Norma Jeane

Some Norma Jeane modelling shots to start the week. I love the colour intensity of these 1940s Kodachrome photographs. Marilyn's look evolved through the decades - 40s, 50s and 60s - so that her beauty always remained in style. I love the girl-next-door prettiness of her 1940s dark blond phase, but I do believe Marilyn was at the height of her beauty in the last year of her life.
Who was your favourite Norma/Marilyn?

Early Jean P

From the same 1948 issue of US Vogue as those photos of a 16-year-old Elizabeth I posted comes these two images of the glorious 50s top model Jean Patchett. Jean would have been only 21 or 22 when these photos were taken, and in the first year of her modelling career, which lasted until 1963. She signed with an agency in early 1948 and by the end of the year she was already a cover-girl, gracing the pages of Vogue.

The editorial that the photographs come from is called 'Fashions For A Man's Eye' and has models posing in some of Vogue's favourite recent frocks for the benefit of a panel of men who give their thoughts. It's all quite amusing really and is a concept still used in magazines today.

As the point of this issue is 'Will a man like them?' we went to four acidulous young columnists, who were part of the male rebellion against the new-born new look a year and a half ago; showed them the dresses, invited them to say exactly what they wanted to about them, pro or con.

You might like to know that the judge for Jean's first dress said men embarrass easily. This dress isn't embarrassing.
And for the second dress the male critic said I like halter-tops. They show off a good back.

When it comes to men, it seems not too much has changed. All the men declared that they detested ballet flats! (Lucky we don't care what they think).

The advertisements in this issue are just as exciting to pore over as the fashion editorials. I think my favourite frock is the gorgeous Patullo - Jo Copeland for the opening of the Opera ... for a brilliant ball. Patullo - Copeland was a shared ready-to-wear label designed by Jospehine Copeland, based in New York, that existed from the 20s through to the 60s. You can read more about her over at the Vintage Fashion Guild.

Interestingly her daughter, the novelist Lois Gould, wrote a memoir in the 1990s about her mother, from a child's perspective. Called Mommy Dressing I'm sure it would provide a fascinating insight into the world of early American high fashion.

Louise Dahl-Wolfe

All those old Harper's Bazaar covers got me thinking about the photographs of the immensely influential Louise Dahl-Wolfe. One of my favourites Louise was a staff fashion photographer for US Harper's Bazaar from the late 30s to the late 50s. Here are a couple of eher arlier shots that are both tremendously evocative and thoroughly modern. And both those dresses are to die for.

Skorver1 has a great set of Louise's photographs on her Flickr page. Worth checking out.

Vintage Covers

It's a lazy Sunday night of TV ahead of my last week at Pan Macmillan, and my last author tour for them. What a better way to wile away some time than a trip down magazine cover lane. I'm loving these Harper's Bazaar covers from the 40s, 50s and 60s. I'm intrigued by covers where the model is facing away from the camera, they are playing with props or even when there is no model at all. The cover at the top is all about that glamorous earring. And there are so many gorgeous ways to photograph hats.
The covers of the 70s and early to mid 80s became very commercial and samey, until picking up again in the supermodel era of the late 80s. I might revisit those next, but in the meantime how cute does Audrey look in top to toe floral?

Miu Miu Magnificent

While I gazed adoringly at the the dress Kate Moss wears on the July cover of UK Vogue, I remembered that fashion is having a 1940s moment and, of course, one of the key arbiters of style - Miuccia Prada - is one of those responsible, with her recent A/W collection for Miu Miu.
A sophisticated collection of mostly very wearable clothes, I love the contrast of those ultra modern sparkly shoes with bare legs and wide shoulders. With swing skirts, hip swags, fierce shoulders and hemlines hitting mid calf, some of the key elements of 1940s fashion are all here. Throw swallow, daisy and lily of the valley prints into the mix, and I'm squealing with delight.

You can check out some genuine 1940s details on these two gorgeous frocks from the era, courtesy of Shrimpton Couture. The shoulders on the I Magnin evening dress are beautiful and the swag on that liquid gold like party dress is very special indeed.

I might be having a 1940s moment myself.

Runway pics courtesy of Style.Com.

Grace inspired by the 1940s

Making me wish that I had never sold the violet faux fur jacket that I had for many years, this moody editorial is from the July issue of US Vogue. Shot by Peter Lindbergh, styled by Grace Coddington, and featuring Lara Stone (with eyebrows!) and the yummy Alexander Skarsgard, the looks featured here all have a 1940s flavour. I absolutely adore that Miu Miu dress with the embroidered swallows.

Dress Crush

I spotted this 1940s Sally Milgrim dress over at Timeless Vixen Vintage and instantly fell in love. How beautiful are the appliques on the bodice and the bottom of the skirt? How divine is the big bow at the back? This lovely dress would suit a garden party wedding I think. I just love knowing that pieces this lovely are in existence, whether they ever make their way to my wardrobe or not.

Sally Milgrim had a famous dress shop on the corner of 57Th and Fifth Avenue in New York for many years. She made clothes for many of New York's well-to-do ladies + celebrities too. She famously made the dress that Eleanor Roosevelt wore when her husband was inaugurated as President.

Inspired Haute Couture

I know I gush over the Dior Haute Couture collections every season, but Galliano's workmanship and drama get me every time. For this latest Spring collection Galliano mined Christian Dior's back-catalogue again, taking inspiration from the 40s and 50s illustrations of Dior's work by master illustrator Rene Gruau. Gruau, who worked for all the top magazines of the day, is so revered that some of his work even hangs in the Louvre. Style.Com says 'the graphite smears, pencil strokes and scribbles, erasure marks, and gouache washes of Gruau's illustrations were duplicated in cloth and embroidery.'

The results are spectacular.

The second last dress is my favourite. I would love to see this on the Oscars red-carpet, but I think it is unlikely. Actresses love to play it safe these days.