Nothing says, "in just spring" more than a lovely sundress, and this 1950's Galanos Sundress is all one could possibly want from an early spring frock!
Made of a deep pink silk satin (or if you prefer, a pale red), this dress would pair so beautifully with a white or lighter pink sweater, or even a floral cardigan, and - in keeping with that 50's state of mind - a Trifari sweater clip with perhaps some rosebuds at each end? I think this lovely dress would look as fresh as the season in anything from some lady-like pumps for a spring luncheon to a pair of keds with some ankle socks while riding your bicycle.
I was lucky enough to find this treasure in the wealth of offerings from CMadelaine's spring dress collection. A genuine and breath-taking Gallanos original, the satin of this dress still shines beautifully while setting off a somewhat high, fitted waist, and a sweetheart neckline. The spring mood is enhanced by the adorable cap sleeves and a cut bodice that fits like a glove. Do be a lady and wear your pearls and some gloves (and dare I hope a modest cloche hat with some perfectly matched flowers?), though this skirt hangs so beautifully that I will set aside my usual demand for a crinoline (which would be lovely!) and let the natural sway of your hips set off this beautifully accordian pleated skirt if you would prefer.
Priced at a reasonable but somewhat steep $4,725.00, I do wish to remind you that this isn't merely a dress, but a fashion investment which will see you through this spring and every spring to come, provided you care for it well. A Gallanos Original is truly a gift that keeps on giving, and gentlemen, what possible gift could better convey to the woman in your life that she, like this dress, is a timeless treasure?
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I have been waiting for the right dress to lead into the presentation of this magnificent hat from Etsy, and with that Gallanos dress, I believe I have found it.
Those flowers are the perfect shade of deep pink to accompany the dress and the green ribbon will only deepen the appearance of the dark pink / light red shade of the dress. There is also a veil on the right side of the hat, but it is so light in color that one is likely to miss it. While not actually vintage, this magnificent hat is vintage in spirit, and still couldn't be more on trend for the spring season of 2012.
Was it last week or the week before when the Sunday edition of the New York Times carried an article on the consumer driven trend of the re-emergence of the hat as a must for women's fashion?
Made and offered by Etsy's millinery Orizu, they have several hats which would "go" with this lovely dress. I simply chose the one I liked best. A woman who could not find a hat to her liking among their selection is a woman who decidedly does not like hats.
Oh, and if one could find gloves to match the precise shade of green that is that ribbon!... Dear me, I could fall into paroxyms of ecstasy at the mere thought!
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With each spring comes proms and wedding parties! To meet your needs for either of these, I was lucky enough to stumble upon this 50's classic Ceil Chapman Formal on eBay.
I'm afraid this dress is tiny as it was unable to fit upon the dress form with it's zipper done. Seller, 4birdsonawire, report that this gown has a 24" waist coupled with a bust of 32" "with room for a cupsize". I would imagine that cupsize best as a "B"' though a "C" may fit in without spilling over. I believe a "D" or larger would simply be out of the question.
The dress features spaghetti straps, holding up a simply gorgeous tulle dress with an all over floral design accomplished by the addition of satin piping and sprinkled liberally with prong set rhinestones. As it is, the full skirt consists of three layers: a cream satin, followed by a layer of tulle, and topped with the lightest blue of tulles. I would simply insist that you wear a crinoline with this dress; it was lovingly designed to accomdate one (or possibly two) and to not complete Ceil Chapman's vision for this dress would be too much of a tragedy to be borne. If you could have satin pumps, gloves and a pillbox hat dyed to match this ensemble, well, you would make an impression indeed. Failing this, white for all of the previous would do splendidly. Nothing - truly nothing - could keep this dress from making an impression. Make no mistake, those low murmurs as you will hear as you enter the room will all be for you!
The label reads, "Ceil Chapman (for) John Doyle Bishop of Seatle". Like the dress above it, to purchase this dress is to make a fashion investment, not merely to pick a dress for the season. With nine days left of bidding (and the dress having just made its eBay debut), the current bidding price is $91.00 with the seller's reserve quite understandably not having been met. I expect this dress will garner considerable attention over the next nine days, and if my blog is the first to feature it, it undoubtably will not be the last.
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If you'll forgive me for dashing ahead a few decades, I am simply in love with this exqusitely cut spring little black dress from Tadashi. Also found on eBay, this dress carries the elegant lines of a Titanic era dinner dress into the cusp of the twenty-first century with panache. Also for a tiny woman, the bust of this dress measures a mere 33", while the waist is cut at 26" with hips to accomodate 39". Measuring 49 1/4" from shoulder to hem. These measurements endear the designer to me to no end, but your mileage may vary.
I absolutely adore that the designer chose to only hint at a mermaid hemline as opposed to throwing mountains of fabric at us along the hemline or raising said hemline so high in the front that the lady must keep constant vigil,of her posture in order to control what is revealed.
The dress is comprised of 84% nylon and 16% lycra. It is reported to be free of rips, tears, or stains, and - as you can see - simply hangs beautifully. It features a sweetheart neckline which simply begs for some jewelry worthy of the amount of realestate devoted to its presentation. One could go with the three to five strands of pearls, but I have a much more fun option which I will discuss below.
Offered at the eBay store Claudesresaleboutique for $68.95; a true bargain in anyone's book! If you're interested, hurry! I may have to snap this baby up myself!
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It's been a while since I've indulged my lucite mania on the blog, and the Tadashi dress above provided me with the perfect neckline to do it. While browsing through Etsy, I was lucky enough to find this Vintage Modernist Lucite Prism Tribal Choker Necklace by Judith Hendler.
