As a summer day dips into twilight in our more temperate climates, the chill in the air beckons after sundown for an Evening Stole Wrap that will offer light covering and warmth, yet still be suitable for wedding gala festivities where a jacket would certainly not.   

Those of us who run more warm-blooded might have wrapped our Stoles as a Sash around our waists, necks or elbows and left them to drape behind us throughout the reception and on into evening’s dancing.  

In any and all stylish cases, the ever-popular Evening Stole Wrap and Evening Shawl come in many different forms, sizes and price ranges.  Stoles of silk, silk satin, chiffon, organza or similar sheer materials are meant to provide a bit of warmth, though Fur Stoles and Evening Shawls, the latter of which are often knitted, clearly provide more.  The Silk Stole Wrap has historically been paired with an evening gown or dress. These Silk Stole Wraps for evening are typically finished with a simple hem on either end, exuding elegance in being both light and sheer.  Some individuals prefer to pair their Evening Stole Wrap with more casual fashion skirts and dresses since the Evening Stole Wrap will launch any attire into an elegant look for evening when teamed with dressy heels and accessories.

Triangular knit Lace Shawls are usually knitted from the neck down and may or may not be shaped. Faroese Lace Shawls historically are knitted bottom up and contain a center back gusset.  Each shawl consists of two triangular side panels, a trapezoid-shaped back gusset, an edge treatment, and usually shoulder shaping.

On top of warmth, an Evening Stole Wrap is often worn to show off a particular fabric, like silk satin, or fur. The major difference between Stoles and Shawls lies in the size, and the material. Stoles are usually rectangular, offering more width and length than a Scarf, while Shawls are more square in shape, offering extra width for a fuller, more extravagant envelope of the silhouette.

View White Stole’s entire collection for size color ranges of Stoles, Silk Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes and Shawls for purchase, or rental, on our website.

The first Shawls, or "Shals," were part of traditional Persian costume in Achaemenid Persia worn by both males and females. Shawls were also part of the traditional costume in Kashmir, India, which was probably introduced via assimilation to Persian culture. They were woven in extremely fine woolen twill, some such as the Orenberg Shawl, were even said to be so fine as to fit through a ring. 

Kashmiri Shawls came in two classes:  they could be loom-woven in one color or in different colors (called tilikar or tiliwalla), and woven in one piece but more often sewn in small segments that are imperceptibly sewn together; or they could be ornately woven and embroidered (called ameli or amlikar). in which an intricate and elaborate pattern is stitched on top of plain pashmina wool.

Kashmiri Shawls as high-fashion garments were brought to Western Europe in the early- to mid-19th century.  Imitation Kashmiri Shawls woven in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland are the origin of the name of the traditional paisley pattern.  Shawls were also manufactured in the city of Norwich, Norfolk, England from the late 18th century (and some two decades before Paisley) until about the 1870s.   The Kashmiri Shawls from Asia maintained a pre-eminent place the world-over for their beauty and quality, particularly the Lightweight Wool Shawls, delicate Silk Shawls, and more sturdy Wool Shawls, however, it is due to their western imitations that Shawls took Europe by storm, replacing fibers like cotton and linen, thereby making it one of the most important accessory pieces in garment history.

The Kashmiri Shawl is characterized by the elaboration of its design, in which the "cone" pattern is a prominent feature, and by the glowing harmony, brilliance, depth, and enduring qualities of its colors. The basis of this richness is found in the very fine, soft, short, flossy under-wool, called pashm or pashmina, found on the shawl-goat, a variety of Capra hircus inhabiting the elevated regions of Tibet.  There are several varieties of pashm, but the finest is a strict monopoly of the maharaja of Kashmir. India.  Inferior pashm and Kirman wool - a fine soft Persian sheep's wool - are used for shawl weaving at Amritsar and other places in the Punjab of India, where colonies of Kashmiri weavers are established. 

Kashmiri Shawls reached their widest and most universal appeal in the West due to Napoleon’s conquests in Egypt and his alleged gifts of Shawls to Josephine, that galvanized their notoriety.

Silk Shawls with fringes, made in China, were available by the first decade of the 19th century.  Ones with embroidery and fringes were available in Europe and the Americas by 1820. These were called China Crepe Shawls, China Shawls, and in Spain " Mantones de Manila" because they were shipped to Spain from China via the port of Manila. 

