SANTA'S LIL HELPER IS A HOTTIE

Last night I attended the most lovely Christmas dinner at the home of one of my favorite Decades Ambassadors, Sutton Stracke.  If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you have probably seen pics of me and Sutton running around Paris, New York, Augusta, and our homebase in LA.  The guests were dressed great and I noticed many of the women wore plaid dresses.  'Tis the season, no?  I wore plaid Louboutin slippers and felt particularly festive.  Plaid is having a moment.  Now it's always in style if you are a Scot, but this Hollywood neckline silk Vicky Tiel Couture dress with flattering ruched waist, full short skirt, and lace with embroidered bust is Home of the Holidays and Highland fancy.  Your legs may not measure up to Cyd Charisse in Brigadoon, but fear not:  a pair of tights and ankle boots will work just as well as a bare leg and statement Max Kibardin heels.  Spread some holiday cheer.

-Cameron 

  

Vicky Tiel Couture plaid silk dress model "Melissa."  Marked size 38 and fits mannequin size 4, early 1990's. SOLD
For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-1960. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing

ME AND MY GIRL

It's no secret that I am a big Vicky Tiel fan. I remember how popular her dresses were in the 1980s where Fred Heyman did a brisk business with them at Giorgio on Rodeo Drive. I don't think there was a Bar Mitzvah that I attended where some guest wasn't working a Tiel ruched dress that made the boobs bigger; the waist smaller, and the butt firmer. You can imagine I was excited to meet the legendary American couturier when she came to Los Angeles to do a book signing for her memoir at the Westwood home of Carole Doheny last week. I got my book signed and snapped a photo with Ms. Tiel and Shirlee Fonda, who told me she has the largest collection of vintage Tiel, including some silk tap pants!
Well, I may not be offering you any tap pants, but I am offering a great sweetheart bust line cocktail dress with cap-shoulders, a fitted torso, and an open back that accented with criss-cross straps and a very pronounced bow adjacent to the derriere. The viscose blend silver and black dress has a 1940s silhouette but with 1980s punctuation. Vicky Tiel still dresses some of the sexiest women who can buy her modern collections at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, but we got ya covered in an example from the 1980s.
-Cameron

Vicky Tiel for Neiman Marcus silver/black cocktail dress with large back bow. c. 1980s. Marked size 42, modern 4 to 6

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, so may offer you a high level of personal service.

IT'S A VICKY TIEL MOMENT FOR SHIZZLE!

Ms. Vicky Tiel has a steamy memoir out and is getting toodles of press, so we want to keep celebrating her glamorous creations. This 1990s-era Tiel references lingerie and has a flirty Booty-licious skirt that I think Beyonce could have worn pre-pregnancy with the chiffon of the skirt flowing as the powerful fans blew on her as she sang and danced (showing off super toned and oiled legs) up a storm. Well, Beyonce is preggers, so I doubt she will be wearing this in the next 9 months, but her loss is your gain. Strut your stuff, grease your legs, and why not have a fan proceed your every step? Why having a fan will certainly insure you have fans! As for the dress, I am a sucker for some lace on top of silk, especially grey pearl silk. I would call this dress very Mistress-friendly. And who doesn't want to look like a Mistress, even if you got the man?
-Cameron



Vicky Tiel for Neiman Marcus black lace over grey silk cocktail dress with chiffon skirt, c. early 1990s. Marked size 42, modern size 6

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-1960. 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, so may offer you a high level of personal service.

PRETTY WOMAN

You all remember the stunning and unforgettable floor sweeping red ball gown that Julia Roberts wears to go the the opera in pretty woman, the dress that represents her progression from the girl from the streets of Hollywood to a lady, elevating Vivian as an emblem of beauty. Yes, that very dress was created by Vicky Tiel. We have been having a Vicky Tiel moment lately, not only did Julianne Hough snatch 'best dressed' at the Kim Kardashian's wedding, in a black Vicky Tiel she purchased here at Decades, but also we have been reading "It's all about the dress" a book by Vicky Tiel and her career of four decades designing clothes that make real women look fabulous. We have always been a fan Vicky Tiel gowns and the 'look at me' effect they have.

This off the shoulder number captures all that is feminine and lady like. In black slinky jersey draped to accentuate the waist and rouched to perfection, with the beaded shoulder strap, is exactly what you need to wear to an engagement party or afternoon tea at the Polo Lounge.
-Eri

Vicky Tiel black jersey one shoulder dress with gold beaded strap detail, c. 1970s. Marked size 12, modern 4 to 8

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-1960. 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, so may offer you a high level of personal service.

