Spotted in a Shop Window - Yet Another Variation on the Embroidered Dress

Spotted in a window at Nordstrom's in downtown Seattle, this dress caught my eye. I can't help it, I am rather enjoying these embroidered dresses in the Fall 2014 fashion line of Oscar de la Renta. Composed of a net overdress and black underdress, the embroidery is actually on the net overdress, and both back and front are embroidered. Love the contrast of the colorful embroidery against the black underdress.

Sweet design!

Oscar de la Renta Embroidered Dress Redux

I was walking past Mario's in downtown Seattle this past week, and look what was in the window: another embroidered dress from Oscar de la Renta!. You'll remember my post from the other day, which featured two of his dresses as part of his Fall 2014 Fashion Trunk Show.

Here, the dress is still beautifully embroidered in front, but on chartreuse (?) and note the closeup - outlines in the back, but not embroidered. They just look ready to be filled in... :)

Spotted in a Shop Window - Oscar de la Renta Embroidered Dress

Really? Summer hasn't even started, but the Fall 2014 fashion season is ready to roll! I spotted this in one of the windows at Nordstrom's in downtown Seattle today.

What really caught my eye, though, was this stunning embroidered dress - the shimmering light blue background and the rich gold, blue, and pink floral motifs are dramatic and dazzling. I simply love embroidery.

 

The black and white midriff dress in the background appears a bit understated in contrast, but is lovely too. ;-)

It's Radical - Fashion Protest over Hemlines in 1970!

In the late 1960s, the mini skirt reigned supreme, and did we young women ever love it! I remember it with such fondness. My father would often remark, as I was preparing to walk out the door in a mini-something "Well, you have a shirt on, when are you going to put on the rest of your clothes?" ;) In those days, I wore clothes with the high-thigh lengths you see in these photos. So sassy, so liberating!

 

Yes, we really wore our hemlines that short. Here are some patterns from 1969 that demonstrate the mini-length hemlines. There is short, and then there is really short:

 

(Note the bridesmaid's mini dress!)

 

Then, in 1970, the powers that be in fashion dictated a switch in skirt length from mini to midi. Not happy!! Life magazine, March 13, 1970 edition, captured this fashion hassle over hemlines.

 

 

Couture designers were quoted on their views about the hemline change, and they clearly had strong preferences:

In the sewing patterns of 1970 and on, we slowly start to see lower hemlines, including the midi and the maxi lengths. The ultimate compromise was moving the hemline up to just below the knee.