As sexual roles began to blur in the 1960s, Yves Saint Laurent carved a new identity that addressed the interplay between masculine and feminine. 

White Stole continues its research into the history of one of the most famous “Couturiers” of all time precisely because Saint Laurent’s exploration led in 1966 to his creation of the first version of the androgynous look for evening wear: The Tuxedo, “Le Smoking.”   This controversial “new” look which was feminized by pairing it with an organdy blouse with a soft bow. 

Saint Laurent challenged the customary codes of Evening Wear, which at the time were low-cut gowns for women and tuxedos for men, and went further to adopt menswear designs of the motorcycle jacket, the pantsuit, the trench coat, the aviator jumpsuit, and the safari jacket for his ready-to-wear line.  

​This is the kind of innovation that is in the very heart of the White Stole Collection! 

With Yves Saint Laurent’s launch of his ready-to-wear brand, SAINT LAURENT rive gauche in 1962, which pioneered the concept of Luxury Ready-to-Wear, his collections drew more and more inspiration from street life and pop culture. 

Saint Laurent’s proclamation that “you no longer need to be rich to have style” became forever wed in the hearts and minds of his admirers the world-over. 

At SAINT LAURENT rive gauche, he proposed “options” whether for Street Wear, Evening Wear or Wedding Dress - leaving a woman to choose whatever combinations she wanted, making it possible for women of all ages and circumstances to express their individuality. 

In every way, Saint Laurent anticipated the social revolution and dismissed the conventions and restrictions that anchored women’s fashion to the past.  His choice of muses who were famous women in their own right, notably, Betty Catroux, LouLou de La Falaise, and Paloma Picasso, added to his unique ability to design for the many inspiring facets of a modern woman, and sealed in the minds of the fashion world his ability to exemplify the synchronicity between appearance and lifestyle.   

Saint Laurent believed precisely matched outfits stood in the way of true self-expression.  The search for a “Look” replaced the choice of an “Outfit.” 

Loulou de La Falaise famously declared, ‘An outfit was something that was determined earlier - whereas a look is an idea!’

Saint Laurent boldly introduced the influential Retro Movement to a younger generation tired of the casual hippie look but who saw Haute Couture as a symbol of inequality.  With his ready-to-wear line, Saint Laurent offered an "alternative to Haute Couture," creating styles that were more affordable and easier to wear.  Through his ability to read and interpret the events of the world, Saint Laurent’s status grew equal to that of rockstars’ 

Saint Laurent’s influence extended well beyond fashion to the Art World. 

Saint Laurent’s first incorporation of fine art into fashion was the iconic Mondrian dress from 1965, which was a design based on Piet Mondrian’s 1920’s signature geometric composition that marked a breakthrough in modern painting.  Next, Saint Laurent turned his attention to artists of his own era who embodied the youthful spirit of Pop Art.  
Andy Warhol famously proclaimed “This guy is the only designer in Paris who really belongs to the sixties because he’s part of the world around him and therefore understands it” – a notoriety that propelled him to the Celebrity Couturier status that stayed with him throughout his career.

White Stole feels Saint Laurent’s embrace by bringing forward luxury Silk Couture Stoles to women who crave Haute Couture fashion at an affordable price!

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

White Stole has written about our embrace of Yves Saint Laurent as a Couturier celebrated for his invitation to women to ‘dress to express herself through clothing.’ 

Without question, Saint Laurent liberated our sense of style and invented a modern look that suited contemporary women’s status in society then…and now.  But what is most treasured by White Stole’s Curators of Stole Style is his embrace of the Stole, Shawl, Scarf, Cape and Bolero Accessory,

A critical moment in Yves Saint Laurent’s career was his first evening dress design at the beginning of the Autumn-Winter 1955 collection for the Couture House of Dior.  This design of a black dress, draped with a white scarf worn by a woman astride two elephants in the now-iconic photograph by Richard Avedon, Dovima with Elephants, caused the sensation that would launch Saint Laurent to his iconic status we recognize today. 

Later, his Paris pink silk satin draped bodice with large bow atop black velvet skirt, created in 1983, paid homage to his ability to add the kind of design focal point that made him beloved the world over.

