In the Navy

Vicky Tiel in the late 70's was creating looks for the department store I. Magnin. This is one of the creations that resulted from said partnership and it's a beauty! The dress is a classic one shoulder Grecian style with a swag of fabric on the right shoulder. If you are a loyal blog reader, you know how much we love liquid fabric! This fabric is very liquid. It is a navy silk spotted on one side with a gold lurex material. The flip side is in reverse, a gold lurex material with navy silk spots. The color combo is pure fabric perfection. If you happen to be attending an event on the Christina O. or possibly the SS Delphine may we suggest this as the perfect dress for the occasion.

Vicky Tiel navy and gold grecian one shoulder dress, c. late 70's. Contemporary size 4. SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or phone our Los Angeles flagship on + 1 323 655 0223 (store hours are 11 30 am to 6 pm PST). For email requests, kindly reference the above description in addition to including your full name, phone number, City/State/Country from which you email, so we may offer you a high-level of personal service.

A SALUTE TO AMANDA!

Many of you will recognize the lovely and charming Amanda from past posts. Amanda is more than a part time Decades super model! For the past few years, Amanda has been the amazing Manager of our sister store, DECADESTWO, which famously sells designer contemporary (21st Century) clothing. Alas, today is her last day :( and this may be her last time gracing us with her beauty on the Decades blog, so we thought we needed to make sure she retired with a bang in vintage Emanuel Ungaro. "What?" say many of our Balmain-addicted clients when they look at the moire taffeta ruched gown below and compare it to the Balmain runway shot further down the page. Yes, Balmain for fall owes a lot of inspiration to the early 1980s work of Monsieur Ungaro. We only wish the much-maligned House of Ungaro would have embraced its own codes over the last few years and did Ungaro for the 21st Century, because Balmain sure knows how to rock the Ungaro look. (Is it interesting how many great brands refuse to celebrate their DNA when they relaunch...Fashion Investor Advice...if you have a brand with a great identity, USE it or LOSE it!).



Back to Amanda, she's a perfect size two and although this Ungaro is marked size four, it is closer to a zero. Amanda may be smiling in these pics, but she could barely breath! So if you are a size zero and want a va-va-voom evening gown that out Balmains a new Balmain, will give you lovely lady lumps, and fit an elite petite body, this one is as good as it gets. As for Amanda, no one does it better and we wish her amazing success in her future endeavors and hope we may entice her with a few Decades blog modeling cameos in the very near future.

Emanuel Ungaro Parallele blue moire silk/acetate taffeta ruched strapless gown, c. early 1980s. Marked size 4, modern 0

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or phone our Los Angeles flagship on + 1 323 655 0223 (store hours are 11 30 am to 6 pm PST). For email requests, kindly reference the above description in addition to including your full name, phone number, City/State/Country from which you email, so we may offer you a high-level of personal service.

Elle Woods would die...

...to have this amazing Barbie pink Pierre Cardin Haute Couture gown! If you live in Los Angeles you will be happy to hear that Legally Blonde The Musical is coming to town on August 12th. We can't think of anything more appropriate to wear for the west coast premiere. The top layer is constructed from three panels of pink crepe that meet, overlap, and cascade down the front. Buttons are visible to the mid-back and the interior fastens with a hidden zipper. If that's not enough to satiate your feminine side, the gown has a black silk rosette over the left bust and a versatile pink crepe swag that can be worn several ways. If you happen to be attending the opening at the Pantages, may we suggest this gown as the best possible option for the event.

Pierre Cardin Haute Couture pink crepe strapless gown, c.late 70's. Contemporary size 6-8

SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or phone our Los Angeles flagship on + 1 323 655 0223 (store hours are 11 30 am to 6 pm PST). For email requests, kindly reference the above description in addition to including your full name, phone number, City/State/Country from which you email, so we may offer you a high-level of personal service.

Pardon Us...

Recently we blogged about the Jean Louis Scherrer shown above and seen below on Patricia Kennedy Lawford. A loyal blog reader of ours sent this picture bringing to our attention to the fact that we had the dress on the mannequin BACKWARDS! We apologize and propose that the Scherrer can be worn either way! The pictures above show the way the dress was intended to be worn. We would like to thank the reader who brought this to our attention, and send the rest of you loyal blog readers to her amazing blog.

To view please click here --> SIGHSANDWHISPERS

Jean Louis Scherrer Haute Couture (label removed) black and white georgette 40s style long sleeve evening dress, c. late 1970s. Modern 4 to 6. A few very minor pin-sized spots on dress, not easily visable. SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting.

BEACH BAG!

