Cut out Shoulder Top!

Trends, come and go... I embrace some other I ignore... But I adore this one, cutout shoulder, fantastic for the last days of summer. The top is form Asos, of course,  and these are my new Fayfarer's, I had them on my eye, for almost a year at first I thought I loved them, but they are not for me... I mean I'm not the type of person for them... So it was to buy or not to buy, but and the end I did... And actially, I'm glad I did:)

Trendovi dolazi i prolaze, neke prihvatis neke ingnorises... Koliko god da volim modu, uvek se trudim da ostanem dosledna nekom svom stilu... Ali ovaj trend sam zavolela u momentu kada sam ga ugledala, da to je bilo to - love at first sight! Vec sam o njemu pisala ovde.
Kada su ove naocare u pitanju, njih sam duuuugo merkala, svidele su mi se, ali nekako mi nisu bila za mene, ali na kraju sam ih ipak uzela i svaki dan su mi sve draze:)

P.S. Naknadno cu da iskomentarisem torbu:) Imam je vec skoro 3 godine, oduvek mi se dopadao ovaj VW fazon sa karo dezenom i tvidom, ali su uvek bile neke sumorne boje koje nisu bile za mene, a onda se pojavila ova lepotica and that's was the beginning of one beautiful friendship:)

Top: Asos, Jeans: LTB, Sunglasses: Rayban, Bracelet - one Croatian designer, Bag: Vivienne Westwood; shoes: Zara

Who Says?

Who says you can't wear black with brown?  I do it all the time.  The fact is, these two colors look great together.  And Christian Dior agrees.  This suit from 1954 is by Christian Dior-New York. 

The ad was put out by DuPont to advertise their trademarked Dacron polyester fiber.  I've shown you ads before of clothing made from DuPont fabrics by Paris couturiers.  The Dior suit shown above was made from wool blended with Dacron to add a wrinkle free quality to the fabric.  OK, enough about the suit.  I want the car!

Franklin Simon Cashmere Sweater

I've told you before how much I hate shopping at "The Mall".  I used to enjoy shopping at department stores, but now I avoid them like the plague and will only step foot in one if I am desperate.  Franklin Simon was one of the original department stores in New York.  The main store was established in 1903 at Fifth Avenue and 38th St.  Other store owners laughed at Mr. Simon's choice of opening so far uptown where "no one would shop."  Mr. Simon's goal was to import as much of his merchandise from Europe as he could for his discerning customers.  The Franklin Simon chain of stores closed in 1979.

The ad shown above is from 1956.  "Franklin Simon translates the relaxed refinement of American living with elegant simplicity....turns separates into a magnificently integrated costume!"  The cashmere sweater wtih contrast bands came in yellow with gray, champagne with white, or gray with white in sizes 34- 40.  Sold for $32.95 in 1956 (about $274 in today's dollar.)  The wool flannel skirt came in gray or champagne and was available in sizes 10-18.  Sold for $19.95 in 1956 (about $166 in today's dollar.)

If I knew I could walk into a department store today and find this coordinating sweater and skirt displayed together and in the high quality fabrics used in the 50s,  I would not hesitate to hand over my credit card.  Alas, I know it is not to be.  If I find a cute cashmere sweater, the quality will be crap.  And I will have to search through the entire store for any skirt that I might possibly find to go with it.  Ugh.  No thanks.

Summer don't go...

I always love to accessorize myself with green details... Green is always great solution for blonds, but unfortunately not used very often.. So, here's my look for casual coffee: distressed jeans, tank top, portfolio clutch and heels.

Uglavnom volim da dopunim svoj look sa zelenim detaljima... Mislim da je ova boja uvek dobro resenje sa plavuse, ali se na zalost ne koristi toliko cesto...

j

Jeans: LTB, Tank top : Asos, Shoes: Zara,  Bracelet: Mango, Clutch: Asos, Sun glasses: Gucci

A new roof!