After discovering Morocco in 1966, Saint Laurent expanded his palette into what became a strong element of his style with the explosion of intense colors and the varied hues of traditional garments worn in the Medina.  From black, which he considered a real color, to the exploration of a broad colorful palate, and particular love of pink and blue, Saint Laurent’s sensitivity to color is noticeable in every aspect of his style.

As lovers of Couture, we applaud Saint Laurent’s use of costume jewelry, which was the most inventive in the history of fashion and followed the themes of each of his collections.  The importance granted to the Accessory - the Stole, Cape, Bolero, Shawl, Scarf and Jewelry - established the Saint Laurent look and prefigured the contemporary era. 
White Stole especially admires how Saint Laurent advised women without means to wear a very beautiful accessory over a simple skirt, a black sweater, and boots. 

Together, we are swept into a full embrace of Saint Laurent’s praise of Stoles, Capes and Bolero Wraps in the video footage of the 1998 World Cup soccer finals that contributed to the creation of Saint Laurent’s mythic persona.  This outsized retrospective fashion show at the Stade de France offered him the opportunity to present haute couture to a truly global audience as stunned fans and viewers from all over the world watched three hundred models walk the runway on the floor of the stadium to the music of Ravel’s Bolero. 

In the photos White Stole has carefully curated from the retrospective of that runway show preserved by the Fondation Pierre Berge – Yves Saint Laurent, The Perfection of Style, we witness that Saint Laurent avoided the over-designed approach of many traditional haute couture garments.  Instead, Saint Laurent focused attention on the beauty of the cut rather than superficial ornamentation – proving that the simplest dress can be more spectacular when brought to life with the perfect “Accessory.”  

White Stole celebrates the Stole, Shawl, Cape and Bolero heritage created in all fabrics, materials and textures for us by Saint Laurent, and hopes you enjoy our favorite photos posted here for your pleasure.

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

A 1940’s depression-era Bride may have worn her Sunday best suit with a military air to be married at the Courthouse, or perhaps made herself a simple off-white, ivory or beige dress she designed from furnishing fabrics with Gibson or mutton sleeves that billowed at the top and tapered to fit below the elbow.  She may have made her Veil, too, from lace curtains worn on top of swept-up hair, and carried a flower bouquet made from paper due to war-time rationing.  
A wealthier '40’s Bride may have danced the Jitterbug at her wedding to the sounds of a Big Band in a borrowed  Wedding Gown that featured netting or the hint of the first “sweetheart” shaped neckline and corseted waist made of rayon, or sometimes silk.  But as the era turned the corner to the 1950’s, the influence of Christian Dior’s “New Look” hour-glass dress with it’s flowing skirts made of yards of cloth set the stage for Bridal Wear. 

The '50’s Brides are seen encircled in lace or cutwork, overskirts and puffed sleeves, and yards of transparent gauze or satin inspired by the billowing, luxe skirt, tight-waist and barely visible “sweetheart neckline” of the gown that Grace Kelly wore in 1956 to wed Prince Rainier of Monaco, or by Elizabeth Taylor’s hour-glass Wedding Gown. 

The lifting of rationing on fabric allowed women to celebrate their figures with hoop skirts, crinolines and other full-skirt techniques to emphasize the waist and “pointed bosom” bodice.  French lace was the rage as post-war lace began to be manufactured again, bringing back tiers of Chantilly Lace and flouncy frills to the skirts of Wedding Gowns.

Audrey Hepburn equally influenced Bridal Wear in 1954 with her “Modern Princess” look in a ballerina Tea-Length Lace Wedding Dress with sleeves and few embellishments.  Gloves became the standard fashion of the '50s, with fingerless bridal gloves made of tulle, lace, or satin.  Shorter, flutter hemlines led to shorter veils and many gowns were designed with layered materials, three-quarter or long sleeves, upstanding gothic style collars, or to be worn as strapless evening gowns after the wedding. 

