FORTIES FASHION

Principessa Helen Wolkonsky

Donna Milagros del Drago in the Palazzo Rispoli ... Donna Marelia Caracciolo dei Principi de Castagneto ... Principessa Letizia Boncompagni Ludovisi


All four young ladies of Roman society gowned by Contessa Gabriella di Robilant

Wallace Simpson in Mainbocher

Christian Dior's tapered oval shoulder interpreted for America by Larry Aldrich - pearls by Coro

Maud et Nano's "Nursery Maid" hat

Ceil Chapman chiffon and Coro pearls

Veronica Lake in Castillo's long, close coat of dark satin photographed by Avedon




Harper's Bazaar July 1947
Photography: 
Louise Dahl-Wolfe
Richard Avedon

eyes on the forties at devodotcom

VREELAND'S VOGUE

"On the beam, - a shiny fake-silver star hitched to a hank of hair."
Necklace-pendant by Clark for William de Lillo.

Scassi

"Look what beautiful things Scassi has done with sari cloth - made a little gypsy, left, in gauzy white with red print. And matching red print for a gypsy scarf, wrapped tight to the head, the ends streaming. Right, his wide deep decolletage in orangey-red sari cloth with short, tight sleeves, flashed of gold...plus fringy tassels to wrap up the arm."

Saint Laurent

Y is the first letter of Yes

And of Young.

And of Yves.

And of You?

Mocuhe in Mainbocher

"Black crepe one-shouldered tunic curving like petals over knife-pleated black chiffon with a flutter of jeweled butterflies by Sonia Younis of Tiffany."

Mainbocher's white silk crepe shirtdress, diamante buttons, pale blue at the waist belted with diamante buckle.

Amber and brown over a long flow of white wool challis, crossed at the neck, worn with a choker of giant angelskin coral, from Tiffany.

Veronica Hamel

in 

Galanos

Pintucked white wool jersey, deep slash from neck to midriff.

"A shining paradox, smothered with gold Victorian roses and new as the coming decade an adorable little lace chemise tumbling over its sash of braided chain."

"Nine-tenths coat tossed over streamer-sashed pants. Silvery white -lace flowers misted over a jewel-blazed top." MacCarthy lace.

"Flung long as a Persian tunic and open from bosom to hem - a pleat at the side of each leg adds a flash of width to the gunmetal lame pants." Lame threaded with Lurex."

Vogue November 15, 1969

Editor-in-chief: Diana Vreeland

Photography: Avedon

... eyes on the sixties at devodotcom

THE LOOK FANTASTIC 1952

mainbocher

the dinner dress 

day-length with an intricacy of straps that makes a great point of good chest and shoulders - silk lame brocaded with golden threads. Jewels, van cleef and arpels

the dinner suit

jean patchett in mainbocher's gray cut velvet dinner suit. the jacket buttons to fit like a bolero, the strap of the bodice is mounted with a big bow of pale gray mousseline de soie.

this is the way givenchy grows roses

"everywhere one looks in paris there are those roses - sometimes in tapestry, once in ivory, often of beads - heaped on shoulders, hidden in petticoats and, particularly, when used by givenchy, flamboyantly romantic."

above - king sized, planted above a black velvet dress. the stole rises above bare shoulders like a ruff - the woman's arms plunge through great rosy handcuffs.

suzy parker in givenchy's deep red roses. a bolero of a thousand chiffon petals piled above a strip of black wool. darker than the roses, and velvet, the back-of-the-head turban.

the fifties party face

"brush your hair upwards for the lifted look it gives. make your eyes with pencil lines slanting towards the temples. make your mouth to tilt high in the corners. this is the season that shows in your face."

the italian haircut

on the rock shores of ishia and capri, the film studios of rome - another shape. studied but with great naturalness, front and sides full and wavy, high behind the ears but gripping the back of the head, well down the neck with feathery, nibbled ends. the head looks bigger, the hair never moves. 

... eyes on the fifties at devodotcom

DIVINE DOVIMA

Maximilian Crown Sables worked horizontally in a cape with long stole-like ends crossed high in front, the back draping low, like a cowl. 

The Skins of Somali Leopards ... in a hip-length coat belted for the smart new tunic line by Bernham-Stein.

Balenciaga's velvet domino cut with enormous sweep, enormous melon sleeves and an enormous coachman's collar.

Mainbocher - white chiffon tunic embroidered with crystal and gold, over a full chiffon flounce. Jewels by Harry Winston.

Under black flowered lace, a pale green velvet camisole and a thick,short skirt of doubled gold satin edged with black passementerie. Dress by Mainbocher, jewels by Cartier.