While the importance of Embroidered Shawls in fashionable women's wardrobes declined between 1865 and 1870 in Western culture, they became part of folk dress in a number of places including Germany, the Near East, various parts of Latin America, and Spain where they became a part of gypsy dress - especially in Andalusia and Madrid.  These Embroidered Shawls were revived in the 1920s under the name Spanish Shawls, a named derived from their use as part of the dress of Spanish Gypsies, also known as Gitanas. Their use as part of the costume of the lead in the opera Carmen contributed to the association of the Shawls with Spain rather than China. 

Shawls are used today to keep warm, for added fashion to complement a costume, and for symbolic reasons at outdoor or indoor evening affairs where the temperature is not warm enough for women in sheer or off-shoulder dresses where a jacket might be inappropriate.

View White Stole’s entire collection of Cashmere-Silk Shawls, Stoles, Silk Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes for purchase, or rental, on our website.

We have seen them on the runways, but of all the elements within designers’ bridal collections, it is the Stole in it’s many forms that is truly outstanding.  Alongside the traditional Veil, the Stole is irreplaceable for the bride who wants to feel like a fairy princess on her “I do” day.

This “must-have” gives a royal touch to the wedding - a princess allure that each of us look for on our big day.  An elegant detail, light and sinuous, capable of enchanting our guests during the triumphant walk down the aisle. Short or long, the Stole Wrap or Stole Cape is present today in all variations, from tulle, lace, organza, and chiffon, in white, pastel, or stunningly bright colors. Extremely light, the Stole lends an elegant touch that gives fluency to the bride’s movements.

More sophisticated is the Stole Wrap in embroidered or appliqued lace. The Stole Wrap becomes an essential accessory for every respectable bride, useful to conceal jaw-dropping necklines or shoulders, and when the time is right, to uncover them and be able to enjoy the party.  Truly infinite are the combinations of materials, from cashmere-silk blends for those who are always cold, to tulles that give soft volume to figures, to chiffons and silk satin for the most luxurious touch.

Reserved for true dreamers is the transparent and very delicate silk chiffon Stole Cape that enriches the shoulders with see-through grace and elegance. It is well- known that the details make the difference in elegance itself.

View White Stole's entire collection of Stoles, Silk Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes and Shawls for purchase, or rental, on our website.

The elegant inspiration of a flowing Stole as a formal wrap of expensive fabric wrapped around the shoulders over a long dress or ballgown, created from silk or natural fabric, and of a length long enough to be draped across either shoulders, or around arms or neck has survived in all cultures throughout the ages. 

A Stole Wrap is typically narrower than a Shawl, and of simpler construction than a Stole Cape, and is typically worn loosely around the shoulders. Lighter materials such as silk and chiffon are simply finished or cropped, hemmed and bound.  Heavier materials such as fur and brocade are typically lined.  A Silk Stole is essentially a small version of a ladies’ Stole, made of silk. Though these garments or accessories aren’t always made of silk, they are typically manufactured with similar quality fabrics.

A Stole can also mean a fur or set of furs.  For formal wear, a finished length of fur using pelts from more than one animal is worn over a suit, dress or gown.  In this case, the word Stole stands alone or is used in combination: Fur Stole, Mink Stole.  A Stole is typically narrower than a Cape or Wrap.  The Fur Stole is kept fastened and held together at the front of the collar. Unlike a Silk Stole or Shawl, which is wrapped loosely around a lady’s shoulders and occasionally the neck, a Fur Stole is manufactured to fit the body more snugly

Similar to a Shawl, the Stole Cape typically uses more material length and covers more of the upper body. Also occasionally referred to as a Stole Wrap, the Stole Cape is likely to be found in a wide array of materials and colors, but the most common type of Stole Cape is typically made of fur.  Some popular dressy styles of Stole Capes might include ostrich feathers, marabou, or other material. The feathers can come in various colors, although black, brown and white are generally the most commonly seen.

In addition to making an elegant fashion statement, all types of Stoles have been used to show respect while in a church or in a formal setting, such as for a Wedding, where it might be inappropriate to display bare shoulders or a low-cut gown.

Historically, Stoles were considered ceremonial dress worn for special occasions or at formal events such as weddings, coronations, graduations, parades, religious rites and galas.  Besides the Wedding Dress, throughout history the formal dress code of ceremonial dress has included the Ermine-lined Cloak, Crown and Septer of a King or Queen, Tribal Dress, Suit of Armor, Military Dress, Liturgical Robe, Graduation Gown, and Robe and Wig worn by British judges.  The Stole as an ecclesiastical vestment consisted of a narrow strip of silk or other material worn over the shoulders or, by deacons, over the left shoulder only, and arranged to hang down in front to the knee or below.  The Stole as a long robe was worn by the matrons of Ancient Rome. 