Coordinating flowing or opaque Stoles or Lace Boleros worn on top of a strapless dress for coverage at the wedding became popular at the end of the decade as dress lengths moved from floor-length to ankle-length, and dropped hemlines and scooped necklines appeared. 

The 1950's was a decade defined by decorum, elegance, and etiquette. Traditional, classic wedding receptions featured Wedgewood china, white roses, cut glass, and silver on damask cloths.  Wedding cakes, often displayed under a floral arch, were styled with popular motifs from the era, like poodles. 

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

As we move into Spring, we find our Muse in the ‘20s-inspired Bride whose timeless attire feels equal parts jazzy and modern.  The 1921 vision of Gloria Swanson in her Fitzgerald-approved Wedding Couture centers on the divine luxe of a flowing "Shawl" Stole - a dreamy addition to any Roaring 20’s Art Deco Wedding look further topped-off with feathers and beaded jewels.  The side-by-side photo of Yolan Cris sporting a 20's look in 2011 shows us that ultra-feminine Vintage Couture is today's Radical Chic!

Riotous, decadent and excessive, the 1920’s were an era of lavish vulgarity complete with sensory saturation.  F. Scott Fitzerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, captures this feeling of dizzying, glittering, hedonism with it’s vibrant descriptions of a decade immortalized with women obsessed with jazz, short skirts, bobbed hair and glistening legs – yes, these young beauties were seen showing their legs!

Soon after the First World War, a radical change came about as dresses with long trains gave way to above-the-knee pinafores, while corsets were abandoned and women borrowed their looks from the male wardrobe.  At first, many couturiers were reluctant to adopt the new androgynous style, but embraced it wholeheartedly by around 1925. 

The 1920's woman showed disdain for conventional dress and behavior, used rouge and lipstick, plucked her eyebrows and adopted a bustless, waistless, sleeveless silhouette. She offset her male-oriented dressed-down style with feathers, Shawls and Boa Stoles, embroidery, and showy accessories.  This modern lady dressed in fringed skirts and bright colored sweaters.  She wore scarves and blouses with Peter Pan collars.

For afternoon or Informal Evening Wear during the summer of 1922, the Parisian fashion houses showed Summer Dresses of organdy, lace, or lace mixed with chiffon and similar fluid materials.  All skirts were four to six inches from the ground, and famously sleeveless.  The “Flapper” style as it came to be called (known to the French as the 'garçonne' look), was popular with women at the time who were fun-loving, smoked and loved to drink!

The Delineator, in 1921, declared that women at the time loved to drink so much that “seven eligible bachelors say the Flapper would be a failure as a wife, and they refuse to marry her.” Historically, before Prohibition, the only time a lady even considered carrying any intoxicating beverage in her hand was when she put a few drops into a medicine bottle to take while traveling.  In the hey-day of the Flapper, all high-spirited girls carried their own flask. 

The magnetic personality of Couturièr Coco Chanel, a major figure in fashion at the time for her chic and progressive designs, promoted this sporty and athletic look. Chanel also popularized the bob hairstyle, the little black dress, and the use of jersey knit for women's clothing, elevating the status of both accessories, costume jewelry and knitwear as the topping of a look that epitomized Modern Glamour.

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

Here, on the first day of Spring as we head into Summer, whether you decide to wear an authentic vintage or vintage-inspired dress or gown, White Stole will help you put together the correct period look for any vintage-themed garden event you may be starring in, or attending.  

As admirers of any girl sporting an expertly styled wardrobe, we can’t help but celebrate the arrival of spring with a few liner notes on the gals who embodied the 30’s style, and made it the look we still crush on to this day!

Here are the key fashion elements from White Stole’s Old Hollywood themed Garden Veranda Wedding guide to look for when recreating a classic 1930’s style for your Wedding Day:

Though only the more affluent could afford silk at that time, the 30’s look was fluid, flowing and ladylike in sheer silks, rayon or lightweight cottons in small to medium florals, or deco-inspired geometric prints.  The bias cut with draping ruffles defined the figure-flattering silhouettes of the 30’s.  Whereas the straight, angular silhouettes of the 1920’s played down the curves of a woman’s figure, the clothing styles of the 30’s instead celebrated the female form. Dresses were feminine and romantic with a return to the natural waistline.  Hemlines remained at ankle or shin length and even rose a bit higher toward the end of the decade. Belts were worn at the natural waistline.  Skirts with V-shaped yokes below the waist followed the line of the hips then flared out from the knee, ending in ruffles, tiers, folds or layers, while peplums were more popular toward the end of the decade. 

