• A spectacular dress that dates to the 1960s
• It was made under the creative direction of Geoffrey Beene.
• The dress is made out of a black silk organza layered over a second layer of silk and an inner lining. Sewn in between the top and second layer of silk are large metallic silver discs that show through the top layer. These are scattered over the entire dress. The effect that this creates is fantastic.
• The dress wraps to close over you and it has a large pleated band to detail the waist and add shape.
• The sleeves are long and each ends in a band that is made of large silver and gold sequin discs that are spaced tightly together. This causes them to sit upright off the fabric. The discs are set. in clusters, secured with beads and all the work is by hand. 
• That same heavy detailing of the gold and silver discs runs all the way around the neck line and continues down to the side of the waist. From there it continues all the way down the front to the hem. I love how this highlights the wrap design of the dress. 
• The dress is fully lined in a pale nude tone silky rayon and closes at the front with a series of hidden hand set snaps. Some of the sequins that edge the neckline are broken and many are lightly tarnished. There is very very faint change of colour under the arms on the inside. Both these issues are minor but mentioned for accuracy.
• There is no size tag present so please go buy the measurements listed below.
• Overall excellent condition

Sleeves: 22.5" and are 12" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 13" from neck to waist
Total length: 60" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5186

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

• This is a fantastically rare and special metallic gold jumpsuit from the 1950s.
• This is the kind of thing you will only ever find in vintage.
• It is well made and potentially a piece that had a second designer label in it at some point. Shops like the Elizabeth Arden couture salon in NYC carried their own pieces as well as pieces from other designers. 
  
• These metallic playsuit pieces are so rare and hard to find and this one is in just exceptional condition.
• This great little playsuit is made out of a very early metallic fabric that feels like it has actual metal in the threads. It has an almost structured feel to the fabric itself.
• The gold is a bright metallic tone and a touch brighter than how you what you see here. It really catches the light wonderfully and gives the suit its touch of high glamour.You could wear this by the pool, though I wouldn't recommend going into the water with it. A modern girl could even wear this on its own as an ultra mini feeling piece. It really has endless possibilities.
• Matching straps curve up and over each shoulder. You could also tuck them in and wear this as a strapless piece I think.
• It skims down and over the body with just the suggestion of shape through the waist. You could easily add a belt to cinch in the waist and add more shape if you wished. The shorts part of are cut wide like a loose boy short.
• Inside it is lined in a stretch jersey and its shape is much like a swimsuit. The inner legs are elastic. It is very clean and fresh and appears to have been worn very little.
• There is no size tag present. The fabric has a touch of stretch. I have put the comfortable range of measurements below fr both the inner piece and outer. I see a couple tiny missed threads in the weave here and there. Super minor but mentioned for accuracy.
• Excellent condition

Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 14-18" flat across from side seam to side seam and the outer waist is 16-18" flat across 
Inner hips: 17-21" flat across from side seam to side seam and the outer hips are 17.5-20" flat across 
Total length: 29" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5138

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

• This is a great dress from the 1960s that has no label. It is one of those magical things that you will only ever find in vintage.
• It has that wonderful old Hollywood star feel to it.
• The dress is completely covered in sequins that are a deep burgundy that has a touch of deep fuchsia pink to them. They are set in an overlapping grid and cover every square inch of the dress.
• The neckline is set wide across and this dips into a completely open V at the back that leaves a bare expanse of skin showing.
• The sleeves are long and the front skims over you to the waist. There is a wide band of a burgundy fabric that you can wrap and tie several ways around you. You can have the ends at the front or the back for a completely different look. I showed both ways here.
• The dress skims over the hips and then falls in a long lean column all the way to the floor. There is a slit up the back to allow you to walk and for a little bit of leg to show as you walk away.
• The dress is fully lined in a burgundy rayon and closes with a low set back zipper. The ties are attached on either side of the zipper at the back and you tie them how you wish.
• The dress has no size tag and there is a bit of give in the fabric. I have put the comfortable range below.
• I see a bit of grubbiness and some discoloration on the inner lining under the arms but it does not go through and a bit on the ties.
• Overall great condition.