The lithograph plate posted here showing a variety of ways of wearing shawls in early 19th-century France (ca. 1802-1814), is redrawn from various early 19th-century sources by Durin for Albert Charles Auguste Racinet's Le Costume Historique (1888), and shows the myriad, exquisite ways the Silk Stole Wrap has been worn over the ages.

View White Stole's entire collection of Stoles, Silk Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes and Shawls for purchase, or rental, on our website.

Presenting his first collection in 1937, Jacques Fath was a self-taught designer who learned his craft from studying museum exhibitions and books about fashion.  A popular and innovative designer known for dressing "the chic young Parisienne," Fath famously utilized such materials as hemp sacking and sequins made of walnut and almond shells.  His 1950 collection was called Lily, and its skirts were shaped to resemble flowers.  For eveningwear, he advocated velvet gowns.  Fath often draped the fabric directly onto his models rather than sketch his designs. 

During World War II, Jacques Fath became known for "wide fluttering skirts" which, The New York Times explained, "he conceived for the benefit of women forced to ride bicycles during gasoline rationing". His clients included Ava Gardner, Greta Garbo, and Rita Hayworth, who wore a Fath dress for her wedding to Prince Aly Khan.  Fath designed a wedding gown for his wife that today is one of his most notable designs.  Among his models was Lucie Daouphars (1921 or 1922–1963), a.k.a. Lucky, a former welder who eventually became the top house model for Christian Dior.

Jacques Fath hired a number of young designers as assistants and apprentices, some of which later went on to form their own Couture houses, including Hubert de Givenchy, Guy Laroche and Valentino Garavani.   

View White Stole’s entire collection for size color ranges of Stoles, Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes and Shawls for purchase, or rental, on our website.

You can admire the White Stole Collection for it’s curation and preservation of the design and craft of Vintage Stoles that otherwise we might never have access to so many years beyond their original creation.  Yet, even more importantly, we can’t overlook the fact that the Vintage Wraps in White Stole's collection were all worn by a special woman…whose initials are embroidered along the inside lining. 

 “Each and every Stole in our collection stands as a treasured memory of the life of the woman who wore it” Roberta, Stylist

The White Stole Collection is dedicated to all those across the globe who have toiled, now and before us, to make Couture Accessories in the time-honored tradition “by hand” and with “high quality sewing.”

View White Stole’s entire collection for size color ranges of Stoles, Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes and Shawls for purchase, or rental, on our website.

Maggy Rouff is known for her beliefs that a truly elegant woman is in harmony with her environment and herself.  Addressing a basic longing she sensed in women as early as the 1940’s, Rouff wooed patrons to her salon with her belief that novelty and even surprise were good for fashion, yet only novelty allied with taste yielded chic.

As a result, Rouff rarely created a design that was considered "eccentric."  She took care to establish a focal point in every design, always enhancing the underlying sense of femininity of the lines.  An evening gown in which the skirt was trimmed with a crossover hip wrap and little side puffs had simply-cut sleeves and bodice.  She had a fondness for draped details, whether it had the sarong-like side drape of a skirt panel or soft cowl folds at the neckline.  Rouff often highlighted the upper body, drawing attention toward the face with a few favorite elements such as wrapped and tied surplice fronts, unusual necklines, and dramatic sleeves.

Accents such as wide belts and sashes, bold buttons, and silk flowers as well as contrasts of color, texture, or luster were also used with the same sense of balance.  She enriched some surfaces with shirring, quilting, or trapunto, as in her 1936 "plus four" playsuit and in her 1938 button-quilted evening dress, but very lush fabrics and furs were handled in accordance with her “less-is-more” philosophy.

While Paris was occupied by German troops, Maggy Rouff, who had already lived through one world war, wrote La Philosophie de L'Elégance. Her justification for what might have been considered under such circumstances a frivolous topic, was her belief that even in darkest times there must be faith in the future. Rouff’s book is seen as an affirmation of the value and substance which the Art of Elegance had given to her life and her success. 

View White Stole’s entire collection for size color ranges of Stoles, Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes and Shawls for purchase, or rental, on our website.

