Frock of the Week: Floral 50s

I thought Dita's lovely turn this week in this 1950s floral cocktail frock deserved a revisit of my Frock of the Week posts. Love the green and gold sash. I say more sashes on dresses. More, more.
This also gave me an excuse to post this more modern dress - Alexis Mabille 2010 Haute Couture - that Dita wore during the Couture Fashion Week in Paris recently. The details on this dress had me in raptures. It is a little bit Belle Epoque, a little bit 1940s, and a whole lot of gorgeous.

Mildred Pierce

Jumping back a decade to the 1930s, director Todd Haynes remake of Mildred Pierce is currently playing on Showtime on Foxtel. Unfortunately I don't have Pay TV, so I'm going to have to go the DVD route. Not only do the costumes look divine, but I'm a sucker for a good melodrama (please see earlier posts about Douglas Sirk films and Todd Hayne homages i.e. Far From Heaven).

The costume designer on Mildred Pierce was Ann Roth, responsible for other period films like Evening, The Hours, The Talented Mr Ripley, Cold Mountain (loved that book) and The English Patient (loved that book and that movie). You can read an insightful interview with her at the LA Times here.
My favourite quote? 'Costuming is not fashion ... we're not doing a Vogue spread ... it was the way people dressed.'

Has anyone out there - overseas perhaps - watched the mini-series already? Thoughts?

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.

Hollywood Postcards

Movie star postcards were popular from the 30s through to the 60s and occasionally I like to take a peruse through the fabulous Flickr page and blog of Dutch collectors Truss, Bob & Jan too!. I especially love the coloured cards such as the ones I've chosen here.
It is definitely worth checking out their blog for some of the lesser known European stars and lots of movie trivia too.

Love that picture of Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida. Do you reckon the husband and I can replicate it on some hill somewhere? Perhaps minus the apron?

And Claudia Cardinale looks so fresh and modern in hers. I adore that green swimsuit.

Peggy Hunt Love

I haven't blogged about Peggy Hunt for a while, but ever since I discovered the Californian designer of fancy frocks, my gaze is always drawn to her creations whenever I come across them. So my eyes were thus drawn to this lovely 1940s Peggy Hunt wedding dress over at Posh Girl Vintage. Are there any soon to be brides out there looking for something a little bit different but still a whole lot of lovely out there? I'd love to this on a real life person?

Peggy Hunt started out as a children's wear designer in the 1920s before venturing into women's wear and finding her niche in pretty party frocks. Working on her line until the late 60s, Hunt was known for her use of beautiful lace and appliques, and has been credited as the inventor of the illusion neckline. Her granddaughter actually keeps a Flickr page of images of Peggy Hunt dresses. I took a stroll through some of close ups of her handiwork.

Peggy Hunt's daughter Jeannette Alexander followed in her mother's footsteps and became a designer too. She might warrant a post soon as well.

Celebrity Vintage: Kirsten Dunst

Kirsten Dunst has really been getting her fashion mojo back again lately. She looked ravishing at the Cannes Film Festival; it was a pity, then, about the movie she was promoting (sorry, not a Lars Von Trier fan).
Anyway, Kirsten stepped out for Wimbledon the other day in this pretty vintage frock paired with gold Louis Vuitton heels. So fresh and summery. Love it.

Pretty Purchases

I've been a bit slow on the blogging front of late as my days have been consumed with work. I've been travelling a bit, am about to travel some more (I'll be in Melbourne, Brisbane and Noosa this week), and things aren't really going to quieten down until the end of August. Such is life, and I just have to take each day as it comes and look after my health and sanity as best as I can during this busy time.
I have managed to get a bit of online shopping done though as, whilst I'm not loving the global recession, I am enjoying the strong Aussie dollar. Just arrived on my doorstep today is not one, not two, but three new period dramas for me to enjoy (hello Downton Abbey) and two new floral skirts to mix and match with knits for winter, and which are sure to take me into Spring too.
Thanks muchly to TWIGVINTAGE and Becky Drolen.
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