Iconic evening looks included backless gowns in velvet or body-clinging sensuous satin as can be seen in the photos of Jean Harlow, Carole Lombard and Ginger Rogers.  This decade is often remembered as the “Big Band Era” and the “Golden Age of Hollywood,” and the glamorous fashions worn by entertainers and silver screen stars heavily influenced the styles of the time.

In all silhouettes, the emphasis was on the neckline to bring emphasis to the vision of a woman’s face, making accessories an essential element to her look.  The fitted bodices were capped with elaborate collars that appeared Stole and Capelike, or incorporated folds, ruffles or draping flutter-sleeves.  Fur, fabric flowers or bows often decorated collars, the center bust area of the bodice or the waist, as well as hats.  Hats were worn at an angle, with wide brims, cloches, turbans, and berets being most popular while strappy sandals for evening, often in metallic shades or mesh, were considered high-fashion.

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

Like all good fashion movements, the “New Romanticism” emerged from the late 60's and 70’s club scene where the fast and chic, fueled by New Wave music, adopted the extravagant Lace-and-Frills style best seen throughout the era in glam rock, or the free-spirited French Incroyables and Merveilleuses an era earlier -  both of which brought an outbreak of luxury, decadence and even silliness to fashion trends.

The 70's New Romanticism was the era that birthed the iconic Hermes “Birkin” bag, and invented the unshaven, untucked template that French men have been following for decades.  A time when no one had that many outfits, but their taste was select and precise.  We need only look to images of the 1966 racing flick Grand Prix, in which the high-cheekbones and wind-tousled bangs of shy and slightly androgynous-looking models became the epitome of French Chic to see that the passion for graphic lines, lean tops and wide trousers created a playful, upbeat look with fuel to burn.

The runways since have continued to convey these inspirations with Victorian frills, infusions of street style, rock band jackets and vintage inspirations, proving that the New Romanticism is just as exciting as the original Romanticism ever was!  Sparkly pieces, such as sequins, beads and crystals, topped by vintage fur and jewels have become the "New  Appropriate" for weddings, especially when tempered with the casual inspiration of “color.”  

Our stylists at White Stole love the juxtaposition of a jewel-toned gown alongside a feminine, amber-toned clutch and beaded necklace that match the natural tones in an empire length Vintage Stole, as pictured here in the “Sophisticate Stole!” 

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

In life, there just simply are certain garments we want to wear in the most beautiful moments of our lives.  And in the world of Formal Wear, Valentino is a brand that follows both elegance and practicality…thanks to its secret ingredients that have maintained touch with the trends that influence Gala Fashion all over the world.  Season after season each collection is more amazing than the last.  At the same time, it’s evident that designs by Valentino always follow traditional style and taste, which will always rise to the top.

The polished elegance of Stoles, Capes, Shawls and Bolero Wraps that dominate Valentino's Runway at every Fashion Week prove to all of us that in every season, and in every fabric, whether lace, fringe, fur or sheer silk, Valentino's designers celebrate the flawless in women's true nature.  The extraordinary House of Valentino breathes inspiration from all women across the globe.  Whether shy, extroverted or romantic, Valentino designs are famous for creating gowns and accessories of elegance for everyone to dress their own personality without ever neglecting refinement and originality.

Either a sheer, black Embroidered Lace or Fur-Trimmed Lace Valentino Gown, or an ivory Lace-Caped Valentino Gown, such as the ones pictured here, exude pure elegance.  White Stole sees starlight when we look through the lace peep-holes in these gowns!  Equally elegant is the embroidered detailing and accents that present in the double-sided, luxurious "Sophisticated Lace Dream" Silk Twill Shawl Wrap by Valentino in the White Stole Collection, giving it the Ultra Luxe vibe you are seeking for any Wedding, making it easy to pair with a chic evening gown, glamorous heels or a beaded clutch.  For extra bonus, move the tie to a front shoulder, so your collarbone will definitely get noticed!

