Wednesday, September 29, 2010

She Wore Blue Velvet

A couple of posts ago I mentioned that I "employed" a tailor when I was an undergraduate.  That sounds a tad grand, but I did ask a lovely woman, Teruko, to make me a dress.

If I recall, I had seen a dress in Elle, by Georgio Sant'Angelo, in yellow or orange (perhaps both?) modelled by Estelle Lefebure or Karen Mulder (perhaps both?) and loved it. 

It had a deep V, gathered/pleated , cross-over neckline. long, fitted sleeves, and a tulip skirt. 

It was a very eighties look.

And although the dress was surely modelled in jersey, I asked for it in velvet: blue velvet.  Obviously I hadn't studied textiles yet, because it didn't occur to me that velvet wouldn't be as drapey. 

Why blue velvet?  I had seen the film a year or so earlier. . . but don't think that it inspired me in that manner.

Anyway, Teruko made me the dress, and I loved it.  (Her shop was in the Glebe when I lived there.)

Above is a fall 2010 dress by Richard Nicoll.  It is, amusingly? annoyingly? clamped at the shoulder, but it does involve blue velvet in less of an eighties style.

8 comments:

Belle de Ville said...

I love everything about this dress...except the clamp. Now imagine instead, and amazing fibula style brooch instead of a clamp. Perfect.

WendyB said...

Now you have me wanting to see the original dress of yours!

K.Line said...

I'm really impressed that, even as a very young woman, you managed to find a tailor who's still in business a quarter century later. Shows you know your stuff.

Jennifer said...

That clamp makes it look like the back view of a model fitted for an editorial shoot. Tacky.

Miss Cavendish said...

I wish I still had my dress. I gave away soooo much when I moved to the States! :-(

La Belette Rouge said...

The day after seeing Blue Velvet for the first time I went into a bar and I saw Dennis Hopper sitting there. I blurted out in terror, "Frank!" He laughed. Sorry, but your blue velvet made me think of it. And that dress is gorgeous and the gloves are pretty divine.

Miss Cavendish said...

Oh my, that *would* be terrifying!

Make Do Style said...

I love blue velvet and your dress sounds wonderful xx