Lillian Bassman | fashion photography

more here

Lillian Bassman, fashion photographer, Junior Bazaar & Harper's Bazaar, 1940s-1960s. 

wood-handled bags

Unknowingly I have acquired quite the collection of vintage wood-handled bags for the shop - there's an ease & charm about them that I like a lot. They are casual and cute and I love how the pattern possibilities are almost endless. Born from the practicality and resourcefulness that was paramount during WWII, these sensible purses could be made at home of plentiful materials like wood, plastic and found materials such as scraps of old clothing, drapery & upholstery.  Some of these are already in the SHOP and the rest will be making their way in throughout the autumn. 

summery '70s

Every summer it's the same - my style goes more 1970s than any other decade.
There's just something about the ease of 1970s clothing that lends itself so well to warm summer temps. 

And how gorgeous is Ali McGraw in that (first) photo? What a damn babe.

Madame Grès exhibit

via Trendland

It's draping dreams are made of ladies, Madame Grès a formally trained scupltress turned dress designer in 1940s Paris. Her dresses are so utterly timeless and sophisticated, I feel like modern designers are pulling from her work still today in a major way. Madame Grès, La Couture à L’Oeuvre’ is the 1st retrospective in Paris of the work of this visionary couturier, which is sort of astounding to me, the first!? She was one of the first designers to cut fabric on the bias for land's sakes! Anyone want to go to France with me and bask in the glory of this exhibit?

edwardian dresses

photos via Madame Guillotine & The Met

Can you just imagine living in the say, 1950s, when Edwardian clothing was still lingering in grandmother's attics, when it was still wearable, when it was vintage as opposed to antique? I cannot. But I am thankful that there are still SOME Edwardian pieces in the world in good condition, I am happy to own some, but nothing like the examples here. I love Edwardian dress, I love how it's so distinct from Victorian dress, so much more "modern" if you will. I will admit being bothered by antique and vintage sellers who confuse the two unable to see the sharp contrast that exists between Victorian and Edwardian clothing. I especially love when motifs of the Arts & Crafts movement seep into the garments (as in the first dress in this post). I love the muted color palette, the slim silhouette and the ultra-feminine lace and silk. Watching Downton Abbey was a veritable eye-feast - seeing real people, in color, move around in dresses from the early 1900s, yes please. I am pretty sure I am going to watch all 7 episodes again.

Dressed in 1964

Seeing as this season's Mad Men is set in 1964, I thought it'd be fun to take a little dress tour of the decade. This is not an exhaustive pictorial to say the least, but it gives you a good idea how the 1950s still maintains an influence (full skirts, nipped waists, pencil skirts) while distinctly 1960s elements are in full effect (drop waists with box pleats, boxy tops of dresses and boxy tops in general and super simple shift dress). I myself am so interested how the show will treat the disparity between sort of "out of fashion" gals and "fashion forward" ones. I am going to wager a guess that the new "swingin' 1960s" styles that they'll show won't tickle my fancy...but you never know! That show DOES work some kind of magic.

images via ZipZapKap