Vintage for Black History Month and Every Month

This dress is from Saint Laurent's "African" collection, his first to look beyond Western fashion. Stylized African motifs and patterns are used to evoke traditional tribal clothing and jewelry. Although inspired by African design, the intricate beading and embroidery were accomplished using materials and techniques typical of couture embellishment.

Yves Saint Laurent evening dress, 1967 from the Musum of Fit

(L) Patrick Kelly 'Ghanian kente cloth' ensemble, spring 1988 / (R) Stella Jean dress of Burkino Faso wax prints, fall 2015

“I’m keen to discover fabrics that people think are produced in a particular location and show them it’s actually a different story altogether,” said designer Stella Jean. Wax prints are often referred to as African fabrics, but in fact are appropriated from African culture and made in Holland. This dress with sharp Italian tailoring incorporates wax prints Jean commissioned from African artisans in Burkina Faso.

(L) Patrick Kelly 'Ghanian kente cloth' ensemble, spring 1988 / (R) Stella Jean dress of Burkino Faso wax prints, fall 2015

Donyale Luna (born Peggy Ann Freeman), model and actress the first African-American Cover Girl and is also considered one of the first Black supermodels. She was the 1st African American model to appear on the cover of British Vogue.

Donyale Luna

Donyale Luna

Donyale Luna

Peggy Dillard-Toone was the second African American woman to appear on the cover of Vogue (Beverly Johnson was the first “Black” woman on the cover. Donyale Luna never identified herself as “black” so many people stripped her of that honor.)

Peggy Dillard-Toone

Another vintage 1960s African American fashion model.

Stunning Vintage Photos Show the Beauty of African-American Women from between 40s via vintage everyday.

Sisters in Skirts 1950’s [Donated by the Earl McCann Collection] ©WaheedPhotoArchive, 2011

Love these skirts!

Helen Williams, a vision in yellow.

Helen Williams

Beautiful Nina Mae McKinney (June 13, 1912 – May 3, 1967) Dubbed "The Black Garbo" in Europe, she was one of the first African-American film stars.

Nina Mae McKinney

 I hope you enjoyed these lovely photos of just a few of the beautiful women and fashions from the past.

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Oso Victoria Vintage

Harper's Bazzar January 1950 Fashions

Since I was out and about yesterday, I decided it was a good time to stop at my local university library and scan some more vintage fashion. It is always a challenge to find parking where I can spend more than 30 min. Fridays work best because that is when most classes don't meet, so yea, I was able to find parking fairly close to the library and spent several hours scanning.

I look for fashion that appeals to me and has a unique quality, as Nina Garcia would say "..we've seen this before..." 

So I'll be posting some of those with the exception of  the swimsuit ads from Coles, Catalina, Jantzen and Sea Mold that I'll save for this summer in the northern hemisphere. 

For beautiful drape and fine texture Enka Rayon in an exotic spaced print on a soft malleable crepe short dinner dress by Joseph Whitehead is good theatre against a background of palms - equally effective for summer in cooler climes.

Lots if details in this silk shantung dress sprinkled with three-cornered embroidered white dots from Henri Bendel at $125.

Two silk dresses..it's the pleated skirt or deep batwing sleeves for your New Year wardrobe from Henry Rosenfeld, on left comes in green, copper, turquoise, toast; on right green, toast, red, turquoise $17.95 each.

Is there a favorite and a particular detail that is appealing? Let me know in the comments below, thanks I am always interested in what others think of these designs, good or bad.

Sea Fever by Joan Collins Vogue 1957

This is a cute outfit with a sea nautical theme, perfect for summer!

Love the side buttons on the skirt and the polka dot blouse is adorable!

The ad says ~ Sea-fever, spring-fever when you spy these slightly nautical separates by Joan Collins. White-dotted blouse of Silcoona, a soft new acetate. $6.95. Sweet and narrow skirt of Cape Cod rayon $7.95. Both, Folker Fabrics. Blue, shrimp or navy. Sizes 5 to 15. Lard & Taylor, New York, Marshell Field & Company, Chicago, J.W. Robinson, Los Angeles.

I am thinking shrimp is red. I think any of these color would look great, although I am not sure I would go all red with the blouse and skirt. On me that would be to much red because I am a summer color,but the red skirt and a white blouse would work just fine.

What color would you prefer?