ELECTRIC AND ROYAL BLUE

Can a color be electric and royal? Apparently Vicky Tiel has boldly answered this question by designing an electric and royal blue taffeta bustier gown that gives you the drama of a full length gown from the back and sides but still let's you show off your legs from the front (very Balmain Spring 2009). So this dress is electric, royal, short, and long. Let's just call this a Couture Hybrid. Perhaps this is also the answer to the proverbial question: What to Wear? The answer suddenly gets simple when you can be electrifying-royal-leggy-and-long!

Vicky Tiel Couture for Fred Heyman electric royal blue ruched taffeta bustier gown with asymmetric ruffle, c. late 1980s. Modern 4 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, so may offer you a high level of personal service.

LOOK AT ME!

If you have that urge to be noticed at an upcoming event, this Vicky Tiel gown promises to make it a night to remember. Vicky Tiel's signature ruched effect done in gold lame releases below the knee to a flutter skirt. Turn around and you have the Mother of all bows. This is a gown made for dancing, prancing, and general parading. The illusion sleeves do not attach to the dress. As a matter of fact, the dress is pretty fabulous without the sleeves, too. But if you want to have a Rita Hayworth moment in this gown, you can always strip them off seductively and throw them to the crowd that is inevitably going to swarm around you when you are in this dynamite gown. Put the Blame on Mame!

Good enough for the Emmys, so grab this one before one of the nominees opts for it!

Vicky Tiel (label missing) for Lina Lee (Beverly Hills boutique) early 80s gold lame ruched strapless gown. Contemporary size 4 - 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.

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.

Cheaper than Balmain

If you have been paying any attention to the looks coming out of Balmain, you know what we are talking about. The dress below is by Vicky Tiel. It is a ruched black and gold viscose tube dress with a sweetheart neckline. The neckline is an exaggerated deep sweetheart that has wiring all around to hold the structured shape. The entire dress is covered in gold paillettes and the interior is lined in black satin. Seriously, this could very well have been from this season's Balmain collection. We have a feeling when they were working on inspiration for the current collection, they may have taken a few tips from past Vicky Tiel and Fabrice designs.

Vicky Tiel black and gold tube dress with deep sweetheart neckline, c.1980. Marked size 38, contemporary size 4.
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.

RUB MY SHOULDERS

Every woman has good shoulders. They don't age and therefore don't wrinkle. They seem to be immune from sagging, too. A little off-the-shoulder action is always flattering in a print dress and this Gypsy-influenced Vicky Tiel from the early 1970s was adored by the original owner. She bought this dress at Giorgio on Rodeo Drive around 40 years ago and treasured it. A leaf motif on black creped viscose is a perfect pop of print that is highlight along the ruffle collar and flattering ruched and gathered mid-section of this dress. This fabric doesn't wrinkle and weighs next-to-nothing so here is a day-into-evening dress that is season-less (tights in the winter, tawny bare legs in the summer) and sure to flatter.

Vicky Tiel for Giorgio of Beverly Hills creped viscoe Gypsy dress, c. early 1970s. Modern 4 to 6 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.

TURN AROUND

Have you been following the NYC Fashion Week shows? For some reason, we just don't care that much about the shows. Fashion needs a major Turn Around. The system is clearly broken and as Dana Thomas succinctly states in her terrific book Deluxe, luxury has lost its luster. We certainly agree and in this economic turmoil, we hope fashion will correct itself, as it is a broken system. Enough with runways filled with irrelevant clothing for the 21st century. Enough with sky-high prices for clothing that may be creative, but unjustifiable. Enough with stores selling short-shorts, when what you really need in twenty degree weather is a winter parka. Enough with luxury fashion that isn't luxurious and hardly exclusive anymore. In twelve years of Decades, we have seen it all and ain't nothing new to design that hasn't been done in the last decades. Yes, we crave and embrace new talent, but let's hope that in the forthcoming seasons a new reality of fashion will emerge that still is creative, yet relevant. That will be a Fashion Turn Around. The Vicky Tiel dress below is also a Fashion Turn Around.

A composition of black matte silk and black silk satin, this bold shouldered black dress has a surprising reveal with you turn around: the back of the dress has criss-cross straps in black satin that reveal the back down to you-know-where only to be greeted with a dramatic satin swag at your derriere. The waist of the dress is so flattering as a wide seamed panel outlines your mid-section. Today, a dress like this from a major designer would cost a fortune. This is a complicated construction, after all. However, buying a dress of this drama and this wearable is much more affordable than its modern designer equivalent. But we don't need to tell you that. A Decades aficionado knows what is best for her and Decades strives to deliver the goods!

Vicky Tiel for Henri Bendel criss-cross back silk LBD with satin swag, c. 1980s. Marked size 44, modern 6 to 8 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.