This Chanel gathered bucket bag is not really a beach bag, unless you have private beachfront property in the 'Bu where you don't have to worry about getting sand kicked on your Couture! For all others, this bag will make you feel like a Billionaire in the 'Bu! It evokes a casual elegance by mixing quilted canvas with midnight leather in an effortless shape that is ideal for summer. The black version of this bag sold in a NYC minute, so let's see how long this one lasts!

Chanel canvas and midnight leather quilted bucket bag, c, 1980s. 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 8". One quilted diamond has a pen mark indicated above. SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or phone our Los Angeles flagship on + 1 323 655 0223 (store hours are 11 30 am to 6 pm PST). For email requests, kindly reference the above description in addition to including your full name, phone number, City/State/Country from which you email, so we may offer you a high-level of personal service.

MO' DI'OR

Here is the perfect chic summer evening dress for those who still live a chic life in the summer. This Christian Dior New York blue pleated silk strapless and full skirted gown is centered by a pleated cream waistband accented with a dramatic yellow flower at the hip. To some, this evening dress may appear to a bit "retro." In truth it's a classic and flattering silhouette of the 1950s. Think Mad Men Season One! It's easy to modernize this dress with simple accessories and effortless hair. The magic of vintage is in making something vintage not appear too vintage! That may sound like the pot calling the kettle black, but the fashionable Decades client is well aware of how to look modern in something from the Mid Century!

Christian Dior New York navy pleated silk evening dress with yellow flower, c. 1950s. Modern size 4 to 6 SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or phone our Los Angeles flagship on + 1 323 655 0223 (store hours are 11 30 am to 6 pm PST). For email requests, kindly reference the above description in addition to including your full name, phone number, City/State/Country from which you email, so we may offer you a high-level of personal service.

Splendor in the Grass

Nothing could be more appropriate for a summer garden party or a simple picnic by the lake with friends than this Lanvin dress. The ladies in this lovely Edouard Manet painting could only have been so lucky to don Jeanne Lanvin. If they had, they wouldn't have needed to strip down halfway through lunch! But we digress....

If a lakeside picnic is not your speed, may we suggest the Serpentine Gallery Garden Party instead. The grey, black and white gingham taffeta is the perfect material, especially when lined with black grosgrain ribbon. There are two long black & white taffeta strips that are to be tied and used as a waist sash. Below we have shown two ways of arranging the sash, however the options are limited only by your imagination.

Lanvin grey gingham taffeta gown with black and white taffeta sash, c.70's. Contemporary size 4 SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or phone our Los Angeles flagship on + 1 323 655 0223 (store hours are 11 30 am to 6 pm PST). For email requests, kindly reference the above description in addition to including your full name, phone number, City/State/Country from which you email, so we may offer you a high-level of personal service.

BUCKET OF CHANEL

Our first Chanel lambskin bucket bag is in black leather and functions as a great carry-all for all you carry! The expandable top means you can overstuff til your heart's content since the bag is suited to accommodate a fashionable pack rat. We took lots of photos so they can do the talking...

Chanel black lambskin leather bucket bag, c. 1980s. Bottom is 11" x 7" and the bag is 10" high. SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or phone our Los Angeles flagship on + 1 323 655 0223 (store hours are 11 30 am to 6 pm PST). For email requests, kindly reference the above description in addition to including your full name, phone number, City/State/Country from which you email, so we may offer you a high-level of personal service.

NO DRUMSTICKS IN THESE BUCKETS!

Two desirable 1980s Chanel bucket bags posting....soon!SOLD

LET'S GET SERIOUS

And when we mean serious, we mean Christian Dior Haute Couture! How absolutely divine is this 1956 jade silk faille cocktail dress? Earlier this month, John Galliano showed his Dior Couture show at the original Avenue Montaigne salon, just as Mr. Dior did in the 1950s. Even the looks in this intimate presentation were very 50s-esque. We love everything "esque" but we love the originals, too. This original Christian Dior corseted cocktail dress is numbered 83048 and the model is called "Delphine." We have taken very elaborate photos on the enchanting Amanda who couldn't help smiling while modeling this feminine and lady-like dress that would be so exquisite on the right Emmy presenter or nominee come September. The Dior white and black tulle cocktail dress sold quite quickly, so we are certain that the right slim "Delphine" who reads our blog regularly and is a narrow size 4 or 2, will be delighted to add some serious Couture to her closet.

Christian Dior Haute Couture A/H 1956 "Delphine" jade silk faille cocktail dress with internal corset. Modern 2 to very petite 4 SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or phone our Los Angeles flagship on + 1 323 655 0223 (store hours are 11 30 am to 6 pm PST). For email requests, kindly reference the above description in addition to including your full name, phone number, City/State/Country from which you email, so we may offer you a high-level of personal service.