I started working on the bookcase/doll house that I recently bought at a yard sale for only $5..... I started at the top-- making a roof okokok, shingles for the roof. I used cardboard that I cut into 1-1/2 x 1 inch pieces gluing them to the dollhouse with regular household glue. Once that was finished I painted the shingles black and dry brushed some brown and tan over that creating old weathered shingles. As the dollhouse comes together I may lighten the shingles even more by dry brushing a lighter color on top of whats there already. I would love for it to look like an sweet old cottage--- but what I would like and what I can pull off are two totally different things altogether! But I'll try~~On my wish list of things to make for this house: a brick floor, a wood floor..... lace curtains, two wooden doors with windows... a planter, a tree (don't ask-- still thinking this through lol) wallpaper, molding etc...etc...etc...........

Skinny Pants - 1963

Today we call them skinny jeans, leggings, tights, what have you.  But narrowly cut pants are nothing new.  Neither are leggings.  With the advent of the new "miracle" knit fabrics in the early 60s, knit stretch and stirrup pants were all the rage with young women.  Make note, though, that pants like these were strictly for casual wear and would not have been worn to work, to a meeting with a professional or to a restaurant.  Many women wouldn't even wear them for shopping or to class.  Today's photos are from 1963.

Above at left:  Davenshire rayon/nylon stirrup pants came in 8 colors and were offered in short, medium and tall lengths.  At right:  Davenshire wool worsted plaid skinny pants, fully lined of course.

Tiger brand pants and coordinating blouses.  Left:  Black wool flannel pants (fully lined) worn with a printed acetate blouse.  At right:  Wool/nylon stretch pants with stirrups worn with a cotton blend blouse.

Koret of California introduced jacquard textured skinny pants in Permathal cotton knit.  Supposedly, the pants were tough enough to be tackled by football players!

 What did one wear with skinny pants and leggings?  Flats and only flats!  Shoes with heels would have been considered too "trashy".  Cute flat shoes and ankle boots were called for and the style choices were plentiful.  Above, 9 styles of flat shoes and booties, all by Sandler of Boston.

Three menswear style boots, all in leather.  At the top, Pappagallo buckle boot.  In the center, a laced bootie by Sandler of Boston.  At the bottom, A loafer extended into a boot by Trampeze.

Like Ancient Greece!

This is one of my favorite dresses... I have it for years but still love it like the first day... The thing I love very much in this combination is my new necklace designed by talented Serbian designer Tijana Zunic. Do you like It?

Ovo je jedna od mojih omiljenih haljina, kupljena pre par godina ali jos uvek je volim kao prvog dana jer je jako laka za kombinovanje i jos lepsa za nosenje... Molim vas obratite paznju na ogrlicu koju je napravila mlada i talentovana domaca dizajnerka Tijana Zunic, divna je zar ne?

Dress: no name, Sandals: Zara; Bag Just Cavalli; sunglasses Gucci; Bangles: Accessories; Necklace: Tijana Zunic...

New at Couture Allure - Vintage Accessories and Dresses

It's been kind of an off week for me.  On Tuesday, I sat at my computer and just felt an overwhelming sense of weariness.  Instead of working, I took a nap.  Then I took the next 2 days off.  Thanks, I needed that!  I did manage to get a lot of accessories and a couple of really great dresses listed for you though.  Be sure to check our What's New pages to see all the newest goodies!

1971 Rudi Gernreich wool knit dress

1960s Gino Charles beaded silk dress

Gianfranco Ferre designer bracelet

1950s La France poodle purse

1960s Enid Collins style owl purse

1970s doeskin leather wrap belt

The Ecclestone Woman!

 

So, I'm sure that you've all seen and red about Kim Kardashian's wedding, but there's another celebrity wedding that could easily throw shadow on Kim's... Petra Ecclestone is getting married in 15th century castle in Rome. These are the photos from their rehearsal dinner, I must admit that Petra looks spectacular, so does her stunning mother and sister. All three of them are wearing Ralph & Russo custom made dresses.