Simply choose from one of our favorite Valentino or Leonard Paris Silk Satin Stole Wrap Collections. These iconic brands’ graphic collections feature rich embroidery and color blocking to add superb styling to timeless essentials, all with a decidedly cool downtown flare!  Whether buying for yourself or for someone in your wedding party, wrap-up these luxe classics for a very stylish holiday season.

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

It was 1958 in Paris when Jacques Leonard asked Daniel Tribouillard to start a new company: Leonard Fashion. A man of artistic temperament, Daniel Tribouillard set out to differentiate the brand in Haute Couture.  

In 1960, Tribouillard launched a revolutionary new process for printing English weaves that were very fashionable at the time but said to be “unprintable”. In fact, his clients were won over by his much-loved floral prints, and in just a few years, the bold young man was applauded across the globe, Encouraged by his success, Daniel Tribouillard brought the Leonard brand to the world, developing his style by adopting the Orchid as an emblem: a delicate wild flower “without geometric limits.”

In 1968, Daniel Tribouillard presented his first collection of printed silk jersey dresses with a slogan emphasizing the lightness of the fabric: “The Leonard Dress: 150g of happiness”.  In the early 70s, the House diversified its production (perfumes, ties, silk scarves) and created its own distribution network. The years went by, innovations and inventions came one after the other and shaped the brand's reputation. In 1994, the House of Leonard joined the French 'Féderation de la Couture' and performed its first fashion show at the Carrousel du Louvre.  2013 took the Leonard Paris line to new heights in their cutting-edge creative process and production technology as they have continued to research and explore unknown solutions that could be adopted for an individual woman. 

Today, Leonard Paris is synonymous across the globe with unparalleled creativity and  emotion.  Leonard's originality is founded on a unique and recognizable style shared by all of its designs,  as well as the fabrics used. 

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

The date was 1954.  Valentino Garavani, then a young Italian who apprenticed for Jean Desses, designed a slim, elegant ensemble with a leopard-skin belt and Stole.  A moment that marked the beginning of his signature elaborate aesthetic that would catapult him to be known only by his first name - Valentino. 

After five years with Desses, and a brief time with Guy Laroche, in which his couture sketches became the foundation of his eponymous look, Valentino returned to Rome, Italy to set up his own label, bringing with him the grandeur that established for him the reputation of what Italians call “Dolce Vita” – Sweet Life.

When Valentino showed his first collection at the Pitti Palace in Florence for the first time in 1962, the acclaim instantly annointed him the go-to Couturier for the glitterati.  In 1967, he was awarded the prestigious Neiman Marcus Award for his infamous “No-color Collection” in which he rebuked the trend for decadent color palettes, opting instead for hues of beige, white and ivory.  This collection launched his signature “V” trademark.  In the same year, he designed the dress that Jackie Kennedy wore to marry Aristotle Onassis - both events that crystalized the fame that turned his business into an international fashion powerhouse, dressing Hollywood superstars from Gwyneth Paltrow to Cate Blanchett, Julia Roberts and Elizabeth Taylor to Anne Hathaway.

When interviewed by the Telegraph, Valentino said this about his early inspirations:  "I was always inspired by seeing glamorous American movie stars in clothes by the costume designer Edith Head…and when I was working with Jean Desses and Guy Laroche in Paris I was influenced by French couture and the luxurious lives of French women."

"A dress that reveals a woman's ankles while she is walking is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen," Valentino once told The Daily Mail.   In an interview in November of 2012 with Vogue UK, Valentino noted that times have changed since he first started his career.  "Few people love and make beautiful clothes, clothes that are soft, smooth and elegant," he said. "And very few designers today design - it's very important to be able to do your own sketch on paper and then explain [your vision] to the fabric cutters. Instead, lots of designers drape - it's the new way."

