it doesn’t take much
Ralph Lauren
bonsoir mes cheres amis, how are you on this fine night? it’s blissfully early at just after 12 and i’ve done about all i can do for today. i wanted to make sure to get here before i tune out since for me it’s the place to be…cause you’re here!
Givenchy
my hope to check out one of the bookmarks i’ve been saving since the beginning of time as once again been fulfilled. turns out it’s the easiest part of my day. like a roulette wheel where every number’s a winner, I can’t help but get excited at the prospect of what it could be. they’ve waited so patiently to be appreciated and this one was from 2011, so it truly was now or never. anyway as the dropdown cascaded, i hovered my mouse and randomly chose this bookmark:
thewellappointedcatwalk.com/2011/01/haute-couture-fitting-rooms.html
it’s fitting since i’m working on the Desirant store with the team in asheville. and talk about inspiration! the epitome of restraint and elegance, every one of ’em.
Valentino
La Croix
Armani
Chanel
maybe i’m just easily entertained but i like the simple things in life. anyway i hope you enjoyed the little trip to couture-land. i’m dropping out and tuning into a book for a change. sweet dreams!
it’s not enough to have the feathers. you must dare to fly! ― cass van krah
bon soir c’est soir, how’s every little thing? i hope it’s a relaxing night at the very least. since i’m back on the grid, that means a lot more time at the computer. it’s a double edged sword, this techno world…but we know the downside so let’s focus on what’s up. it starts with the fact that so many beautiful images flash before us each day. probably like you, i bookmark links for when i’ll have the ‘time’ to explore them more deeply. but let’s face it, that luxury rarely happens. in fact, i know your bookmark bar and google searches are divine too, and definitely one of a kind. not to mention saving images to the desktop or folders in folders…and don’t get me started on pinterest! anyway it got me thinking about posting a little at a time and see what happens organically without a plan, just a snippet of the day as it evolves so here goes:
digging into the first folder in no particular order , this the first image that was in my scraps, the one above is a feathery background for the Gallery of Fashion, could it really be from 1799? hard to believe but there has been a fascination with feathers for centuries now so why not? i found it doing a google search on vintage fans. i ‘ve always been fascinated by the playful seduction the fan can conjure. and their delicious frivolity in general…whether they were used to send messages to a lover across the room or donned as cover for fan dancers in french cabarets, these are remarkable works of art and history.
so i’m pulling out the images with feathers and of course, here’s a 20s french flapper fashion plate who would never travel without one in the evening. we know that paris without a/c was gets ridiculously hot so of course she’d need something super chic like this to keep her cool…
and that somehow led to 20s showgirls…i love seeing josephine baker and mistinguette pass my pages today, like familiar old friends. although these phots are finite, it would take a lifetime to see just half of what’s out there.
and that led to films
which led to stars. film stars now long forgotten, at least some of them anyway. i took screenshots whenever there was just too much beauty to bare
isn’t it wild that even though the pictures and may even the women are so dated, they stll seem timeless, even progressive? i love these ladies, the trailblazers, singers, actresses, dancers, performers and trendsetters. they paved the way we see sexiness, glamour, mystique and grace. i think i’ll watch an old movie tonight. well then, signing off…have a beautiful night!
the timeless language of feminine fashion
Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess. – Edna Woolman Chase
bonjour toute le monde et bon weekend. how are you? i hope you’re doing well on this wintry february friday night. i want to apologize to those who were subscribed to the blog. i cut it off thinking that i was going to do a post a day and didn’t want to bombard anyone with that much info in the inbox. my idea has changed now though, i’m going to blog when inspired, not because of any self imposed ideal but because it makes me happy. that said, if you want to re-subscribe let me know in the comments and we’ll get you back up. in the meantime, i’ve been going through my possessions little by little, enjoying the process and taking time to study some of the wonderful treasures i’d forgotten about. on my last trip to the paris flea market (vanves to be exact), i fell in love with these old fashion plates. they date from the 1800s to the 1920s, and are fascinating capsules of a bygone era, a detailed glimpse into the lifestyles and tastes of women in the last century.
each card is dated and fitted with every detail of a woman’s outfit from the feathers in her hat to the fabrics of her frock.
the tiny flowers, beautiful silks and velvets were all taken into account when it came to fashion and the feminine mystique.
some even have perfume labels attached, a possible suggestion that all 5 senses were addressed when dressing
the little black lacy fabric in the upper left is one of my favorites and so is the vibrant and colorful ribbon above
i guess i just fell in love with the spirit of these grand dames
anyway i bought them to frame but then thought that it would be a shame to put them under glass when it’s so much more fascinating to touch and feel them, ponder their exquisite weaves and exquisite design. since i haven’t done them justice myself i think it would be best to pass them on to those who would appreciate them, so what better way than a giveaway?
in the next few days we’ll draw from the names in the comments and mail them out next week. if there’s a certain one you like best, let me know.
in the meantime, have a wonderful weekend!
the paris apartment 