Beautiful Vintage Dresses of the 50s

Love these beautiful vintage dresses from 50s. Each style is a bit different than the last. What fun it would be to have a day out dresses in these lovely frocks.

Pearled Plaid: Wamsutta's summery shadowy gingham with pearly buttons all over just for their lovely looks - A dress cut on the cooling system - little top, large skirt, a collar of your own tan. Blue or grey plaid cuffed with white pique, leather belt. $19.95

Those denim you prefer, now in the colors most becoming - always bear the label "Sailing blues" to guarantee good styling, perfect fit, complete washability. In everything from briefest bras and shorts, to jackets and slacks, nautical dresses and sun frocks with boleros. Nautical dress about $10.95, Sun dress $8.95, bolero $3.95

Modern design DOES make a big difference with the "Young Cosmopolitan. She loves the coolness and comfort in the streamlined bodice of this "modern design" print cotton dress ... the simple ball button trim and the smart pockets slashed into the side seams of a stand-out-by-itself skirt. Navy on pale blues, purple on lilac or black on beige...$12.95

Do you have a favorite? I love the sundress and I also love plaid.

Vintage Vogue 1957 Perfect for a Tropical Vacation

Is it to early to plan the summer? Definitely not to early for a winter vacation to a tropical paradise. We will be heading to Hawaii at the end of Jan. so I am sharing these dreamy vintage outfits and do with I had a few of these to take along. All the outfits shown are from Vogue 1957.

Swimsuits by Dior, Vogue 1957

Original cost ~ Empire on left $29.95, button one on right $35

Love both of these swimsuits, I think that white one would flatten my tummy nicely.

Signature fine Art Cottons

Signature silken cotton sateen in turquoise, gold, black $25. Fabrics also available by the yard

Floral streamer print by WAMSUTTA in dacron and cotton blend.

Sundress girdled in cotton chiffon $30, one-piece boy pants swimsuit $18, deck jacket $12.

From Oleg Cassini

This lovely dress has a very low back, love the details.

This would complete my wardrobe, going from the beach to day wear and evening cocktail. I am having such a wonderful time in my 'love to have' vintage. And, if you have noticed these beautiful outfits are so wearable today. hope you have everything you need for your vacation. Bon Voyage!

Vintage Vogue 1951 Magazine Fashion Photos

I love capturing these beautiful vintage magazine photos. The lovely dresses and coats below are all from Vogue January 1951 magazine, enjoy and share these photos.

Color Treasure...the costume in Courtaulds' Coloray rayon fashioned by "Mr. T" with elegant airs and graces. The soft spring colors are not only rich but permanent...never fading despite cleanings and wearings. Because all the color comes from Courtaulds' Coloray, the fiber that's infused with color, not just coated with it! "Mr. T" of HOLIDAY FROCKS creates a striped sheath and companion coat. Sizes 10 to 18. About$50 at Bloomingdale's.

I do love this soft blue grey steel color and the neckline on the coat.

This spring's new demi-brown colours, demi-jacket suits. Stictly American products by American designers who like the idea of open jackets. These clear the way for outgoing blouses - visible even when suit buttons are worked open. Traina-Norell, one of the simplest sensations, a bright-brown suit with a slim skirt in a deep-ruled corduroy, silk crepe blouse at Lord & Taylor.

This one is yummy, love brown and love how the corduroy works on this suit.

A whisper of color...the weight of a breath...costumes, this spring's great lady. ADELE SIMPSON creates her suit coolly in beige MERINGUE TWEED - an airy all-climate mixture of wool and silk by FORSTMANN. In other light shades, too - so new frosted with white. Go beautifully...in fabrics by FORSTMANN.

Love how the button are placed on the jacket and skirt, also like the wide waistband and front skirt panel, sweet!

More photos to come from Vogue 1951 and contiuned vintage sewing tips using White's 1950s sewing guide. You can use Google Friends Connect to follow this blog to enjoy and share, thanks!

Silver Fashion from Vintage, Designers, and 2013 Runway Show

Lately I have been fascinated with fashion in silver fabrics. From the Art Deco period to this Spring and Summer 2013 runway look. So where did it all start? Doing a little bit of research I found these bits of interesting information. 

In the 14th century China cloth of gold was called Marramas and a very similar cloth was made of silver. And, to this day the silver cloth similar to Marramas is made in India and Europe. 

