs and improvements, decluttering and staging the house to put it on the market.  All that work at home has pulled me away from the business at times.  We had a goal of getting the house on the market by April 1, 2013.  We missed that goal by 9 days. 

But we were very, very lucky as all our hard work paid off.  The house sold in 5 days to a lovely family that is the perfect fit for it.  In the past month, we've found a temporary home here in MA for the summer, we've been packing up and getting rid of things we no longer need.  We're having a big estate sale this weekend to sell off most of our furniture and we're moving out of our house next week. 

Does that stop me from finding fabulous new vintage for you?  NO!  But in the past month, all that new vintage has been piling up as I have no time to go to the office.  There's too much to do at home! 

This coming week, not only do we have to move out of our house, I also have to move my business closer to our new home.  What that means for you is there will be no new vintage hitting the site for the next week or two, but starting June 1st I should be back up and running with loads of new beauties for you.  It also means a SALE!  The less I have to move, the easier that move will be.  Starting right now through Saturday May 18, take 20% off your entire order at Couture Allure.  Simply enter coupon code "move" at checkout and the discount will automatically be applied.  The discount does not apply to previous orders or shipping costs.  All orders will ship on Monday, May 20.

Nettie Rosenstein for I. Magnin - 1956

I love a rose print.  Add a matching hat and I'm over the moon!  I. Magnin featured this dress by Nettie Rosenstein in a full page ad from 1956.  "we like the look of a rose on a stem...a big hat...a stem-slender dress by Nettie Rosenstein cut from rose-printed silk shantung, swept to the back and gently pleated...in our Magnin-exclusive Rosenstein collection."  Perfection, pure and simple.  If anyone can tell me what the illustrator's signature says, I would really appreciate it.

I. Magin ad for Harper's Bazaar, March 1956.

Travilla Dress - 1958

Travilla's version of the sack back dress from 1958.  The dress is likely fitted to the body under the blouson that falls from the thin shoulder straps and tucks back in under the waistband.  The magazine calls this a "cocktails-through-dawn" dress.  I like that description.  Sold for $125 in 1958 (about $1,007 in today's dollar.)

Photo by Louise Dahl-Wolfe for Harper's Bazaar.

Dan River Plaids - 1958

Plaid never looked so good.  In this ad from 1958, the Dan River fabric company features 3 dresses made from its yarn dyed woven plaids.  Started in 1882, Dan River was one of the most famous and prolific of the American textile companies, well known for their gingham fabrics.  Sadly, the company fell victim to cheap overseas competition and declared bankruptcy in 2004.  The company was purchased by firm in India in 2006 and all jobs were moved out of the US.  The historic textile plant in Danville, VA was taken down in 2008.