Christian Dior
Originala white wool fleece coat with dramatic fox fur collar. 
Ben Reig white wool lace sack dress,
B. H. Wragge white wool doeskin dress with relaxed shape.
B.H. Wragge white wool jersey swimsuit.
Yes, 1959! Are you surprised? I sure was! Like most of you, I would have guessed 1970s. Perhaps more suprising, this image is from an American fashion magazine! The magazine used this photo as a tickler for a spread on swimsuits called, "South: The Rebirth of the Body." It suggested a woman might dare to wear this bikini "to bathe from a lonely beach in a great empty ocean....or for....a deserted early morning hour on the beach, a trip to an uninhabited cove."
The Darlene green Ban-Lon bikini sold at Bonwit Teller.
Of course, the magazine realizes the reality for the American woman....." she will no doubt be less abandoned and poetic. Trimming her sails to social propriety, she will pull on one of the dashing but more modest bathing suits" like this one. Sea B's elasticized Orlon maillot in black and white. It will be another 15 years or so before the teeny green bikini will become accepted as the norm.
Our look at fashion for spring ends with evening gowns from 1959. Gowns with ruffles. Gowns in chiffons. Gowns in pastel shades. Gowns for a spring cotillion. Which is your favorite?
Chanel
Mme. Grés
Pierre Balmain
Christian Dior
Pierre Cardin
Are you going to a holiday party this weekend? Do you have your dress picked out yet? Today, looks from 1959.
Luis Estevez emerald green silk strapless ball gown with bow at waist. Sold for $225 in 1959 (about $1,691 in today's dollar.) Love the brooch worn at the waist.
Henry Rosenfeld white brocade dress with a full skirt and bow at front. Sold for $18 in 1959 (about $125 in today's dollar.)
Emma Domb bisque taffeta strapless gown with beading at the bodice and a matching stole. Sold for $85 in 1959 (about $639 in today's dollar.) Check out those angled folds at the top of the skirt!
Rappi white silk strapless sheath with an aquamarine floating panel at the back. The bodice is embroidered. Sold for $125 in 1959 (about $940 in today's dollar.)
Kay Selig emerald satin strapless bubble dress. Sold for $50 in 1959 (about $376 in today's dollar.)
Anne Fogarty white satin sheath with matching coat lined in Rex rabbit fur. Rex rabbit is lush and soft and mimics chinchilla. There's another brooch worn at the waist. Sold for $350 in 1959 (about $2,631 in today's dollar.)
A strapless red dress with tulle roses on the skirt from Valentino's Couture line for Spring/Summer 1959. Photographed in 2000 by Peter Lindbergh.
OK, yes, this is a 1959 ad for toilet paper. But look beyond that to the elaborate hostess outfit worn by the model. The set is by Tina Leser, who was noted for her use of fabrics from around the world. Much of her design inspiration came from the traditional ethnic costumes of foreign countries. Here, she uses golden Indian silk sari fabric to make a hostess coat worn over a pair of silver lined silk organza harem pants. The coat is fully gathered at the back and has slits to the waist at the side seams.
This is what the fashionable 1959 woman would wear to lounge in the evening or to entertain at home. The little gold harem slippers take the outfit a bit over the top, though, don't you think?
We're supposed to get more snow this weekend in Boston, which means lots of people will head up to the slopes in New Hampshire and Vermont. Here's a look at some ski wear from 1959.
Above: A bright knit Swedish sweater by P&M over wool/nylon stretch ski pants. A knitted cowl hood keeps the neck and ears warm.
Here a white lambskin jacket to wear off the slopes by Georges Kaplan. Worn with White Stag wool/nylon stretch ski pants and red suede booties.
On the left, a pigeon blue nylon parka by Ernst Engel is belted over wool/nylon stretch ski pants. The parka's hood can convert to a collar or a muffler too. On the right, beige nylon reverses to bright orange wool on this quilted parka. Worn over tangerine stretch pants by White Stag.
Whatever your weekend plans, have fun!
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