Arguably the premier lucite artist of the 20th Century, Ms. Hendler's jewelry from the 80's was seen on such television shows as Dynasty and Knots' Landing, and graced the Jewelry cases of such venues as Saks Fifth Avenue and Bonwit Teller. Unmistakable in it's sculptural quality, as well as the unexpected comfort of the jewelry, Ms. Hendler's jewelry was made in limited supplies and is highly sought by collectors.
This particular necklace is being offered for sale by OwlVintage for $995.00.
An entrance into a social affair wearing the Tadashi dress coupled with this necklace would be an entrance remembered by everyone present!
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The next item I shall present may seem at first rather an odd item to include in a lady's vintage fashion blog, but I envision this gorgeous 19th century silver shaker to be a dispenser of scented talcum powder and not of salt or pepper!
Forged in Holland, this spiral decorated caster sits atop a lovely pedastled and is topped with the figure of an eagle. Picture this alongside some mercury glass baubbles on your dressing table! Could anything be more indulgently special?
Offered on eBay by the Bubbleking, a true and reliable purveyor of fine antiques, for the Buy-It-Now price of $145.00. Among his offerings right now is a similar, though more elongated caster of English origin from 1779 for $300.00. I would encourage you to look at both before making your selection to be certain you will be happy with your purchase.
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This sumptuous and magnificent French beaded evening gown is quite literally of the Titanic era. Made in 1912 the very year the ill fated voyage plunged into the Atlantic.
The teens are rapidly becoming my very favorite fashion era, with their layers of lace and beads designed to be worn over almost a slip of a dress as you can see with the magnificent blue satin dress which is displayed here merely to display the intricate and lovely design of the black tule and beading. The actual underdress is, like its decoration, jet black.
The seller reports the misfortune of some insignificant pin holes in the foundational dress, as well as five or six beads in the overlay. All of this damage can be easily mended if seen to quickly before the damage truly gets hold of the garment.
I think this dress is so lovely with a blue foundation, that - were I to buy it - I believe I might take it to a seamstress and have a blue foundation made to wear with it, as well as the original black. This would be cheating of course, but unless one were wearing the dress in a situation which demanded completely authentic vintage, I certainly see no harm in it, and what a shame it would be to not show off such masterful and well preserved beadwork!
Naturally, I would hope to find you wearing opera length black gloves and a black hat to complete the ensemble. Black shoes - though delicate ones and decidedly not granny boots - would also be required.
Offered for sale on eBay at the Buy-It-Now price of $1,790.00 from Ryphat. Among Ryphat's offerings is a beading / embroidery book from the 1920's which I must confess to coveting immensely.
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I absolutely gasped with delight when I happened upon this Easter yellow 1950's wiggle dress with the matching dinner length gloves on Etsy.
The dress is made of a knit of triacetate and nylon with a pronounced verticle rib. This ribbing was turned on it's side to make four bands of horizontal ribbing; two across the bodice, one across the waist to form the bowed belt of the dress and one band across the hips.
The form fitting nature of this dress absolutely put the wiggle in wiggle-dress. I would strongly recommend wearing a girdle (yes, a girdle) with this dress if you are over 30 lest your wiggle become a jiggle.
Sized small, the dress is in mint condition with the exception of some wrinkling of the back of the belt. I could steam out that wrinkle in a jiffy! The original hang tag is still present, but the seller believes the dress has been carefully worn. The dress measures 38"' 25.9"' and 29". There is some give to the fabric, except in the waist where the fabric has already been stretced to the maximum.
Made by R and K originals, the dress has a long metal zipper and is somewhat sheer, so it will require a slip. Did you know hairspray applied to your slip will keep your dress from riding up?
The matching dinner length gloves are a size six and a half, or small. These long gloves are made by Kayser and are suspected of being slightly older than the dress. There are some faint marks on the gloves and one small pinhole.
Both the dress and gloves are offered for sale by Etsy's denisebrain. The dress is available for $42.00, and the gloves for $4.00. What a bargain, and I can't think of a better Easter present to youself!
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With the resurgence of interest in 60's-70's style Bohemian clothing - especially those pieces which feature a bit of crochet or macrame, I felt I simply must include this darling 1960's crochetted baby doll top.
This pull over the head top was made to accomodate a 32"-34" bust. It would look darling with the new cut-off shorts, or you can dress it up with a skirt and some matching gloves (which should not be hard to find)! Hurraches sandals would be perfect with either look.
Available from Etsy's Salvagelife for $95.00. Prices for these pieces promise to go up as the mania for them increases. The time to buy is now, before they are priced outrageously out of range.
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This being pretty much the last week in which I could get away with showing you a coat (and you do know this is the cheapest time of year to purchase a coat, right?), I picked this long 60's Pierre Cardin grey wool tweed Trench.
This classically cut, double breasted trench with the wide lapels and exagerated cuffs will never go out of style. A coat like this is a true investment piece for the short of cash, and always appropriate for the short of time. A true go-to piece that you'll find yourself reaching for again and again. Grey is perhaps the most forgiving color, and tweed is by far the most forgiving of fabrics.
Offered at Etsy from BadChollaVintage for $218.00.
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That's all for this week! Until next week...
Happy Shopping!
Second Hand Roze
- Deep in the Heart of Uncertain Texas
Speaking of paroxysms of ecstasy...you always make my day with your commentary!
ReplyDeleteOh Maggie! What a nice thing to say! You should know, I've cast a covetous eye on that darling pink dress that ties at the neck. Don"t be surprised if you hear from me soon!
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