UK blogger David Downton described Valentino:  "My first couture experience was drawing Valentino fittings at The Ritz in Paris - it was like entering Narnia. He is the last of the old-school couturiers. Lightness of touch, rigorous discipline and an unfailing glamour aesthetic are his hallmarks.” And, on the subject of Valentino’s use of his signature color - red: "There is cardinal red and rose red. Come-to-bed red and go-to-hell red. But when it comes to a red dress, there is really only Valentino. As someone once said, Valentino invented red."

Despite having retired from designing for the Valentino label, Valentino still works on special commissions, recently designing the bridal gown worn by Princess Madeleine of Sweden for her royal nuptials in June 2013, a fact that has kept him in the hearts and minds of devotees of Bridal fashion.  Valentino has embraced Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, the current co-designers of his famed label for the past five years, on their runway shows. The pair continue to successfully steer the Valentino ship season after season, carrying-on the magnificent, spirit-lifting collections which have come to symbolize couture in its truest sense while walking the line between feminine, light and intricate designs that remain modern and compelling for today’s women.

Each and every dress on the runway offers different fabrics and techniques, yet the concept of gowns constructed through piping details and lace, with silhouettes that we have come to know and love from Valentino – "demure, nipped-in waists and splaying skirts, necklines either cut straight across or high in Tudor proportion, Stoles, Capes and Shawls fluttering across dresses of distinct shape….with bold lines of red and black and cream that bring the body’s figure to life – remain.  Gowns in white look like they had been adorned in wedding icing - both elegant and pristine. Gowns breath-takingly made up of 450 metres of tulle, with swaying skirts that fold back on one another to create undulating fairy-tale hems.  Lines that are neither strict nor severe, always lending the sense of romantic femininity that is neither too sweet nor too austere"…remaining quintessential Valentino.

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.

Folk-art, irony, youth culture and Rock and Roll all affected fur wrap fashion in the second half of the 60’s, bringing about an almost infinite amount of unpredictability in outerwear design.  Fur trimmings were an important factor in fashion for ladies in the Sixties, as the Createurs added refined details and fringe to collars, cuffs, borders, skirt hems, hats and scarves on every luxurious design presented.  Side-by-side with these details came an explosion of artistic follies that turned into a powerful trend.

Pellegrini presented a “gaucho” outfit in Persian lamb inset with zebra, Nina Ricci presented leopard "trousers," while Yves Saint Laurent added fringes of tails at cuffs and borders to an ermine "cape" of black and white squares.  This change in style brought to the streets “ponchos” that came in every fur type with great fringes in chamois or contrasting fur worn over mink "trouser-skirts", zebra "coats" made of a whole skin and decorated with lapels, collar and cuffs of silver fox, as well as mink “mini top-coats” in mink or champagne-colored Persian lamb that came down to the edge of a long stretch of boots with cuffs, collars and hems in opossum. 

Simultaneously, a search for the “Folk-art” look exploded onto the scene with a leopard and zebra "bikini" and "beach-wrap" by Sergio Soldano, the young, unrestrained furrier from Genova, Italy, whose profusion of colors captured the adoration of everyone from Gina Lollobrigida to Raquel Welch.  Revolutionary and eclectic, from the end of the Sixties onward, Soldano’s production of spectacular designs included the inspiration of the “squaw coat" and “savage” furs, to nostalgia for the 20’s in Al Capone-style "sports coats" in monkey fur and mink "mini-skirts," along with great "ponchos" of goatskin or long, "floor-length coats".  His spectacular creations spurred continual research into new methods of working with fur alongside creation of the vivid color palettes he favored – from different shades or green and twill, wheat, red lacquer and white, ruby red, ochre and lime green, pale blues, pinkish terracotta, parchment, China blue and more.

This was a time when the imagination in fur design knew no bounds.

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 the process of demystifying
fur fashion in the 60’s, it was almost natural to turn to sport.  The formula from the middle of the decade onwards was for more and more tailor-mades, coats, jackets, tunics, skirts and trousers of fur typically in sporting garments. 