Sleeves: 24" and are 9-10" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 63" from top of shoulder to hem with 2" turned under the hem
Slit: 21" from back hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5134

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

• Late 60s maybe the first couple years of the 1970s and it seems similar to some of the pieces I've seen from the 1970 season. 
• Under the creative direction of Oscar de la Renta 
  
• The dress is made from a beautiful black silk taffeta that holds the shape and volume that this dress has perfectly.
• The fabric choice also keeps the dress fairly light in weight while giving the dress some structure and shape.
• Two shaped triangles cover the front of the bodice and there is a deep V for the neckline. The triangles extend all the way to the top of the neck and they are finished with a ruffle in the same fabric.
• Ties extend from just behind the peak of each triangle to tie behind the neck.
• It wraps around the waist and scoops low there. This leaves your entire back open and bare above that.
• The waist nips in and we have added a wide grosgrain ribbon to add a little more shape.
• The skirt is made out of the same silk taffeta and it is incredibly full by the time it reaches the hem. Tiers of silk allow this expansion and there are five tiers in total. Each tier is finished with that same ruffled detail that you see around the halter neck
• Inside there is a silk lining and then another netted lining sits between the outer skirt and that inner layer. This helps to hold the volume that you see.
• Fully lined in a layer of silk taffeta and the skirt is lined as described above.
• The dress closes with a low set zipper at the back. Hand finished throughout
• The ribbon at the waist is not original to the dress but will be sent with it
• Excellent condition

Bust: each triangle covers 8" plus there is an inch and a half a ruffle on each side. 
Waist: 12.5-13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 59" from neck to hem and can be adjusted a bit depending on were you tie the neck

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4633

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

The twin of this dress appears in the book on Thea Porter's work that accompanied the exhibit on her work. The photo appears on page 73. The caption in the book notes that "Claudia Bruce wearing a peasant style dress in a Persian paisley print combined with Damascus fabric and a leather and feather headdress. Greeks Street, London, 1969.". It is so rare to find runway photos of her shows and to have all this extra information is fantastic. 1969 is also an interesting year to note because it is the year that she started to sell her designs at Giorgio Beverly Hills. It was said that when word got out that Thea had new things in the Girorgio boutique, women ran to be able to get a piece for themselves, they sold out that fast. This is the only one I have ever seen like this outside of that book photo. Given her extremely limited run on certain pieces it may in fact be the only other one that was made and exists. It is truly a very special piece.

The dress is a fantastic combination of fabrics and this was something that Thea excelled at. She had the ability to source these fantastic antique fabrics and then mix and match them to put them together in a way that you had never seen done before. The front panel combines a floral and paisley print with beautiful detailing between. It runs down the front in a long rectangle shape and then she curved it over the shoulders and ran another panel of it down the back. The rest of the dress is made out of a clay coloured silk organza that has a beautiful pattern hand embroidered over its surface. A little chain of white embroidery runs through that pattern for a little bit of a pop. At the end of each sleeve there is an insert of the cotton fabric. This is set in a wide band all around the cuffs with these little points running up into the sleeve. The shape of the dress is easy and comfortable to wear. It skims over the body and flares out slightly as it reaches the hem. Slits run up each side so you get a flash of leg when you walk. Each sleeve is fantastic. Each is a full and voluminous balloon type sleeve that puffs up extravagantly around each wrist. The collar on the dress is perhaps the best part. A tie loops through the front part only and for most of the shots I have tied it enough so that it scoops like it does in the runway shot. However, you can loosen the front up and that allows you to push the dress down the shoulders to expose a full expanse of bare skin across the top of the shoulders. It is phenomenal. This is a very rare example of her work and most likely you will never see one again. Excellent condition.

Unlined and slips over the head to wear. The front collar can be adjusted with the tie as described above. Each cuff has a snap to close. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. There are little bits of blue dye on the front and back panel that looks like it has run a touch but I believe this is inherent to this fabric and this may have been like that since the day it was made. I do not think it is a flaw, but rather a result of the fact that the fabric was hand screened. Tagged a vintage Thea Porter UK 10. The easy cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes.

