Weekend Eye Candy - Maggy Rouff, 1967

Cotton shift dresses from the 1960s with bright floral prints are easy and fun to wear all summer long.  I would dearly love to find this one for my customers.  This Maggy Rouff Boutique dress from 1967 is made of pure linen.  I wish this photo were in color!

Hanae Mori Jumpsuit, 1967

Photo by Irving Penn for US Vogue

I usually associate designer Hanae Mori with beautiful prints, and butterflies were a favorite design element of hers, but this over-the-top jumpsuit from 1967 is quite a bit wilder than anything I've seen of hers from this era.  Made of silk crepe, I am sure the workmanship on this was simply superb.  The bracelets are by New York jeweler Charles Elkaim.

Vera Neumann Dress - 1967

I love me some Vera, and I would snatch this dress from 1967 right up if I found it.  A simple sheath in Ban-Lon nylon, it is shown bloused a bit by way of the tie sash at the waist.  Sold for $26 in 1967 (about $176 in today's dollar.)  The hair?  Not so much.  And are those necklaces posing as earrings?

Oscar de la Renta Dress - 1967

Here in Boston, we've been blessed with relatively mild temperatures for the past couple of months.  (Did I just jinx it?)  That doesn't mean I don't long for tropical temperatures and warm ocean breezes.  This 1967 dress by Oscar de la Renta is perfect for enjoying those fantasies.  And a long orange beaded necklace as an ankle bracelet?  Why not?

Glam and Glitz for evening - 1967

Let's party like it's 1967! Required - one sparkly dress, glitter stockings, metallic shoes, and big hair.

Geoffrey Beene dress with sequins and mirrors.

Malcolm Starr royal blue dress with cuffs and hem in paillettes, wooden beads and crystals. Sold for $265 in 1967 (about $1692 in today's dollar).

Saks Fifth Avenue private label burnout velvet. Sold for $145 in 1967 (about $926 in today's dollar).

Leslie Fay chiffon dress with back drape. Sold for $36 in 1967 (about $230 in today's dollar).

All from Stix Baer & Fuller, St. Louis' high end department store. Two sparkly mini dresses sold for $40 each in 1967 (about $255 in today's dollar) and the metallic stripe dress with matching coat sold for $225 in 1967 (about $1436 in today's dollar).

It's not too late to get your own 1960's party dress for this holiday season! We've got loads of them at Couture Allure! Go take a look! Big hair not included.

Weekend Eye Candy - Paco Rabanne, 1967

Here's how to shake up the "old guard".  Paco Rabanne mini length chain mail tunic dress with side slits worn over silver tights, 1967.  Did we really wear our dresses this short?  Oh yes, yes we did!

Mod Vintage Coats - 1967

 You will be seeing a lot of Mod inspired coats in the stores this fall.  I can promise you the quality of today's coats will not hold a candle to those from the 1960s.  Do yourself a favor.  Buy an original vintage 60s coat instead of a poorly made "fast fashion" modern version.  You'll be glad you did.  Here are some fabulous examples from 1967.

Above:  Chester Weinberg color block wool coat.

 David Crystal emerald green wool coat with sharp buttons and lots of pocket flaps.

 Abe Schrader wool coat in black and white checks, belted at the high hip.

Laird-Knox red wool coat with a slightly flared shape and crisp lines accented with top-stitching.

Gino Paoli wool knit coat with big gold buttons.

Pierre Cardin Plays with Purple - 1967

Pierre Cardin used lots of bright colors in his collections for 1967. Since purple is my favorite color, these stood out for me. What do you think? Above, a pleated tent dress in an oversize floral print.

Linen mini dress with clever cut-outs.

Evening gown completely covered in sequins worn with purple suede boots.

And my all-time favorite coat EVER! Giant purple polka dots on white wool with purple-dyed fox fur hem. I want this coat. I want this coat. I want this coat.

1967 Fashion Makeovers

I was thrilled to receive a box full of vintage magazines as a gift from faithful blog reader Dona on Saturday. Several of this week's posts will be from those magazines. Thank you for your generosity, Dona! We all appreciate it!

In one of those magazines from 1967, there is a makeover article that focuses on young career women living in New York. The magazine updates their looks with more modern styles, many with definite Mod influences.

Before: Cynthia, a photographer's stylist, wore a coat that was big enough to fit over a heavy suit.
After: Cynthia wears a sleeker, more polished coat that will still fit nicely over dresses or sweaters and skirts. It is belted in black patent which coordinates with the black over-the-knee boots and black kid gloves.

Before: Noelle, a picture researcher, wears a classic tweed suit that is too mature and conservative for someone her age.
After: Noelle still wears a suit, but an updated one in a snappy plaid. Worn with black accessories, the pink really pops, making the suit a lot more fun.

Before: Susan, a secretary, was trying to mask her tall, large-boned physique with ill-fitting clothes. Too-short boots in a darker color than the coat do her no favors.
After: Sleek is Susan's new mantra. The short black slicker is paired with shiny black over-the-knee boots to elongate her look from head to toe. The monochromatic look with no breaks really works for her.

