The Best Fashion Collection

Fuzzy Mohair Sweaters - 1963

Mohair is the long silky hair of the Angora goat. It is a strong and durable fiber that takes brilliant color dyes well. And it makes wonderfully warm and fuzzy sweaters, as seen in these examples from 1963.

Snow white pullover with V-neckline and cable stitching at the center front. Hand knit in Italy by Blairmoor Knitwear. Sold in 1963 for $18 (about $125 in today's dollar).

A turquoise cardigan banded in brown and honey beige, hand knit in Italy by Famelia. Sold in 1963 for $18 (about $125 in today's dollar).

Beige vest edged in white by Darlene Knitwear. Worn with a white blouse and white pants. Sold in 1963 for $11 (about $77 in today's dollar).

3 piece pink suit consisting of a sleeveless shell, a cardigan, and a pencil skirt, all by Jane Irwill. Sold in 1963 for $36 (about $251 in today's dollar).

And my favorite, a brown bateau necked sweater with black and white animal spots. The 3/4 sleeves are bell shaped. Hand knit in Italy by Famelia. Sold in 1963 for $25 (about $174 in today's dollar).

Vintage Brassieres - 1948

And you thought our obsession with uplift and maximum curve was a modern one?

Lovable Brassiere Co. ran a series of ads featuring the Lovable Girl of the Month. Here, their strapless bra is worn under a Margot strapless dress. The bra is boned for support, and they promise "You'll be lovely too, in a Lovable bra."

Exquisite Form patented the V shaped wire that separated the cups on their bras to be worn with low cut garments. They call it "Hi-Low Witchery".

Starlight bras and girdles will make you feel "heavenly" with their patented inner control, whatever that is. This one features circle stitching on the undercup.

I don't care about my bra making me feel lovely, witchy, or heavenly. I just want it to be comfortable!

Vintage Fur Coats - 1979

It's been pretty frigid here in Boston this week. I've been adding layers to my wardrobe to stay warm rather than turn up the (very expensive) heat. Perhaps I should just wear one of these beauties while I work. These fur coats all appeared in an I. Magnin catalog from 1979. Interestingly, I. Magnin would send a salesperson to your home or office if you wanted to try on any of these coats in private. I should think so at these prices.

Left: For him, natural fisher fur jacket. $11,500 (about $34,267 in today's dollar).
Center: For her, natural fisher fur coat $22,000 (about $65,555 in today's dollar).
Right: Natural ranch mink fur coat $8,995 (about $26,803 in today's dollar).

Left: Yves St. Laurent feathered blush-dyed blue fox edged in mink fur that is dyed to match. $3,200 (about $9,535 in today's dollar).
Right: One-of-a-kind Russian white natural lynx fur coat. I. Magnin bought the fur at the Leningrad fur auction and made this coat. $50,000 (about $149,000 in today's dollar).

Left: For him, dyed rust ribbed beaver jacket. $3,500 (about $10,430 in today's dollar).
Center top: Red natural cross fox fur coat. $17,500 (about $52,146 in today's dollar).
Center bottom: White dyed Snow-Top mink jacket. $2,995 (about $8,924 in today's dollar).
Right: Natural white curly lamb fur bomber jacket with knit collar and cuffs and leather buttons. $1,495 (about $4,455 in today's dollar).

I WANT this to wear around the house. Natural white mink fur sweatshirt worked in an intricate croquet pattern. Zip front with elastic at the sleeve cuffs and bottom edge. $3,995 (about $11,904 in today's dollar).

Best Sexy Girls Alexa Chung Celebrity Style

Alexa Chung (born November 5, 1983) is an English television presenter who most recently hosted MTV's It's On with Alexa Chung in the United States, which was cancelled after its last airing on 17 December 2009. Alexa Chung was raised in Private, Hampton, England by her English mother, a housewife, and her Chinese-English father, a graphic designer. She is the youngest of four children and has one brothers and one sister.

Chan was approached in the comedy tent at Reading Festival at the age of 16 and was taken on by the London-based Storm Model Management. She modelled for teen magazines such as Elle Girl and CosmoGIRL! and appeared in adverts for products including Fanta, Sony Ericsson, Sunsilk and Tampax. She also modelled for Urban Outfitters. She appeared in music videos for artists including The Streets, Westlife, Delta Goodrem, Reuben and Holly Valance and starred as Jake in a scripted reality show called Shoot Me, broadcast on Fashion TV in 2005.

After four years, Chung quit modelling with the intention of beginning an art foundation or fashion journalism course, having become disillusioned. She had developed a “distorted body image” and “low self-esteem” through modelling. After becoming a famous TV personality, Chung made a return to occasional modelling. In 2008, she was the face of both Australian fashion label Antipodium's SS 2008 collection and Oxfam's ethical fashion range, Revamped. In September 2008, Chung walked the catwalk as part of the Vivienne Westwood Red Label Spring/Summer 2009 show at London Fashion Week. In early 2009, she became the face of British high street giant New Look. Chung then joined London-based modelling agency, Select, and, in April 2009, she modelled Wren's Holiday 2009 collection, alongside her friend Tennessee Thomas.