Sleeves: approx 15" and will come up a touch when the cuff is closed. Each upper arm is 13.75" around
Shoulders: no true defined scene
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 54.5" from top of shoulder to hem with 2" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4899

Reference Photos: Claudia Bruce for Thea Porter. Greek Street, London, 1969. (2) From the book Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

This is an incredible set that is extra special because it is from the debut Haute Couture collection of Marc Bohan. It has the added province of being documented which is sometimes not easy to find with these very early pieces. The book Dior, Catwalk talks about the reaction to this first collection by Bohan; "Thundering applause, led by the Duchess of Windsor, rolled through the elegant grey and white salons of the House of Dior, the happy ending to the suspense story of the fashion year. At stake was the future dominance of Dior, and the career of designer Mark Bohan. The Chicago Tribune hailed him as being "Mister Dior, the third". The New York Times stated "the shouting, clapping, surging mob at the press show cause chaos in the elegant salon. Bohan was pushed up against the boiserie, kissed, mauled and congratulated. Chairs were toppled. Champagne glasses were broken. People were knocked down. It was a complete triumph for the designer". The book goes on to state that; Bohan called the collection the "Slim Line". It was a streamlined take on the original "New Look". He revisited the day suit with wide cut jackets and low waisted flared skirts fitted at the hips. The Times declared it "a success from the appearance of the first model and worthy in the tradition of the great maestro himself. And Women's Wear Daily wrote three months after the collection was shown that "the Bohan flare is everywhere. Bohan has done the impossible. He is a big commercial success and respected by the fashion intellect." 

The set is exceptional and is an excellent investment piece as well. Dior prices continue to skyrocket and finding couture examples like this from such an important collection and in this condition is getting harder and harder. 

This suit is fantastic. It is actually two pieces. A flared skirt and then a top / jacket that goes over that. The top is fascinating in the way that it is cut and we were very happy to find and see in the reference photo of it that its construction is deliberate. The front only buttons at the bottom and then there is a snap just above that button to hold it closed. It is meant to stay open above that and the button holes that you see continuing up along the edge of the jacket are actually faux. They do not open all the way through. You can see in the photo that the model is wearing it the way that it's meant to be worn. The very bottom is closed and then she has a light top on underneath. This lets the jacket play on its volume that it has. You could certainly open the fabric and finish the buttonholes if you wish to wear it fully closed, but it is meant to be like this. The jacket has a lot of volume and is meant to skim over you and then the skirt is cut in a sleek little flare that skims over the hips and flares out with a series of flat pleats all the way around the skirt. Around the waist the silk lies flat and neat. It is very flattering once on the body. When you stand still the skirt lays flat and smooth but when you move you get an incredible burst of movement and volume. Over that goes the jacket with its wonderful to the elbow wide cut sleeves and oversized MOP buttons down the front. The shoulders are soft and there is no collar. The fabric is a very high end silk twill dyed to that pale tan mixed with white. Both pieces are entirely finished by hand to Haute Couture standards and I've shown some of the detailing inside. It is chic and elegant yet still feels edgy. An amazing find. Excellent condition

The jacket is lined in a fine silk in the same colour as the exterior tan and the skirt is interlined in a white silk organza. The jacket closes with the bottom button only and a hidden snap above that as described above. The skirt closes with hook & eye at the waist and hidden snaps below that.  Completely done by hand to Haute Couture Standards. Proper numbered couture label in place on the jacket. There are some natural, variations and lines in the silk that is inherent to this type of fabric and should not be considered a flaw. It is in remarkable condition.

Jacket
Slightly dropped shoulders: 16-17"
Bust: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bottom hem: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 24.5" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 27" from waist to hem with 2" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4484

Reference Photo: Christian Dior Haute Couture Printemps-Ete 1961. Photo Emerick Bronson. Model Nicole de Lamargé.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.