Before: Melodie, another secretary, wears updated colors and prints, but the loose fitting blouse makes her look much bigger than she is.
After: Melodie looks slimmer in a dress that is belted at the high waist. Dark stockings lengthen her legs.

Before: Margaret, an artist, has a model's figure and height, but she thought her body was too angular and bony. She tried to compensate by wearing ruffles and frills.
After: Margaret looks far more elegant in a suit in the season's new midi length. A soft ruffled shirt still gives her the ruffle that she likes, but is far less fussy.

Do these makeovers work? Which is your favorite?

All photos by J. J. Bugat.

Weekend Eye Candy - Valentino, 1967

Valentino white and orange striped cotton coat with white cotton pants from the Spring-Summer, 1967 Couture collection. Hat by Mirella Petteni.

Photo by Gian Paolo Barbieri.

Weekend Eye Candy - Paco Rabanne 1967

Bare midriff top and hip-hugger mini skirt made of aluminum disks linked with wire by Paco Rabanne, 1967.

Weekend Eye Candy - Nina Ricci 1967

Exquisite tailoring. That's what you want in a suit. This one by Paris couturier Nina Ricci is from 1967.

Weekend Eye Candy - Yves St. Laurent 1967

An Yves St. Laurent mini dress from 1967 of ivory organdy over pale peach silk, heavily embroidered with shaped geometric pearlized and silver plastic pieces surrounded by rhinestones, silver thread and crystal beads. Sigh.

Party Dresses - 1967

Let's party like it's 1967! Required - one sparkly dress, glitter stockings, metallic shoes, and big hair.

Geoffrey Beene dress with sequins and mirrors.

Malcolm Starr royal blue dress with cuffs and hem in paillettes, wooden beads and crystals. Sold for $265 in 1967 (about $1692 in today's dollar).

Saks Fifth Avenue private label burnout velvet. Sold for $145 in 1967 (about $926 in today's dollar).

Leslie Fay chiffon dress with back drape. Sold for $36 in 1967 (about $230 in today's dollar).

All from Stix Baer & Fuller, St. Louis' high end department store. Two sparkly mini dresses sold for $40 each in 1967 (about $255 in today's dollar) and the metallic stripe dress with matching coat sold for $225 in 1967 (about $1436 in today's dollar).

It's not too late to get your own 1960's party dress for this holiday season! We've got loads of them at Couture Allure! Go take a look! Big hair not included.

Weekend Eye Candy - Golo Mod Boot, 1967

We saw a cute pair of Golo shoes earlier this week, and this morning I found this pair of boots from Golo made in 1967. Adjustable height boots in patent leather with rubber soles. Zippers separate each section so the boots can be worn as high or as low as you like.

Weekend Eye Candy - 1967 Balenciaga Evening Cape

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

1967 White Swimsuits

Nothing looks better with a deep tan than white. Now, I'm not advocating sun exposure, but if you've got it why not show it off to advantage? Here, white swimsuits from 1967 photographed by Irving Penn for Vogue magazine.

Skirted swimsuit with a surprising bare back criss-crossed by straps. Suit by Bill Blass for Roxanne in double knit nylon. Sold for $30.00 (about $196.00 in today's dollar).

Tiny bikini with bows by DeWeese in nylon jersey. Sold for $20.00 (about $131.00 in today's dollar). P.S. - I have no idea what is holding that top up!

Dotted swiss cotton/dacron blend in a girly pinafore with bikini pants by Ladybug. Sold for $23.00 (about $150.00 in today's dollar).

Pleats, pleats, and more pleats form a swim dress by Rose Marie Reid in a dacron/nylon blend. Sold for $30.00 (about $196.00 in today's dollar).

All hair ornaments are by Sant Angelo.

More "Grown-Up" Mod 1967

Here's another look at Mod styling for women who wanted wearable, flattering clothes without appearing too young. These dresses were designed by Herbert Kasper who was the designer for Joan Leslie, a division of Leslie Fay.

Both dresses are of tomato red linen with bands of white in the basic shift style which had replaced the waisted sheath as the shape of the mid to late 1960s. The white bands against the vibrant red lend a very Mod geometric note to both dresses. The armholes are squared off at the bottom which gives another more subtle geometric element.

"I'm constantly refining, improving, interpreting…trying to capture the essence of the times without being trendy. But from whatever source my ideas come from, I always keep in mind that lively, energetic, smart looking woman who is my customer. She's my motivation and my ultimate inspiration." -Herbert Kasper

Chester Weinberg Dress 1967

Iconic Mod era design for the grown-up set - that's Chester Weinberg. Not as well known as Oscar de la Renta or Geoffrey Beene, Weinberg was an influential American designer in the late 1960's and early 70's whose clothing has become highly collectible today. He built his reputation on simple elegance, and his designs were always worked in beautiful fabrics. "Fabrics set the whole mood of my collection. I cannot design a dress until I know what the fabric will be."

May 1967, in an ad for Bergdorf Goodman - What else but the costume-in-the-round, beeping out the summer dress/jacket news this way: short, bouncy top, short, bouncy skirt, belted waist between. Medium for the message is honeycomb cotton, and Chester Weinberg is the sender of same. Are you listening world? In butter with black or nutmeg with white trim. $185 ($1210.00 in today's dollar).