Mainbocher's white mink on gray English herringbone lined with white satin. The white chiffon blouse embellished with rhinestones and crystal.

Gun Metal, Gold and Rock Rubies - a Christmas ball dress from Dior

Harper's Bazaar December 1950
Animal Magnetism
At a Christmas Ball
Mainbocher Evenings
Photography: Richard Avedon
Mode: Dovima


Visit more Dovima fashion photographs in our archives

... eyes on the fifties at devodotcom

HOT WEATHER DRESSES FOR ALL AMERICA 1956

Edward Henry Molyneux

"An Englishman who succeeded in bridging the Channel with a career among the greatest of French couturiers."

Mainbocher's Coated Cottons

Jean Patchett in the dress and its coat of navy and white checked gingham. Jewels by Schlumberger for Tiffany. Dawnelle gloves.

Dovima wears white cotton with a blue fish-net printing.  Sleeveless dress with a straight-hung jacket topped with a long unsleeved coat.Dawnelle gloves.

Mainbocher: Tweed with Gingham, Lace over Taffeta

Mauve tweed, mauve-checked gingham in a slackly fitted tweed suit with a peeled back collar to show the gingham blouse underneath, wrapped at the shoulders with a Matching gingham scarf.

Mainbocher's favourite scarf wrapping up his slender two-part evening dress and jacket in pale violet taffeta filmed over with lace.

Chiffon - A New Light After Dark

Nettie Rosenstein chiffon printed in leaf shadows flowing past closely ribboned waist.

More Light After Dark - The Green and the Gold

Anne St. Marie wears a short-skirted, barely sleeved dinner dress with V'd back in green and white cotton by Anthony Blotta.

The Sheath by Talmack in apricot shantung Paisley'd in pink and gilt cut touching only at shoulder and hip.

The Pajama Dress

Thickly patterned white lace by Talmack.

The Fichu Dress

Red-Dotted cotton with a fichu-cape buttoned into sleevelets in back, bow-tied in front. By Fabiana, adapted by Hannah Troy.

Cool Fashion: The Lightweights

Cotton chiffon in black with coppery coin-dot stripes by Oleg Cassini. Mr. John Hat.

Minty-green leaf print gathered under a moss green velvet ribbon. The bodice, widely decollete. The skirt flung out over a layering of petticoats. By Jobers. Adolfo of Emme hat. Crescendoe gloves.

Owen-Morgan emerald linen with a deep triangle back and gracefully moving skirt. 

Far Right: The long sleeved green polished cotton shirtwaist by Elfreda




Cool Fashion:
Dressing for the American Summer
Harper's Bazaar June 1956
Photography:
Richard Avedon
Lillian Bassman
Tom Palumbo

... eyes on the fifties at devodotcom

DECEMBER 1969

Mesh Helmut by Emme

Latinas Platform Sandal

A net of chain strapped 'round the ankle

Pierre Cardin

Top - the breastplate ribbing of a little black dress.

Below - white patent sandal strapped above a silver heel.

Ginori

Lacquer grape space-age cape reveals a matching cire swimsuit.

Arnold Scassi

Silk sari cloth of shining panels of ruby red with embroidery of golden threads.

Abracadabra

Laquer red tri-corner fringed shawl over a sleeveless jumpsuit.

Mainbocher

Black net skirt ribboned in satin, over straight black silk crepe pants. White organza top, embroidered with silver on the sleeves, buttoned to the collar with diamante.

Mainbocher

Knife-pleated chiffon shadows the leg, a black silk crepe tunic wraps across one shoulder with the slim rounded elegance of a toga.

Mainbocher

Light wool dinner dress spills straight from the shoulders in serpentine sea patterns of beige and white.

Samuel Winston

Crystal beads and silver stones flash on an open network of organza.

Oscar de la Renta

Oscar de la Renta

Mimi di N necklace

Geoffrey Beene

Fernando Sanchez for Revillon

Long hooded black fox cape fanned with black and white cock feathers.

White Stag

One-of-a-kind patchwork robe of gold and purple passementarie embroidered in lace and lame. Buttoned once at the neck, the robe flares open at the waist over a patchwork quilt wrap skirt ablaze in orange and red. By Three Worlds - to order at Fantasia. Tassled belt and tapestry saddle by Serai Imports.

Anne Klein

Mr. John Hat

Dominique Rompollo for Teal Traina

Yards of silk organza burnished with the colors of a desert sunset.

Emme Headpiece

Christmas: Let The Spirit Shine

Harper's Bazaar December 1969

Photography: 

Bill King

James Moore

Alberto Rizzo

Hiro Wakabayashi

... eyes on the sixties at devodotcom