Since 1954, the House of Schiaparelli  has been known to be one of the most potent in all of Haute Couture.  During that time, Elsa Schiaparelli, was well-known as a Creator rather than a Couturier who had no formal training in the Art of Couture.  She approached design with bravery because she was free from the dictates of any specific skillset.  

Born to an aristrocratic Italian family of scholars in 1890, she fled the confines of her childhood home in Rome for a fuller life in London, New York and lastly, Paris.  In true post-war elegance, the playful, excessive, erudite and willful spirit that imbued each of Elsa’s designs swept-away the fashion world in 1927 - whether the design was her great pagoda-like mink collars mounted ontop black woolen coats,  or her bow-tied sweaters that exuded all of the surrealism and artistic fury of the 20’s and 30’s.  

Her provocative Ballgowns of the time, some with draping, feathered or embroidered Stoles were legendary, as were the seductive little jackets decorated with embroidery in a profusion of creativity.  Schiaparelli invented the idea of Ready-to-Wear, the concept of the “Boutique,” Mix-and-Match separates, Shirtwaist Dresses, Culottes, Wedge Heels, Designer Sunglasses, Overalls, and the color “Shocking Pink.”  Elsa Schiaparelli even designed a version of the “Jumpsuit” favored by sportsmen and skydivers during WWII for chic women to wear in bomb shelters!  No one had previously inspired artists, and hired them to decorate her clothes and her salon.  For those who loved her, Schiaparelli’s couture designs created the Heritage of her design house that was both bold and smart, with a flair that allowed any woman to stand out in a most exquisite way.

Like Schiaparelli, the Brides and Bridesmaids who come to the White Stole Collection follow their own path.  They are talented, creative women who embrace the eclectic and collaborative motifs brought forward by the most important artists of our time in order for us to become sophisticated women who understand their message of openness and tolerance in our lifetimes.

View White Stole’s entire collection for size color ranges of Stoles, Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes and Shawls for purchase, or rental, on our website.

Most Rental Bridal Wear is easily forgettable – unless you’re the girls who frequent White Stole’s Vintage Bridal Stole and Couture Silk Wrap Collection.  These girls think of their LBD, or toned-down bridesmaid dresses as a blank canvas that can be decorated based on their age, frame of mind, or wedding theme. 

They understand that the perfect accessory (one piece will do!) will give an immediate uplifting look, and add an air of couture luxury to the look of their wedding day.  They know their wedding dress can be exceptional with the pleasure of wearing a One-of-a-kind Vintage or Couture Stole Accessory that will bring treasured memories of their day for a lifetime.

What fashionable young and older women of today love like none-other is that fashion is NOT about the basics (unless your idea of a basic includes fur-lined collars and lapels on cashmere or silk wrapping your shoulders, arms or neck).  It’s for the type of girls who are on the wait list at Fendi, Prada, Leonard Paris or Valentino to be the first to view their trunk shows – whether they can afford the full-priced item, or must rush-off to search for last year’s edition.  Girls who understand true quality as sticking to smaller, hard-to-find labels.  Girls who loathe fast, cheap fashion and instead comb the back racks for Antique Treasures.  Girls who tear pages from fashion and wedding magazines for later reference.  Girls who truly know themselves.

Those of us who curate the White Stole Collection are devoted to recreating only the very best parts of what came before - right down to the vintage-inspired hatbox that one of our rental Stoles comes in.  We understand, too, that a good part of the thrill in purchasing one of our Couture Wedding Accessories is that it will tell the story of our brides’ wedding day for the rest of their lifetime.

View White Stole’s entire collection for size color ranges of Stoles, Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes and Shawls for purchase, or rental, on our website.

In New York, Maximilian, as well as David of New York, who worked with Capucci during the time this Italian received the American Fashion Oscar in 1958, brought the love of Stoles to the American market even as it remained highly influenced by European Couturiers and Creatures.  The Americans tried to widen their market by banking on simple models, in tone with the fashion of the times: shoulders became rounder, collars less deep, and large buttons appeared on Stoles by the end of the decade.

With Capucci’s influence, garment borders formed romantic knots, a little Cape turned in cones that culminated at the shoulder, and a circular Stole hid a Bolero inside it.  Jackets and full-length Stoles became a single mantle, and other ensembles had detachable skirts.  These garments began to point to the move from the Fifties to the Sixties, confirming luxurious foreshadowing of the demystification of natural fur. 

After the end of the war, the most beautiful women in the world from Gina Lollobrigida to Audrey Hepburn were seen in natural Stoles.  Like the rest of fashion, natural Stoles ran along a double track for several seasons then their style would change - yet some constant features from the previous season always remained.  

View White Stole’s entire collection for size color ranges of Stoles, Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes and Shawls for purchase, or rental, on our website.

A Couturier, by definition, is “a person who designs, makes and sells fashionable clothes for women.”  Other sources define a Couturier as “one who designs for, or owns, a couture establishment.”  Thus, the word Couturier has led to the use of the word Creature to define the clothes or fashion designer him or herself. 

From 1847 Italy onward, the founding fathers of the fur industry read like cases of fine wine:  Matti, Viscardi, Carinato, Chiovato, Pellegrini, Melloni, Bolzano and many others.  Jole Veneziani moved ahead with her progressive designs alongside Rivella and Schettini.  The trend increased as Rossini, Porro and Naldoni brought Stoles into both sporting as well as elegant realms for the public.  Giovanni Battista Giorgini’s shows at Villa Torregiani in Florence in 1951 helped launch the glory years of Haute Couture.   By 1958, the leading Couturier names of Capucci, Fabiani, Fendi and Valentino spelled Stole elegance into the 60’s and beyond.

Regardless of the name reference, the beginning Italian history of the enthusiasm for women’s Stole fashion began with a few leading men and women, though none so famous as Rivella, who founded his fur fashion house in 1868 and put a personal touch to the endless designs of Cape Stoles of the period – whether having a special collar, or a braided effect like that of a knitted pullover.  In 1958 he created a wedding dress so perfect that the fur blended into the fabric, giving it a Mikado effect.  Rivella became a leading name in the new Made in Italy label.

In Paris, the French fashion houses held fast during WWII with Fourrures Max, the most important pre-war furrier, and shortly after liberation Revillon, Freres, Fath, Molyneux, Chanel, Rouff and Schiaparelli continued with fur fashion that never entirely went away during the war, though it was confined to a very select public.  By 1947 Dior, Balmain and Balenciaga propelled fur fashions to the strata that ensured they were due to last.

View White Stole’s entire collection for size color ranges of Stoles, Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes and Shawls for purchase, or rental, on our website.

The informal elegance of the small-time Classic Boa Stole set against a stunning evening gown began its ascent to couture fame as early as the 1940's.  The trend toward lower-cost natural shoulder Stoles, with carefully thought-out embellishments and accessories, arose as a detail showing that the piece came from a famous Fashion-House - an Exclamation Point, of sorts, on a formal evening dress.  This small accent-piece also acted as a down-payment in the early days of couture for those who could not otherwise afford the whole garment.

There were feather or fur Boas which either stood alone or were applied to tailor-mades as though they were Stoles,  or were attached to countless hems forming borders to garments of all kinds.  There were huge muffs that could be turned into a Bolero Stole, some with flares or bows at each end.  In designing for evening, designers followed the clinging line of the long evening dress, determining the point of emphasis where the Stole was to be placed.

In celebration of White Stole's small, elegant Classic Boa Stole, which will be walking the runway of the 2014 Seattle Wedding Show, we are thrilled to extend our Special Invitation to all 2014 Seattle Wedding Show Attendees:"

"Wrap 4 or more in your bridal party....and White Stole Wraps YOU!"

View White Stole’s entire collection for size color ranges of Stoles, Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes and Shawls for purchase, or rental, on our website.

Universally, “knots” in the origin of the wedding ceremony with its centuries of tradition, have had a place in the folklore of many cultures as a symbol of unbreakable pledges.  

Historically, the knot as the symbol of a lasting unity dated back to the Legend of St. Katherine, circa 1225, where the Middle English word “enotte”, or ‘knot,’ was used to mean "the tie or bond of wedlock." From that point ‘To tie the knot’ as an expression came to mean getting married.  

The costume of the bride is the pivotal image that sets the theme for the event itself.   The design of the gowns and their "Stole Wrap" accessories, floral arrangements, and decorations symbolize the tying of the knot custom, representing the bonds of marriage.

Historically, the bride would arrive at the altar with an untied shoe, and the groom would tie the lace.  Knots were tied in the bridal bouquet with a fabric or silken cord or within silk garments as part of the ceremony.  In Italy, a knotted ribbon is tied over the entrance to the reception, within bouquets and Bridal Wraps, and in the frosted pastries tied in knots which are served to symbolize the Love Knot.

View White Stole’s entire heirloom collection for size color ranges of Stoles, Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes and Shawls for purchase, or rental, on our website.

