And more summer boleros! Hello, again, dear readers, You’ve seen the red bolero on this site previously. Indeed, when this jacket was displayed in the Phoenix Museum show someone even baked a cake in this shape and sent me the photo. But here it is again with its twin in black and white. Buying both of these little jackets indicates the depth of this collection and proves the old adage that if one of something great is really good, then two is even better. You’re following me on this, right? Anyway, enjoy.
Hello, everyone,
Summer has been particularly steamy in Long Island this year and I bet it’s the same for all of you wherever you are. Still, life goes on with weddings and dinners and parties and all sorts of events that require one to look nice despite the climate.
Here’s a little bolero that is a masterpiece of design. I photographed it inside and out to show you the careful construction and impeccable sewing.
The outside is perfect for summer being a lovely shade of aqua punctuated with colorful discs of silk and plastic, but the inside is the true revelation: All beautiful mossy green satin with two fabulous discs echoing the outer shape. There’s an old saying in modern dance which reminds me of this jacket construction: “The shape you make on the inside is the shape you make on the outside.” Enjoy. Till tomorrow.
Here is one of several evening gowns I purchased in this style from Mr. Beene. This was one of the dresses made in the last year of his life. The dress was made for me to wear to a gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Museum was celebrating the installation of their Goddess show in their Costume Institute. The guests were encouraged to wear clothes in the school of Madame Gres; drapey Grecian Goddess looks. When I described this to Mr. Beene he got a glint in his eye and told me to relax because he knew exactly what to do. Several weeks later, when I arrived for a fitting, he produced the dress and very sweetly informed me that he’d made a grey dress, as requested. Ouch. But I laughed it off and assured him the dress was perfection and here you can see for yourself, I was correct. Notice the stitching around the yoke over the bosom and shoulders. Notice the pleating at the waist. Notice the way the shape channels Aphrodite. My husband took to calling me “the head goddess” as we departed for the party.
Welcome back Beene-iana readers,
I know I’ve been remiss these past couple of months and not posted at all but sometimes life and work intrude. But I’m back and to make posting a little easier for yours truly, I am going to mostly post photos with brief, very brief, comments.
This wonderful image is of a tulle scarf with a big red and black gingham bow tie, which was Mr. Beene’s logo and adorned all his wrapping and shopping bags. In real life, the tulle portion is very long and the scarf could either be wrapped around the body like a shawl, or it could repeatedly circle the neck to make a faux collar.
Till tomorrow. Xxx P.
So the other day I was reading something about Sarah Jessica Parker and how she is so nice and so popular and considered to be so pretty, and she was wearing a Calvin Klein navy blue dress in the article and it reminded me of my all time favorite navy blue silk Beene from the early nineties.
This dress is totally simple…except for the triangles formed at the shoulders by the clever cutting away of the fabric as it drapes over the shoulders. It’s the best cocktail dress ever because it lends itself effortlessly to so many different types of occasions and can be accessorized so easily. The bosom of the dress is actually very sexy, though admittedly hard to see on this mannequin. The triangular “straps” cover some distance and the body of the dress begins quite low on the bosom. This is the kind of dress that never goes out of style. Thankfully, it’s right there in the closet waiting, all these years.
Xxxx, P.