Yves Saint Laurent took the drama out of leopard-skin by presenting a pullover with sleeves and collar of ribbed knitting.  Fur combined with leather, as well as leather coats lined and belted in white fur were seen on the streets.  Most notably, the coupling of knitwear and fur that had precedents in the Fifties proved itself by the Sixties to be a trend that would last for atleast twenty years.

The Frankfurt Fair in 1968 celebrated the creations of Jole Veneziani, the godmother of the show, alongside creations by the most renowned names in Italian fur fashion:  Melloni, Parodi, Pellegrini, Rossini & Porro, and Viscardi. Fur Fashion Luminaries now created the first tennis outfit with a short skirt of white mink, Pucci designed a bush-jacket in black Persian lamb with white knitted borders, others created trousers, tunics and boots, ski-suits, anoraks and gaiters for winter sports, hooded jackets or cardigans and pullovers bordered or braided with multi-colored knitting worked in furrier’s point, giving it the elegant effect that created it’s rage. 

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.

As the 60’s ushered in the first man in space, the Kennedy assassination and the collapse of the Berlin Wall, so did prosperity grow.  Young women no longer squeezed themselves into latex to imitate Mom, and in response, adults caught the infection of youthful fashion. The Mini Skirt soon became the Maxi.  Fashion changed rapidly into 2 realms:  one the informal, and the other, the formal.  Chanel launched her typical tailor-made suits, and Emilio Pucci enclosed his suits in little bags while ladies went to parties in Pajama Suits.  Nevertheless, the novelty of the 60’s was its use of expensive, natural furs for edging and cowl necks on refined garments that transfigured the usual lines of sports clothes into something very elegant. 

1966 was a year of romanticism in fashion – of a return to femininity.  That year, the Fendis held a show in Rome which became an event of major importance to the fur fashion world.  The regal style of fur for evening seemed to get younger.  “Short” became the new password.   Shirt-blouses, head kerchiefs, little jackets, sleeveless jackets and waistcoats debuted.  From their collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld, a fur revolution was born that attempted to use fur as cloth to create a true fur-fashion.  They banished the rule of the “lining,” and colored the pelts in completely new ways, dropping an idea as soon as it took root, which became key to their success.

From their debut in 1966, the Fendis illuminated the catwalks with precious furs dyed apricot or lemon yellow, and amazed people with furs for the whole family until 1970.  In 1966, Fendi released their Bride’s fur of Majestic White Canadian Mink, and two more Wedding Furs in white breitschwantz and white SAGA Mink worked horizontally with satin buttons that swept away the wedding industry with what everyone said was “half mad.”  Rather, the Fendi repertory was limitless, and to do justice to this couture house would take a whole book...not just a blogpost!

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.

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.

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.

All you have to do today is look at any fashion magazine or runway to witness that the future of fashion has arrived….and it’s all about dreaming of the past.  Fashion’s tendency to sample and recycle is certainly nothing new.  This truth can be seen as early as Dior’s famous hourglass New Look silhouette, which was hailed as a watershed moment for post-WWII fashion, but it wasn’t altogether original.  

Afterall, Dior’s fanciful design was inspired by the corsets and petticoats of his own Belle Epoque childhood.  What made his designs wildly resonate for so many, however, was that they contrasted sharply with the long war-years of frugality.  Dior wrote in his autobiography in 1956: “It happened that my own inclinations coincided with the spirit or sensibilities of the times.”  And as the world turns, the attraction of timeless couture is proof that it never goes out of style.

Historically, natural fur marked certain stages in the lives of a girl of good family: at eighteen, Daddy would buy her a beaver and a mink jacket or coat for her marriage.   In 1962, Time magazine was asking: “After mink, what?”  In 1964, Valentino began to think about Evening Wear and in that year presented a short natural jacket with kimono sleeves over a long gown.  In fact, the reign of natural fur was to be a long one that also revisited us in its many evolutions.

This 1946 vintage photo by Gjon Mili of Evelyn, Sunny and Dovima in pure White Mink Stoles over evening gowns brings forth the vision of pretty beauty that brought the era under Dior’s hourglass influence.   White Stole calls this inspiration Quintessential!

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.