Monthly Archives: June 2021

……………………February was considered the official month that Spring shopping began…..not that the Jan. offerings weren’t true spring, but it was a common belief that the by then the Christmas credit cards were paid for and money was opening again……I always felt if you liked it you’d buy it, and if you couldn’t afford it in Jan you’d wait until you could, and hoped that it would still be there……..The blazer at the lower left is a fine crepe along with the short skirt. The three button blazer has signature gold knot buttons which I had originally created at Anne Klein and just had them reproduced. It had three patch pockets and was fully lined. The skirt was fitted through the hips then flared out below the curved seam……The colors were Red, Ivory and Navy. The printed cardigan was called the “Butterfly Print”, because the wing design of a butterfly was blown up to create this abstract print. The colors were Espresso multi, Olive multi and Navy multi…It had a contrast color gros grain ribbon down the inside where the buttons and button holes were, not only for an added special feature, but it was practical too….The DB swing jacket was in a brushed cotton. It had DTM buttons. The jacket had raglan sleeves and a back V flap with a button. Below the flap was an invert pleat for even more hip room. Th sleeves had buttoned tabs, and the pocket bands also buttoned closed. It was done in four fun colors, peony pink, tangerine, ivory and chino……….The Africano jersey print came in two styles. The sleeves of the cardigan were ruched, and the front had a draped open front. It looked great worn loose or belted. The top had a scoop neck with a draw string in the solid jersey, The sleeve was also banded in the solid  jersey  with elastic. The back panel was a surprise in the solid jersey….The colors were espresso, indigo, olive, and black……The jersey pant came in navy, olive and black to go with the Africano pieces.

…………………………Maria, Brenda and Jac waiting back stage to go on set to sell the Africano print draped front cardigan. They all look stunning and so today. Jac always knew just how to pose. Notice how I accented Brenda with the peanut brittle color accessories, and tortoise sunglasses. That color wasn’t in the print but the colors harmonized well.

…………………….A New Year had begun! January was not considered a good month to bring in many new things, because women had just finished spending lots of money over the Holidays, and the credit card bills would be coming. It was also very early for women, even in the south, to think about “spring” dressing. However, this was the time slot I was given so that was that……..There were two reorders, the poet tunic shirt and the crepe blazer. Pale Sand and Pale Lavender were repeats and BLACK was the new added color to the blazer. To go along with the blazer a new tank and crepe pants were added to coordinate with the jacket…..The lace “embroidered” sweaters were introduced, and were to become a big hit. We tried using real lace, but the way the lace was positioned on the sweater it was impossible to find a lace that could conform to the shapes needed. Elaine had a brainstorm…”let’s do the lace in embroidery”. It worked beautifully, and each lace pattern and shape was designed by Elaine’s studio to fit the sweater perfectly. When I saw the sample I couldn’t tell it wasn’t real lace. It was actually better than using real lace! We initially did the sweater in black, blush and aqua……”WHISPER KNIT” had now become an official “REGISTERED” name. The ballet neck 3/4 sleeve was a wonderful flattering addition. It was done in ivory, navy and red……..The georgette paisley print came in two styles….a scoop neck peasant type blouse and a six gored skirt with inserted godets. It was avail. in nude pink, black and lavender multi, and looked great with the reorder blazer.

…………………….To find the lace in the exact shapes we wanted to applique onto the cardigan was impossible……….so we embroidered a lace pattern instead…….”Where there’s a will there’s a way”.

……………….There were FIVE addition new pieces to the January group…….Starting at the bottom left was a wonderful BRUSHED COTTON TWILL PEA JACKET. I have always loved a good Pea jacket! When I was a student at Parsons I used to buy them at an Army/Navy store. They were cheap and the small fit like a glove…..YES, at 19 I was a small! I had special gold knot buttons reproduced from originals I used at Anne Klein. They really elevated the whole look of the jacket. It came in ivory, green and cobalt blue. The next jacket was a real designer jacket…meaning it was very unique in shape and detail. As you can see from the sketch the collar spread open creating a trapezoid open neckline It had princess seams to give it a gentle shape. The jacket had 3/4 sleeves and band pockets. It had a unique closure of “hidden snaps”…What made it very special was the Tegu Lizard print and the piping in every seam, hems, armhole, pockets and darts coming down from the neckline. It was printed on a cotton/linen blend and had a fine basket weave effect which gave the print dimension. It came in three color combinations….shades of Grey, shades of Olive, and shade of Blue……The “SIGNATURE COTTON” shirt above had a zip front, a classic shirt collar without a stand, and classic long sleeves with a 2 button cuff. The shirt had body seams and princess seams for a shaped fit……However, it was the peplum bottom that was set into a curved seam that made the shirt. The curved seam was higher in the front and lower in the back. I always found a peplum or ruffle set into a curved seam was much more FLATTERING than a horizontal seam. It kept the ruffle from looking like the “dancing hippos in Fantasia”. The shirt came in white and navy….The next two pieces, the drawstring funnel neck tunic, and the long skirt with the side slit were done in a new version of “Pebble Crepe”. I had started to have the pocket bags on many tops sewn through and through so they were clean inside and the bags didn’t flop around…..I have noticed that a certain QVC designer has adapted this technique and makes a big deal explaining her new procedure. What’s the saying, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”.  The two light weight pieces were done in sand, pale terracotta and black. They were wonderful worn together, but made terrific separate pieces mixing with white, tan, navy etc.