Weekend Eye Candy - Mme. Gres, 1957

Blue silk satin evening gown and matching cape by Madame Grès, 1957.

Paris Couture Evening Gowns - 1961

On the Paris Couture runways for spring of 1961, the favorite look for evening was anything but black. Lots of white and pastel shades were shown, and ethereal floating chiffons in floral prints were also wildly popular. Here are a few evening gowns for your enjoyment.

Mme. Grès slim-fitting gown in lime-yellow silk crepe with floating hip-length panels at the front and back.

Jean Patou slim-fitting sleeveless gown of white silk surah with big black polka dots. The matching jacket has black mink fur cuffs.

Jean Dessès silk chiffon evening gown in a yellow, orange, and white floral print. The gown is low-cut and fitted and has a floating wrap that is crossed and wraped at the shoulders.

Pierre Balmain two piece set. The silk marquisette top is covered with gold embroidery, coral beads, and rhinestones. It is worn with a white silk chiffon skirt.

One of the few black dresses for evening 1961 by Jacques Heim. Narrowly pleated black silk chiffon falls from a straight strapless neckline and has a wide black satin sash at the waist.

Weekend Eye Candy - Madame Alix Gres

Madame Alix Gres takes a simple red silk evening gown and makes it fabulous with huge fan pleated sleeves. Most of the volume in the sleeves billows out at the back of the dress.

The dress dates to somewhere between 1945-55. Fabulous, no?

Dear Blumarine

Dear Blumarine,
I get it. I really do. The inspiration for your Spring/Summer 2009 collection came from the past. The graceful pleats of Madame Grès....

Madame Grès evening gown, 1954

Madame Grès evening gown, 1954

...and the draping skills of Vionnet.

Vionnet gown, 1938

And your designs are beautiful, they really are. But can you tell me, please, when did this become the type of woman you design for? When did this become your feminine ideal? Because it seems to me that this gal can't stand up straight due to malnutrition. She looks like a ghost, a ghoul, the walking dead. Her lack of flesh makes her body form odd angles instead of gentle curves.

Blumarine ad, February 2009

Dear Blumarine, I have to be frank. Though your dresses may be lovely, I can't get past my horror at the apparent anorexic state of the model to enjoy them. I can't move beyond my sympathy for her choosing a profession that demands that she abuse her body this way.

Dear Blumarine, is this really the example you want to set for our young women? Do you mean to communicate that a girl needs to starve herself to wear your clothes? Do you mean to say that normal body weight is not beautiful? Is that wise?



Dear Blumarine, take a look at these ads from years past. Aren't these women beautiful? Don't they look alive and healthy? Isn't your attention drawn to the garments because the models wear the dresses so well?

1937

1949

1955

1967

Dear Blumarine, please reconsider your choice of models for your runway and your advertising. Please set a better example for women. And please buy your model a meal....or two.