Throughout history metallic fabric has been very common among the nobility and those of wealth. Charlotte, Queen Victoria's cousin was married in a wedding gown made of metallic cloth.

Princess Charlotte's 1816 wedding dress, this dress has been altered, the 'apron' is not original

Dresses from the 1920s often showed flare and style in gold and silver. Although, the gold and silver in these dresses were usually accomplished by bead and sequin work.

A lovely beaded flapper 1920's dress

1920's cream and gold lame evening dress

1920's sequin dress

Today's modern metallic fabrics made in the west are known

as lamé. 

Lanvin Silver Lame Evening Ensemble 1930

Vionnet Dress - Fall/Winter 1938-39

Moving on to the 60's and 70's starting with this silk jersey, the dress below is made of silk jersey and absolutely stunning

Dior 1960 Evening ensemble, silk jersey

The lovely Françoise Hardy in a metal-link jumpsuit by Paco Rabanne, 1968

Thierry Mugler, 1979

As we go forward in time to current fashion we have more stunning silver gowns with beautiful draping and bead and sequin work.

Versace Fall 2011

Marchesa Pre-Spring 2012

Georges Hobeika Spring Summer 2013 Ready to Wear

And, one final pretty one ~ no designer's name or date came with this one.

Hope you liked my current obsession with silver (and a touch of gold) gown, dresses and jumpsuits...

And, I would love it if you joined this blog and get the next color obsession, it is rather bold and wild, but that will come after the next free PDF knitting or crocheting instructions, until then, love fashion, love vintage!

Some of my Best Fashion Picks This Week

I found these fashions on Pinterest and shared them with my Facebook fans. These are a few from the polka dot category that I really love.

This dress was a favorite among my Facebook fans ...

This dress sold at http://www.etsy.com/shop/swingkatsvintage although she has some

other very lovely dresses.

This was one of my favorites...

This dress was from http://www.vintageous.com/v5428.htm

and sold for $135.

Love this polka-dot cotton bathing suit and jacket by Margit 

Fellegi for 

Cole of California, American, c. 1950.

Love polka dots? Do you have a favorite here? Let me know in the comment section, love to hear what you have to say.

Vogue Fashion 1965

There was a little bit of everything in this April edition of Vogue 1965. I start with this image featuring Italian designers. what caught my eye in this shot was the fabric of this dress. I have some muslin fabric that has different size eyelets, kind of reminded me of Swiss cheese, not this dress, but my muslin fabric. I was always at a loss as to what to make with it, haha, still am. I find this dress interesting but really not me, although I do like the fabric.

Black and white eyelet curves back into Watteau's century - clasped with black roses over over rose-tosses white. by Forquet, in Abraham linen.

This spread is called Vogues's Eye View: The Body Bulletin

...The line of soft fabric flowing against a clean, taut line of body is the line of today...the strength of the body showing through transparent clothes is the strength of fashion. For this moment...for this era. The era's seductive herald.

Black lace stretched over a look of naked strength, swirled in chiffon - Heim diablerie on a skin of Warner's Body Stocking.

(I can see wearing the above with a tunic or mini dress and boots, I do believe that is the current style)

This dress comes from the photo shoot called Romantic Evenings in the American Custom by American designers

The mistiest elusive blue, a vaporous dress of chiffon, and the luminous bolero of beads that covers a softly wrapped strapless top. by Sophie.

This 12 page spread is called The Brisk Sweet Look of Linen which included this evening dress.

An evening dress of forget-me-not blue linen with a beautiful bare little top embroidered in a lacy design of white beads. The skirt: gathered, long,rippling. by Malcolm Starr $160

And then there is this one, a bit different than the rest in an article called Beauty Bulletin, how beauty travels...and what it takes ...word from the beauties who go, go, go

Slit sungoggles - one of the greatest looks we've seen since we discovered the Arctic and interviewed the smartest Eskimos cutting any ice there. Sea &Ski invented them and here they mingle with a chiffon-hooded coat created for Elizabeth Arden by Oscar de la Renta

I remember these, they were to hard to see out through.

I did want to save the best for last, Bardot - Bardot an article by Marguerite Duras

In Mexico, Brigitte Bardot filming Viva Maria

There was a lot of fashion, articles, and ads in this edition of Vogue, I hope you enjoyed the little snippets. Be sure to follow my blog by email for much more to come, thanks!