Fashion Word of the Day - The "Zemire"

Christian Dior's Zemire (1905-57)


Paris


1954-5 autumn/winter


Cellulose acetate, with the skirt lined with layers of silk and net

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This design is one of the most beautiful designs in the world, and in fashion altogether. It is extremely sleek and elegant. I loved when Christian Dior said this: “I designed clothes,” he said, “for flower-like women, with rounded shoulders, full, feminine busts, and hand-span waists above enormous spreading skirts.”

A charming “detective story” is that of Zemire, one of Dior’s most distinctive designs from 1954, thought to have survived only in archive records and photographs. The original design had been presented to Princess Margaret at Blenheim Place in 1954 but, last year, the V&A purchased a dramatic red version in a Paris auction. Now lovingly restored, its interior labels reveal the House, client, workshop and alterations.source

Fashion Word of the Day

1960s Mink Stole


Stole [stohl]


A woman's shoulder scarf of fur, marabou, silk, or other material.


The stole was originally a kind of shawl that covered the shoulders and fell down in front of the body; on women they were often very large indeed. After being adopted by the Church of Rome about the seventh century (the stole having also been adopted in other locals prior to this), the stole became gradually narrower and so richly ornamented that it developed into a mark of dignity. Nowadays, the stole is usually wider and can be made from a wide variety of material. The most likely origin for the stole is connected with the scarf of office among Imperial officials in the Roman Empire.


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Fashion Word of the Day - Hairpin Lace

Hairpin lace is a type of crocheted fabric formed by using a crochet hook and a hairpin, which consists of two parallel metal rods held at the top and the bottom by removable bars. Historically, a metal U-shaped hairpin was used, from which the name originates.

Hairpin lace is formed by wrapping yarn around the prongs of the hairpin to form loops, which are held together by a row of crochet stitched worked in the center, called the spine. The resulting piece of lace can be worked to any length desired by removing the bottom bar of the hairpin and slipping the loops off the end. The strips produced by this process can be joined together to create an airy and lightweight fabric.

Fashion Word of the Day - Tea Gown

A semiformal gown of fine material, esp. one styled with soft, flowing lines, worn for afternoon social occasions.



The Afternoon Tea Gown was first introduced, in the 1840s, by Anna, the Duchess of Bedford. The gowns were fashioned on the styles and times of the day.



Tea gowns were constructed in several segments, allowing the hostess to change from the lingerie-inspired overtops to the more revealing off-the-shoulder, lower cut silhouette for the evening hours. Fabrics ranged from elaborate gowns with fanciful hand work of embroidery, beading and smocking to the delicate white handkerchief linens accented with pastels.


Since Afternoon Teas were mostly attended by family and close friends, the hostess' tea gown was often uncorseted for the first time in centuries, introducing the casual form of dress our society has adopted to the present day.


The fashions complimented the Victorian era from which they were born. The gowns were accessorized with magnificently embellished gloves, parasols, fabulous hats and small handbags.
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Fashion Word of the Day - A-Line

A dress or skirt silhouette that is narrower at the top, flaring gently wider toward the bottom thereby resembling the letter A. Works well on most figure types; good for disguising bottom-heavy figures.

Fashion Word of the Day - Pinafore

pin·a·fore [pin-uh-fawr, -fohr]

A woman's sleeveless garment derived from it, low-necked, tying or buttoning in the back, and worn as an apron or as a dress, usually over a blouse, a sweater, or another dress.

Fashion Word of the Day-Chambray

3.1 Phillip Lim Resort 2008


Chambray (sham-brey)

–Noun

1. A fine cloth of cotton, silk, or linen, commonly of plain weave with a colored warp and white weft.

Fashion Word if the Day-Cheongsam

Cheongsam (chawng-sahm)

–Noun

1. A form-fitting, knee-length dress with a mandarin collar and slit skirt, worn chiefly by Oriental women.

2. A long dress with a high collar and slit skirt, traditionally worn by Chinese women.

[Chinese (Cantonese) ch'eūng shaam, long gown, equivalent to Chinese (Mandarin) cháng, long + Chinese (Mandarin) shān, gown.]