Random Stuff in No Particular Order

First, don't miss out on the fabulous giveaway I posted yesterday. Go sign up!

As you know, I spent the weekend cleaning out my office bookshelves. I found so much great stuff I want to share with you I don't know where to start! Hence the mish-mosh of random stuff today before I get back to the subject at hand. While cleaning, I found this gorgeous ad my mom sent me several months back.

The 1947 ad is for the fabric, Bur-Mil (Burlington Mills) rayon faille crepe. The designer of the dress is not credited in the ad, so I can't tell you who it is. They simply call it a "petal-hipped occasion dress that is featured by fine stores throughout the country".

What I can tell you is that I would love to get my hands on this dress. As a student of fashion design, I'm very curious to see how this petal effect was accomplished. I can't tell if the petals are separate pieces sewn into seams, or if the fabric is manipulated in some way to give that effect. It's a great dress, though, isn't it?

Moving on to the Fair Warning Department: The US Postal Service is increasing postage costs again on January 4, 2010. At Couture Allure, we've been able to absorb the last two increases, but this time, we will be forced to raise our shipping costs. New shipping rates will go into effect at Couture Allure on January 1. Believe me, I am not happy about this, and I will keep the cost as low as possible, but an increase at this time is unavoidable. All orders placed by December 31 will go out at the current shipping rate.

A couple of weeks ago, I told you about the Fab Over Fifty video that features Jayne Conroy wearing a gorgeous vintage navy suit purchased from Couture Allure. For those of you who couldn't watch the video at the site, here it is!

Finally, a big thank you to Jaynie at Here's Looking Like You, Kid for bestowing the Glamorous Blog Award on Couture Allure. Thanks, Jaynie!

Best Sexy Girls Blake Lively Actress

Blake Christina Lively (born August 25, 1987) is an American actress. She stars in the book-based TV series Gossip Girl as Serena van der Woodsen. She has also appeared in several films including Accepted and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants as well as its sequel, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Lively was born in Los Angeles to actors Ernie and Elaine Lively. She was raised as a Southern Baptist. The youngest of five siblings, Lively has a brother, Eric, two half-sisters, Lori and Robyn, and a half-brother, Jason. Both of her parents and all of her siblings are, or have been, in the entertainment industry. During Lively's childhood, her parents would take her with them to acting classes that they taught because they didn't want to leave her with a babysitter. Lively stated that watching her parents teach acting classes helped her learn the "drills" of acting and gain confidence as she got older.

Lively stated that as a child, her mother would bring her to Disneyland twice a week as an opportunity "to have some extra time to bond". Due to all the time Lively spent there, she felt that she "grew up at Disneyland." Lively's mother, who was a former model from Georgia, inspired Lively to have an interest in clothes when she was a child. During Lively's childhood, her mother would sew clothes and dress her with garments from boutiques and vintage stores. She also tailored adult clothes to fit her. Lively has stated, "She just did that because she was so creative and because she didn't want me to be dressed in big T-shirts cinched with a plastic clip like all the rest of the kids." Lively has stated that, due to her wardrobe, when she attended a private school in Los Angeles in second grade for the first and only time in her life she did not fit in.

Best Sexy Girls Mila Kunis Actress

Milena "Mila" Kunis (born August 14, 1983), born as Milena Markovna Kunis (Russian: Милена Маркοвна Кунис, Ukrainian: Мілена Марківна Куніс), is an American actress. Her television work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy. She has also played roles in film, such as Rachel Jansen in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and as Mona Sax in Max Payne. Kunis was born in Chernivtsi, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union to a Jewish family. Her mother, Elvira, is a physics teacher and drug store manager, and her father, Mark Kunis, is a mechanical engineer and cab company executive. She also has an older brother. Her family moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1991. Despite reports to the contrary, Kunis did not learn English from watching The Price Is Right. In Los Angeles, she attended Hubert Howe Bancroft Middle School.

Best Beauti Olivia Wilde Actress Sexy Pictures

Olivia Jane Wilde (born Olivia Jane Cockburn, pronounced March 10, 1984) is an American actress. She began acting in the early 2000s, and has since appeared in a number of film and television parts, including roles on the series The O.C. and The Black Donnellys. She currently portrays Dr. Remy "Thirteen" Hadley in the TV drama House.

Wilde was born in New York City on March 10, 1984, as Olivia Jane Cockburn. Her mother, Leslie Cockburn (née Corkhill Redlich), is a 60 Minutes producer and journalist, and her London-born father, Andrew Cockburn, is an Irish journalist, as are her paternal uncles Alexander and Patrick, all of whom are contributors to the political website CounterPunch.org. Her half-aunt was the late writer Sarah Caudwell.

Her paternal grandfather was the novelist/journalist Claud Cockburn. Wilde has said that as a result of her family background, she has a "strong journalistic streak", being "really critical and analytical". Both her parents were prominent in the Washington social scene, hosting dinner parties. Her mother once recounted a story of a young Wilde eavesdropping one night on a conversation between Richard Holbrooke and Mick Jagger until Mick noticed her and shooed Olivia to bed. She has wanted to become an actress since the age of two. For a short time, Olivia's family had a house in Guilford, Vermont, USA. Wilde attended Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C., as well as Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts,