Vintage Dresses and Suits - New This Week at Couture Allure

New this week at Couture Allure - lots of shimmering vintage gold.

We love this vintage 60's cocktail dress with matching coat in gold brocade - and it's a generous larger size!
Another 1960's dazzler, this time in a new, old stock silk suit with genuine mink fur cuffs.

Shimmering silver silk satin jacquard is fashioned into a late 1940's dinner suit with ruffles at the hip.

The perfect early 1960's prom dress in gold brocade and silk organza.


Calling Petula Clark! I found your 1960's cocktail dress in cream crepe with babydoll lace tent overlay!

Hand-corded lace and silk tulle are lined in rose pink taffeta in this elaborate 1950's evening dress that would also work for a wedding.

And don't forget our Steal of a Deal sale starts tomorrow!

Vintage Roadshow - Links of the Week

Couture Allure shows how to stretch your wardrobe with a vintage sheath dress.

Debutante Clothing introduces Vintage Style Muse Helsinki Pinup, Freelancer's Fashionblog.

Glamoursplash has a customer win a prize in a vintage beach bathing beauty contest.

Here's Looking Like You, Kid talks about the history of rompers & playsuits.

Kitsch-Slapped shares vintage party games.

The Bobbypin Blog shows us how to get a fingerwave look like Keira Knightley.

Things Your Grandmother Knew has tips on darning stockings.

One lump or two?

There are two upcoming blog parties being held in June if anyone is interested in attending. The Victorian Parlor is hosting a Blog Tea Party on June 6th.The second one is "The Mad Hatter's tea Party" being hosted at A Fanciful Twist by Vanessa. You could combine the two.... and participate in both :-)

I've been busy doing "stuff" but not really finishing aNyThInG and to top it off my 1964 Falcon truck had been hit by a hit and run driver while I was out and about shopping. Ohhhh poo~ I want to thank all of those who read my blog-- really, I feel unworthy of such kindness, but delighted none the less!

Weekend Eye Candy - 1975 Leonard Signature Print

Another Leonard, Paris signature print set with elephant bell pants, a bikini top and a head scarf. This ad for Bergdorf Goodman is from 1975.

Couture Allure Steal of a Deal Sale - Let's Have Some Fun!

Announcing our semi-annual Steal of a Deal June Sale! We had so much fun in January, we're doing it again!

Each day during the month of June, I'll be taking 50% off the price of one item on my website. I'll announce the item every morning here on my blog at about 8AM Eastern. The 50% markdown will be effective from 8AM - 8PM Eastern time, and there will be a new item announced every day until July 1.

This will be a first come-first served sale, and at 8PM Eastern each day, if the item hasn't sold, it will return to full price.

In addition, there will be a few random "Super-Steals" with items marked at 75% off their original prices. Wow! How can you go wrong?

Will the items shown here go on sale? Maybe.....

....but you'll have to check here on my blog every morning to find out!

You can subscribe to an RSS feed of my blog or follow it in Bloglovin'. Or just bookmark it at www.coutureallure.blogspot.com.

Don't miss this fun sale! We'll see you every day in June!

1970s Elephant Bell Pants

File this under "Did We Really Wear Those?". Yes, yes we did. Super wide pants that we called elephant bell bottoms. I wore mine with 3" high platform shoes with cork wedges. I had to be careful not to trip over the hem of those pants, though. They were dangerous!

Shown above, the grown-up version from 1975: Midriff top and white pants, both in silk jersey by Leonard.

Sheila Lynn Dresses

Sheila Lynn Dresses, Inc. was a dress manufacturer and wholesaler on 7th Avenue in New York owned by Arthur Cole. Started as early as 1932 and a member of the Fashion Originator's Guild, many well known designers began their careers at Sheila Lynn, including Anne Fogarty, Richard Cole, and Matty Talmack. Sheila Lynn Dresses went out of business sometime in the late 1950's.

Shown above, a Sheila Lynn ad from 1949 with two rayon dresses selling for between $30-$35 (about $275-$321 in today's dollar).

Saks Fifth Avenue offered this dinner dress with jacket by Sheila Lynn as an SFA exclusive. The strapless taffeta dress came with a matching jacket. "Jacket on at the resaurant table; nude shoulders when the music begins." Sold for $39.95 in 1949 (about $367 in today's dollar).

Another dress with matching jacket in rayon faille from 1949 in pink, cocoa, or navy. Sold for $35 in 1949 (about $321 in today's dollar).

Vintage Swimsuits 1954

There were some incredibly sexy swimsuit options in 1954! All photos were taken by Lillian Bassman in Barbados for Vogue.

This has got to be one of my favorite suits I've featured all year. Claire McCardell fashions a Sag-No-Mor Vicara and wool jersey into a sleek black one piece suit with a hood that drops down to form a loose cowl neckline. Sold in 1954 for $25.00 (about $203.00 in today's dollar).

A one-shoulder bias-cut suit in black pique has bloomer pants. By Brigance of Sportsmaker. Sold in 1954 for $25.00 (about $203.00 in today's dollar).

Catalina fashions black taffeta into a strapless suit with ruffles. Completely boned for support. Sold in 1954 for $18.00 (about $146.00 in today's dollar).

Navy and white stripes in a Dacron and Lastex strapless maillot by Roxanne. Sold in 1954 for $30.00 (about $244.00 in today's dollar).

More stripes, this time by Caltex in blue and white elasticized nylon boucle. Sold in 1954 for $19.00 (about $154.00 in today's dollar).

A strapless maillot with crumb-catcher bust and puffed pants by Lee Beachwear in black faille woven with Lastex. Boned for support. Sold in 1954 for $13.00 (about $106.00 in today's dollar).

Sacony molds blue and white plaid to the body and belts it in blue. Nylon, acetate, and lastex blend. Sold in 1954 for $18.00 (about $146.00 in today's dollar).

Which one is your favorite???

From Suit to Sundress

From 1949 comes this dress with matching jacket to take you from day to date, or from suit to sundress in a jiffy. The jacket has a peplum with the same curving lines as the dress bodice. If you click to enlarge the photo, you'll see that the bust-to-waist darts on the dress angle to a point at the center of the waist to enhance the slimming lines. The triple shoulder straps add an additional detail. Why don't they make them like this anymore?????? From Doris Dodson Juniors, the set sold for $23.00 (about $211.00 in today's dollar).

Makeover party~

Is it that time of the month again? Why, yes it is!.... here is what I've made over this month... Two old trunks into what else? Pirate trunks of course! Here is what they looked like when I brought them home...This old trunk I picked up for only $10 bucks at a yard sale. (I talked her down from the $15 she was asking-- I know, what nerve I've got lol)I used masking tape and spray paint to give this trunk a makeover. Once the whole trunk was painted, I dragged a sponge brush over the raised area of the tin with some black latex paint so that the design really popped. I then rubbed on some staining polish to the wooden planks on the trunk. I wanted the wood to have a worn look so I didn't completely cover every inch of the wood.

This second trunk I picked up for freeeeeeeeeeee off of craigslist. You cannot go wrong with freeeeeeeeeee! The inside of the trunk is wooden with all metal on the outside.

Again, I used masking tape and regular cheap brown, black and gold spray paint to give this chest a new look. Now...I know what your saying, the chests looked more like pirate chests in the before photos-- but hey, we're classy pirates! Ohhhhhhh and of course, I added wheels to the bottom of both trunks... aaaarrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhh~ Treasure gets heavy!Join Jen at her Makeover party on the 25th of every month and join in the linky fun!

Mainbocher and the WWII Navy WAVES Uniform

It's Memorial Day here in the US, a day when we remember our women and men who have died in military service.

Did you know that the uniforms for the Navy WAVES were designed by Mainbocher? The first uniforms for the armed services designed by a well-known designer, they received much media coverage. The dress blue and white uniforms consisted of a tailored jacket and a six-gore skirt.

Mainbocher's design was distinctive with it's use of a rounded collar layered over a pointed lapel.

The side-brimmed hat came with interchangeable white or navy covers.

A navy overcoat was also part of the uniform.

Mainbocher also designed the WAVES summer working uniform of a grey seersucker dress with matching jacket, which had the same distinctive collar design.

Ads featuring women in uniform were prominent during the war years. This ad for Celenese Fabrics features a Navy nurse in a uniform made from one of their new synthetic fabrics which was designed for war use, but could be purchased for home sewing.

