Today I would like to share a page from an old magazine that I bought at the flea market in Paris. It's called "Couture" and this edition is from Summer 1953. I think the text on the front page says that it has six editions per year, but maybe someone can help me translate correctly when I post the front page picture (the colors are so pretty!). But first let's turn to page seventeen and eighteen.

On this page, titled "plissés nouveaux" (which translates to "new pleats" I think) we are shown a selection of the latest fashion, namely all the dresses with interesting pleating!

Of the two large photos my favorite is the one on the right. The one n the left has an interesting hat, and I like the design elements seperately, but somehow all of them together make the ensemble look a little stiff to me. Especially in the shoulder and neck area. Or maybe I'm just too young for it? The one on the right however, ugh, so perfect! The way the pleats open at the hip creates a pattern that reminds me of art deco architecture for some reason... it just looks very geometric, but at the same time so soft and light! And the top is really classic and simple, but the tabs at the shoulders make it a little more casual.

How amazing is that Jean Dessés dress on the left? SO amazing. The pleats are so tiny! And the buttons at the waist, the seaming at the hip... I think it's very modern in general. Change the collar to a jewel neckline, use white fabric (or a pastel color?), add some bright accents (neon beading?) and maybe replace the buttons with something more geometric and less soft (studs or something?) - Voilà! Also, for some reason I wonder what the dress would sound like, all that fabric must rustle a little, right? Maybe it's more of a "whisper"?

Ok, enough whispering (I don't talk to my clothes I swear...). What I like about the middle dress isn't necessarily the pleating (although pleats in that quantity are always impressive...), but the collar! I have an entire subfolder in my "design inspiration" folder just for collars (they're like pretty frames for your face!), I'll have to share those at some point as well...

On the dress on the right I like how the direction of the pleats changes at the lapel, and the seams on the peplum creates a chevron pattern! The top part would make a cute cardigan or light jacket. I wonder how comfortable it is though, there don't seem to be any seams in the sleeve, might be a little constricting.

Here the first dress doesn't really appeal to me, but maybe that's just because it looks so casual in comparison to the others! The second dress has another amazing collar! The pleats on this one aren't as visible, but I think it has more pleats between the waist and hips and then it opens up (or maybe the plats are seamed and then open at the hips?)

An the last dress. This one has to be my second favorite (after the whispering one). See how the unpleated fabric wraps around from the back to create pockets? I love the silhouette the contrast of pleated and unpleated fabric creates. The soft neckline compared to the structured pockets, ahh... although you'd have to be comfortable with drawing attention to the hips, and I think a belt is also necessary to keep the whole think from looking to sack-like.

Haha, I didn't know I could ramble on about two pages in a magazine like this, but there you go... hope you enjoyed the scans!