Sigurna sam da ste vec svi citali i gledali slike sa dugo najavljivanog vencanja Kim Kardashian, ali priblizava nam se jos jedno celebrity vencanje koje preti da baci senku na Kimino. Predivna Petra Ecclestone se udaje u zamku uz 15 veka u Rimu. Ovo su slike sa vecere pred vencanje u Rimu. Moram da priznam da Petra izgleda predivno, kao i njene majka i sestra. Sve tri  nose haljine Ralph & Russo!

Weekend Notes

I'm interrupting my usual Weekend Eye Candy post to bring you a few notes and to tell you a story.

First, my blog surpassed 1000 followers earlier this week and I didn't want to ignore this important landmark.  Welcome to all my new blog followers!  I'm so glad you're here and I hope my blog brings you much enjoyment!

Second, as you probably know, Hurricane Irene is currently moving up the East Coast of the US and is supposed to hit New England tomorrow.  While Irene will probably only be a tropical storm by the time she reaches us, we will probably experience high winds here along the coast.  While our offices are not in danger of flooding, we could lose electricity.  If I'm out of touch for an extended period on Facebook or Twitter, it will probably be because we have no electrical power here at the office.  I have blog posts scheduled to go up automatically for the week, but there may be a short delay in shipping any orders that come in.

Now I have a story to tell you.  This morning, my husband and I decided to take a walk along the beach while our weather was still calm.  The first wisps of the cloud cover to come were starting to appear and the sun was dazzling on the ocean.  It was early enough that the sky still had shades of pale pink, peach and lilac.  Simply beautiful.  As we walked along at a brisk pace listening to our individual tastes in music, we noticed a woman head onto the deserted beach with her American Staffordshire dog. 

The dog (let's call her Lucy) was happy and took off at a run as soon as she was let off leash by the owner.  I laughed as I watched Lucy chase after sticks.  When she got to the stick, she would hit the brakes and slide, just as if she was headed for first base.  She would then run back to her owner with the stick for another throw.  I did notice that as soon as the woman approached Lucy, the dog would skitter away playing Keep-Away with her stick. 

We kept on walking and after a bit turned around to head home.  As we approached, Lucy and her owner were headed toward the opening in the sea wall.  Lucy was still unleased and her owner was calling to her.  Next thing we know, Lucy comes racing towards us along the sidewalk.  Now friends, my husband and I are longtime dog lovers and owners.  My husband is a volunteer dog trainer for the MSPCA here in Boston.  We know what to do and what not to do when greeting a strange dog, especially a large breed like Lucy.  We both turned to the side with our hands down so Lucy could get a sniff.  I was concerned because Lucy was still unleashed, but had no intention of reaching down to grab her collar.....not with those teeth and that jaw so close.  Lucy was obviously friendly, but she doesn't know me and I don't know her.  As Lucy's owner approached, she reached down to grab her and Lucy skittered away...........straight into oncoming traffic in the street.

Lucy was lucky.  She was hit by a car, but did not get run over.  The car's right front fender hit Lucy and she was thrown and rolled over a couple of times, but she walked away from the accident.  She'll probably be badly bruised for awhile, and she may develop a fear of cars, but hopefully she'll be OK.  As dog lovers, this incident was very traumatic, not only for Lucy's owner, bur for my husband and I and for the driver of the car.  Things could have been much worse; much, much worse.  As it was, we all walked away, but I can't stop thinking about Lucy and what could have happened.

Why am I telling you this story?  Just to say this.  Dog owners, I beg you, don't let your dog off leash in an unfenced area no matter how much control you think you may have!  Unleashed is Unloved!

Take Me to Marrakesh!

Although I recently came back from Cyclades, my mind is still in traveler's mood, so far away from everydays life & work. I guess that's the charm of summer, you're mind is never where your body is, it's always wondering around... In my mind, my next stop is Morocco, so I'm wearing black and gold - two powerful colors, so typical for Morocco and the dress itself is inspired with that mystical country... Hope you like it:)


Iako sam se nedavno vratila sa odmora, moj mozak je i dalje u putnickom raspolozenju, miljama i miljama daleko od mog svakodnevnog zivota... Ali to je valjda i car leta, vase misli nikada nisu tamo gde i vase telo, vec lutaju naokolo. Mojim mislima je sledeca stanica Morroco, tacnije Marrakesh... Nakit i haljina su inspirisani tvom zemljom...  Nadam se da vam se dopada:)

Dress: Mango; Wedges: Escada; Bangles: Accessories;Earrings: Ladola Lu

Crocheted Strawberries

I've been thinking about making some presents for Christmas this year. My 2 year old grandaughter really enjoys playing with the Melissa & Dougs wooden food sets. But at $20 bucks a set, and seeing how I want to get her every single one... I thought I would try to divert my attention from buying all of them--- by making some things myself. Soooooooooooooo, I whipped up some adorable crocheted strawberries. Now, strawberries are not what I would consider "fun" to play with--- but these ones you can pull off the green part from the strawberry! (which is called a calyx)Here is the crochet pattern if you would like to make your own crocheted strawberries. They are extremely easy to make. If you don't know how to crochet, you can look on you tube for an instructional video.



This strawberry is worked in continuous rounds. You can either mark the first st of every round, or just keep count as you do each stitch of each round.

Using red worsted weight yarn and an "F" hook, crochet 2ch.

1st round Skip 1ch, 6sc in next ch.

2nd round [1sc in next sc, 2sc in next sc] 3 times= 9 sts.

3rd round [1sc in each of next 2sc, 2sc in next sc] 3 times. = 12 sts.

4th round 1sc in each sc, which will equal 12 sc stitches.

5th round [1sc in each of next 3sc, 2sc in next sc] 3 times. =15 sts.

6th round [1sc in each of next 4sc, 2sc in next sc] 3 times. =18 sts.

7th round 1sc in each sc, which will equal 18 stitches.

8th round [1sc in each of next 5sc, 2sc in next sc] 3 times. =21 sts.

9th round [1sc in each of next 6sc, 2sc in next sc] 3 times. =24 sts.

10th round 1sc in each sc, which will equal 24 stitches.

11th round [2-st sc decrease] to end of round. =12 sts.

At this point, I took out my crochet hook and held the loop in place with a safety pin. I then stuffed the strawberry rather firmly. Next, I used a double length of yellow thread to attach yellow/gold beads onto the strawberry randomly across the surface. I purchased the beads at Walmart, I didn't have to use a bead needle with these. I fastened off the thread securely by attaching it to the stuffing that was on the top of the strawberry.I pulled out the safety pin that held the loop open and continued to crochet the next round.

12th round [2-st sc decrease] to end. =6 sts. Fasten off.

Stitch from side to side of the strawberry to close the opening, tightening each stitch before making the next one. You now have a finished strawberry.

CALYX Using green worsted weight yarn and an"H" hook, I chained 3 and skipping one chain stitch I then sc in remaining two stitches. Continue with that pattern of chaining 3, skip one chain stitch, sc in remaining 2 chains until you have five completed "leaves" in a row. Then you slip stitch to the beginning chain stitch, and crochet around the opening of the green calyx pulling it tightly until the circle closes. However many single crochet or slip stitches you need to use to close the opening. For the strawberry stem, work your green yarn into the middle of the circle of leaves/calyx and chain 5, skip one chain, and sl stitch down the remaining 4 chains. Fasten off, leaving a long tail to work back under the existing stitches. Thats it... easy peasy.At this point, you can either stitch the calyx to the top of the strawberry, or add velcro to make them into something you can pull apart. I chose the latter. I used green and red permanent markers to color the white velcro circles that I was going to use for my strawberries.Next, I simply used hot glue and glued the round red velcro on the strawberry and the green velcro circle on the calyx of the strawberry.

Then I just pushed the two together, to create a "toy" Easy peasy! I'm going to modify this strawberry pattern to make some crocheted eggs next.