Those who study royal wedding history have noted that Queen Victoria’s gown in 1840 is referenced as the royal wedding dress that popularized the color "white."  The choice of white goes back to Roman and Grecian times, representing purity.  Queen Victoria’s white satin ball gown with lace overlay skirt and 18 foot train adorned with fresh, fragrant orange blossoms, which she also had in her hair, became the style in the mid 19th century.  The significance of wearing white became an extravagant gesture, and created the need for a special, one-time-only symbolic and treasured keepsake that the wedding dress became. 

The Edwardian Age followed the Victoria Age, and was named for the charming and fun loving Prince Edward, who came to the throne in 1901.  Linked with the French ‘Belle Epoque’ period, this time is often referred to as a romantic golden age of long, sunlit afternoons, garden parties, big hats and a time of elegance and beauty just prior to the Great War.

Whether the royal wedding was lavished with a traditional full length gown and court train embellished with cloche style lace headdress as seen in the 1936 Wedding of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, or with 10,000 pearls and a record 15 foot silk tulle train adorned by her mother’s diamond tiara as seen in the 1947 Wedding of Princess Elizabeth, wedding traditions have been embellished by lavish tiaras and trains, capes, shawls, stoles and mantillas over the ages.

As America has followed Europe, our taste in wedding attire has been influenced by the famous royal weddings of England, France, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Greece or Portugal - traditions that have constantly been set…and reset…according to one's personal sense of beauty.

View White Stole’s entire collection for size color ranges of Stoles, Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes and Shawls for purchase, or rental, on our website.

All-White or All-Black was the sign of splendor and luxury in the 50’s, but for Evening Wear, the color White had few rivals.  

Hollywood stars were rarely seen after dark without a bolero, shawl, boa collar or cape stole wrapping their shoulders 12 months of the year.

In the 50’s, “White” was seen as the perfect brightener to the night, while “White” became the favorite non-color for Queens, 

Princesses and Stars alike showed us that a White Stole went perfectly with everything from a long-waisted to a long-clinging gown. 

View White Stole’s entire collection for size color ranges of Stoles, Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes and Shawls for purchase, or rental, on our website.

Starting as early as the 30’s, as well as during and after WWII, Hollywood Stars assumed, involuntarily, the task of promoting fashion’s fur trade despite the poor quality of materials available at the time. 

​During the 40’s, accessories trended toward inexpensive fur “pieces,” which began as a sort of down-payment on the entire garment, or an exclamation mark that pointed to a famous fashion-house. Along with huge or small muffs and high collars, countless hems, fur or feather boas, fur was applied to voluminous coat-tails or gown skirt borders.

Though impossible to reach in the hearts of the average 50’s woman, visions of Marlene Dietrich dressed in long, flowing gowns with a fox around the bodice, Rita Hayworth reclining on mounds of fur of every kind with a mink stole draped over one shoulder, Betty Hutton wearing only a white fox, Mae West in white mink - or Ava Garner in nothing but fur - spoke to the luxury, opulence, seduction and femininity so many women longed-for.

View White Stole’s entire collection for size color ranges of Stoles, Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes and Shawls for purchase, or rental, on our website.

Any study of fashion can not be separated from women’s fashion history and an understanding of the beginnings of Haute Couture literally meaning “high-quality sewing.”  Paris had been the center of couture since the 19th Century when couture was transformed from a craft into business, and high art. 

Women’s fashion had been put on ice during WWII from 1939 to 1944.  During the occupation of Paris in 1940, many fashion houses were forced into war-related industries.  The progress of the war made it necessary to prohibit all superfluous material and labor.  America followed Britain in clothes rationing with L85 restrictions, promoting the approved ” Victory Suit” with its narrow styling as being more practical and patriotic. 

The Allied Nations were at a loss when Paris fell because they had looked to Paris as the World Capital of Fashion since the 17th Century.  Despite materials rationing on both sides of the Atlantic, some 20 Parisian couture fashion houses violated the wartime silhouette during this time and continued to produce approximately 100 models per year – primarily for wealthy collaborators or for export to Germany.  From Designers to Apprentices, the French declared they had fought to keep Parisian Couture alive because it represented a Parisian industry of prime importance, a means of employment…but most importantly, because it preserved Haute Couture in the eyes of the world.

View White Stole’s entire collection for size color ranges of Stoles, Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes and Shawls for purchase, or rental, on our website.