I know all of us in the Northern Hemisphere are clamoring for spring, so how about springtime in Paris? Or at least how about a pretty springtime Parisienne? I love her powder blue suit and how the color is complemented by the out of focus background. The white collar and cuffs are a pretty touch, and the lip is the perfect shade of red. Add a jaunty little hat and the result is très chic!
Photographer: J.F. Clair
Copyright: Lagardère Group
Believe it or not in 1956 Elle was a weekly (you can tell by the date on the cover). It was oversized (like the old Life Magazine) and printed rotogravure (like the Sunday supplements in our newspapers). I took French in high school just so I could “read” it (to this day reading French better than speaking). It cost $5.00 a copy at Schroeder’s import bookstore in downtown Cleveland. That’s $42 in today’s money! So I bought one rarely (saved from babysitting) . The cover lines would seem to be “The world tournament of young women: here are the winners”. Cover outfit notwithstanding, French Elle was where I drooled over pictures of the beautiful young French Beats— Juliette Greco and Francoise Hardy especially.
Very appropriate, as my parents married on 10th March, 1956, and today celebrated their 57th anniversary.
Congratulations to them!
Beautiful cover…and I love allwaysinfashion’s comment! Maybe I should try to track down some German fashion magazines to help with my studies. (Or just try to read the German language blog I follow without resorting to Google Translate!)
I hope you know about Michelle’s excellent blog: http://allwaysinfashion.blogspot.com/
Sigh. I have a jacket of that vintage, very similarly styled, in about the same color. I bought it on eBay and I love it – but it’s just a skosh too small, so I can’t wear it. But neither can I bear to part with it. I took a pattern from it, but the idea of all those panels and interfacings and bound buttonholes, and my thousands of sewing projects that I could finish in the same time, slows me down…