This ad for Mary Sachs, a store in Harrisburg, PA, offers "Service for Women who Serve". The store offered custom fitting and tailoring of uniforms and also sold WAVES, WACS, and Army Nurse uniforms by mail order.

More yard sales...

I went to some more yard sales today...for a Sunday I got some really fun things :-) and rather cheaply too!

Another soon to be made over pirate chest for only $2, a box full of paper umbrellas .50cents, two antique books for $1 each (from the 1900's) a .10cent (soon to be "revamped") business card holder, for .50cents I picked up the small gold frame with the metal picture holder, two "blue birds of happiness" birds for .25 cents. A soldered glass piece for .25 cents that I'm going to stick a fairy in one of these days! A huge baggie full of polished rocks & glass pieces for .50cents. An old metal bird cage with a little bird sitting on a swing for $1 A full box full of vintage hair clippies for .25cents (I am so going to use these in my hair lol) A aluminum framed mirror $1, a stack of vintage post cards that urge you to come back to Sunday school for .25cents :-P A container with plastic rhinestones and a handful of rubber stamps and an ink pad all for only .50cents~Lastly...this beautiful pink bedspread for only $1 :-) Tomorrow is another day-- and another yard sale no doudt!

Vintage Evening Gowns - New This Week at Couture Allure

New this week at Couture Allure - vintage evening gowns for all your formal needs!

This 1960's evening gown is completely covered in beads and sequins in pale aqua and iridescent white. From Miss Stella at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel - a posh address indeed!

This late 1930's garden party dress is fashioned from silk in a vibrant blue and pink floral print.

This 1940's evening gown with it's matching bolero jacket of rust rayon crepe is adorned with light blue silk satin and elaborate gold bullion embroidery.

Designer Luis Estevez goes wild in this early 1970's maxi dress of silk in a yellow, black, and white graphic print.

And designer Pauline Trigere goes wild in this vintage 1990's evening gown of green plaid cotton voile adorned with smoky crystal rhinestones in three sizes from small to giant.

I really need to take better pictures of this beauty. This early 1960's gold brocade gown has a tulle mermaid hem for your inner diva!

Sailing~

I put on my Sperry topsiders this morning and went sailing today :-) It was a lovely morning out and about amongst the swells of treasures!

I picked up this old vintage Bingo game (lid included but not in photo) for .50cents. The baggie full of handles for $1, the antique photo frame for $1, the cute wooden luggage piece was $1..and I got 10 vintage cardboard Saint patricks day containers for .10cents each. (10 total) A shadow box filled with vintage millinery was $4 and lastly some vintage felt butterflys for .25cents and a silver plated business card holder for $1. (something I was needing!) Yep-yep...great day of sailing!

Now.....some F.Y.I-- did you know that blogspot only gives you 1024 mb of free space to post photos on your blog? Have you ever??? I am at 30% on my blog-- once you reach your free limit of 1024 mb they
ask tell you to purchase more space! Here is the link with the information. I just thought that that was a dirty-rotten-trick. Soooooooooo don't go getting all "photo-happy" cause it will cost you later!

Weekend Eye Candy - 1967 Balenciaga Evening Cape

1967 - Balenciaga's black silk gazar "cabbage" evening cape. Photo by Irving Penn.

Been busy...

painting.... and babysitting...

and also..... I am also doing a little bit of crocheting in between. I recently received my catalog from our local fair showing all the things you can enter in order to win money and ribbons. (love-love those ribbons!) First prize is anywhere from $7 to $12 bucks. Not bad for a dollar entry fee. For me it is all about the ribbons :-) Last year, I got a "best in show" ribbon! Here I was just shooting for a "first" place (yes, I did receive several of those!!) now its all about best in show...those ribbons are bigger!!

"Laugh and I'll sock ya!"

I highly encourage anyone reading this to enter something into your own local fair. It is easy-peasy. Just google your own town fair (I googled "Fresno fair" and up it popped) Shoot them off an e-mail and ask them for a catalog of "competitive exhibits" some cities have them posted online, but I prefer a catalog (my city has both) so I can read/reread/scheme which category to enter. You can even enter pies, cookies etc.