What a Beauty!

It's not often that I run into a dress like this - what I like to call "Over the Top". This dress dates to the early to mid 1950's, when tulle confections were all the rage. And what a beauty this is!

Pink tulle is layered over more pink tulle with a lining of pink taffeta. Adorned with silver embroidery, silver beads, and silver sequins, this dress literally sparkles. Add to that the white ribbons that are woven over and under the silver beading, and you've got a real attention grabber! Notice how the skirt side panels are even more elaborate than the front and back.

And all of that embroidery and beadwork? Completely done by hand!

See this dress and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

70's Bohemian Brilliance

In the late 1960's, as hippies influenced fashion with their use of antique, folkloric, and ethnic clothing, mainstream designers began to incorporate these styles into their runway fashions. This dress from the early 1970's is an example of the use of folk art in high fashion.

There are no labels, but the designer has used a tablecloth with intricate hand-worked cross stitch as the fabric for the dress. The resulting dress is suitable for evening or entertaining at home.

See this dress and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .