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The Enigmatic Power of Lace

11/30/2022

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We LOVE the Valentino "Sophisticated Evening Lace" Collection!
The intricate material evokes innocence and grandeur. Its history is just as complex.

Flouncy, transparent, stiff, protective: lace is charged with a myriad of emotions, experiences, meanings, and memories. It’s the fabric of grandmothers, but also a textile of childhood. It’s Lolita’s choice, stranded somewhere between pre-pubescence and womanhood, undeniably feminine, but also historically genderless. Most couturiers and ateliers worth their salt have incorporated the material in some way. Chanel, for example, uses it almost every season: Recently, lace showed up in both casual and formal iterations in the brand’s Resort 2023 collection; in the Spring 2023 show, the brand sent out a knockout column dress of white rose-patterned lace, punctuated by black silk bands at the chest and hips, Jazz Age and Space Age in equal parts.

For Bode designer Emily Bode Aujla, lace traverses the space between home and hand. Generally the production of lace for the body and for domestic use is carried out separately. The brand, which frequently repurposes antique textiles intended for the home into jackets, shirts, and trousers, is the perfect testing ground for this crossover. “I am drawn to domestic textiles, like lace, that were made in the home, for the home,” says Bode Aujla, “The shirts we make from lace carry that weight with them.”

For Bode Aujla, there’s an emotional bent to the adaptation: “I work with lace because as a material it holds so much sentimental value,” she says. “It was so laborious to make and the affiliation with its end use—birth, marriage, holidays, death—is significant.”

These affiliations have an economic weight as well. Before value was communicated through celebrity, it was attached to labor. That is, what required the most skill and the most time to create was the most valuable. In Europe in the 1500s, lace, then a brand new innovation, quickly gained speed as an important social signifier, because the finest, most intricate pieces of the delicate fabric could take expert hands several years to create. At the time, lace was a symbol of power and mobility on the shoulders, waists, or necks of people of note—those who could afford extravagance, those whom extravagance served.

Today, lace inspires notions closer to nostalgia and gendered delicacy than of power, domination, or wealth. We have the means to produce lace without purpose, without outsized demands on time, and without massive workforces. But for many contemporary designers, working with lace is a matter of more than just aesthetics. Bode Aujla points out it’s educational value as well: “Using lace now allows us to teach others of their historical identity,” says Bode Aujla, “Like almost forgotten hand-techniques from a small town in Spain to a Quaker lace pattern named for its use in the dining room of the White House or aboard a ship.”
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In Threads of Power, an exhibition currently on view at the Bard Graduate Center in New York City, lace is surveyed in all its dainty glory. Examples of handwork dating from the year 1580 show the development of the craft, from a long late 16th Century linen bonnet with lace inserts to Michelle Obama’s Isabel Toledo Inauguration ensemble made with asparagus-hued Forster Rohner lace. Most of the works on view were loaned from the Textilmuseum in St Gallen Switzerland, one of the richest resources for lace and lacemaking history in Europe, with an archive to rival that of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The exhibition is shocking in its breadth, with juicy and surprising facts about the textile’s production, history, and adaptation through time.

On weekends, a lucky visitor can glimpse women from the Brooklyn Lace Guild creating delicate, fanciful examples of both bobbin and needle lace in real time. Their mesmerizing craft feels exceptionally rare in this context, given the dwindling accessibility to new handmade lace at the scale it was once produced. But there is a corner of the fashion world still readily engaged by the centuries old craft: Designers like Akris and Simone Rocha are honoring this heritage with intricate, handmade designs.

For Rocha, lace has been a nearly ever present element in her brand. “Lace has run through different collections over the years,” she says, “the fabrication is so emotive and helps drive the necessary conversation between textile and silhouette.” In her collections, lace is often combined with eyelet and tulle, evoking at different times Elizabeth the Great, the classic goth, and Little Bo Peep. A lace ensemble opened her very first runway show for London Fashion Week in 2012: a mini skirt suit both professional in its silhouette and suggestive in its translucency.

For lace makers and historians, a contemporary understanding of lace is heavily informed by its popularity in past centuries. “Today, very few designers continue to work with handmade lace,” says Elena Kanagy-Loux, co-founder of the Brooklyn Lace Guild and a participant in the exhibition. “Those that do are often drawn to it out of a desire to support the makers of the craft.” It is that labor that brings about a material so emotionally and visually rich. Lace is like trapped air—the clouds in a textile. With it, a human can don the garb of a god, and float weightlessly in a material that carries countless hours of effort. Lace reaches both ends of the spectrum, from innocence to kink, grandeur to humble domesticity"

Lace itself is hard to define, partially due to the manifold versions it appears in throughout history. Unlike other embroideries, lace has no base fabric. Patterns are built instead with loose thread using a variety of techniques. Originally the term “lace” referred to a narrow braid, and later came to encompass all forms of non-woven, knitted, crocheted, and needle-made openwork textiles. Depictions of lace production seen often in early European treatises on the craft generally incorporated “bobbins”, a rotating cylinder, situated at the head of a firm cushion, on which a lacemaker would create her work. But “needle” lace, where the maker sews a pattern onto a backing that is later removed, is also common.

At the Bard Graduate Center, which encompasses several floors of an Upper West Side townhouse, centuries are covered in only a few thousand square feet. Each item chosen for the show is emblematic of lace’s narrative power. Around a corner in a second floor gallery is a bobbin-lace coverlet, made in Italy between 1625 and 1650. Placed within its 47 square inches are symbols relevant to the 1649 wedding of Philip IV of Spain and his niece Mariana of Austria. There are rams’ skins representing Philip’s membership in the chivalric Order of the Golden Fleece and twelve crowned double-headed eagles symbolizing Mariana’s father the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III. A coat of arms is to be found as well, representing Charles V, who was an ancestor to both. On the top floor are several richly embroidered 18th Century French dresses with lace cuffs and collars, along with a bobbin lace collar and point de venise mantelet of Italian origin from around 1700. On the floors below, lace pattern books are opened to pages that show the motifs and directions of early lace makers.

“The beauty of lace is the time that's put into it,” says the artist and designer Laila Gohar, whose homeware brand, Gohar World, created with her sister, Nadia, incorporates the craft in everything from bottle aprons to bonnets for fruit. “During early COVID we couldn’t touch each other. Now, people are yearning for anything made by the hands of a human. Handmade lace is touch indirect.” With the frenzy of modern media choking our every creative impulse, touches of lace in the home or on the skin have a rooting effect. Lace recalls play, dress up, order, and formality at different turns. But it also recalls sex, lingerie, privacy. That duality is what makes the material interesting.

St. Gallen, the small southeastern Swiss town where the Textilmuseum is located, has a thousand year old textile history. It is home to several of the oldest lace making companies still in operation. One company, Jakob Schläpfer, has supplied lace to a staggering number of couturiers throughout Europe since the 1950s: Chanel, Comme des Garcons, Paco Rabanne, Balenciaga, the list goes on. Recent innovations have extended into sequins, silicone lace, and textiles that incorporate jewels in a decidedly Tudor spin, like “trapped pearls” in chiffon. For Akris, which is based in St Gallen, the local lace trade is vital. “There is no Akris collection without St. Gallen embroidery,” says Albert Kriemler, the brand’s Creative Director. “St Gallen embroidery has almost infinite potential. It can be so much more than what you might expect.” Akris, in particular, is known for utilizing the knowledge of their local lace masters to create lace from an architectural perspective. No doilies here! Instead, we see lace with sharp edges, shadows, and even lace spelling out the brand name.

From a crisp, white social signifier to a marker of time and vessel for remembrance, lace has proven to be an extremely malleable, evocative craft, both in its finished state and in its making. “When you see people making lace, it looks like they are playing an instrument,” says Gohar. “Watching their fingers move… it’s poetic and beautiful and musical.” Lacemaking is like magic. Each pattern is a spell of movement and memory, each pattern book a grimoire lovingly maintained and annotated over years. Though what constitutes lace has evolved and expanded with the dawn of technology, its origin remains awe-inspiring. In its infinite variety, lace can stand as an example of how human skill and technology can intermingle fruitfully, with consideration and care at the point of connection.

Post written by by Camille Okhio
11.23.22

​https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/lace-fashion-threads-of-power-exhibition?utm_campaign=11-24-22%20Hailey%20Bieber%27s%20Birthday%20



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We LOVE the Valentino "Sophisticated Evening Lace" Collection!
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Love! The Personalized Wrap offers finishing touch to a classic Bridal look

3/28/2020

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HAIL THE CUSTOM WRAP!  Always fans of “Haute Bridalwear,” White Stole is especially fond of the digital image of their Brides' feminine silhouette wrapped in lace and printed on Pure Silk Foulard Scarf or Shawl Wraps in their Personalized Custom Bridal Couture Collection.

If a Spring or Summer, Black-Tie, Classic City, Urban, Garden, Vintage or Romantic Theme Wedding is in the works in your foreseeable future, White Stole has reached across the Atlantic to locate and secure these expertly handcrafted Custom Designs for their collection because of your supreme passion for Heritage-Based, Luxury Goods “Made by Hand”….just the way they have always been.

White Stole's Custom Bridal Couture's one-of-a-kind origins allow each Bride to create her OWN DESIGN with THEIR OWN IMAGES in the way that suits THEIR WEDDING STYLE- from modern to rustic - and become for them a personally special MEMENTO Keepsake...making our divine accessory the absolute MUST-HAVE for the upcoming Bridal Season.  All you need to do is to send us your favorite Bridal Photos!

The Custom Couture’s native origins, along with the range of color-hue options that personalized images provide keeps these pieces from looking overtly bridal,, and makes our divine accessory the absolute MUST-HAVE for the upcoming Bridal Season!

Untethered by the wedding industry status quo, White Stole is able to bring you the elegant design, craft and individuality of Handmade Luxury Couture that, as always, exceeds our high standards…. at a price that allows you to don these Wraps not just on the Big Day….but any day you feel so inspired!

Being that White Stole has no physical stores, no middle-layer of sales people or unnecessary costs, we are able to bring these Couture Creations, tooled by master craftsmen and women who put their love and attention into each design, “Direct To You” at our cost - all for under $100.00!

And the best part of the story is that each piece that passes from their hands to yours gives you the perfect Heirloom to pass along to those you love.

In an era when the bridal marketplace is fueled by emerging mega, online, vanilla-looking shopping, White Stole’s Chic Bridal Shoppers roll with an exclusive entourage of Couture Salons and Online Vendors who, like White Stole, help them alter convention to bring fresh, new images and memories from all styles and traditions to their Wedding Day’s photo album. 

This Wedding Season start a NEW TREND with White Stole’s Personalized Custom Bridal Wraps that bring a classic touch with feminine extreme to your Wedding Day to remember forever!

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

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The “NEW ROYAL COUPLES” Celebrate Bridal Tea with LUXE and TUX!

5/20/2018

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For White Stole's Creative Mashup of Couture Bridal Looks, Seattle’s premiere Fashion Photographer, John J Martinotti, created a collection of highly stylized Vogue-worthy fashion art photo images alongside renowned Wedding Photographer, Kelly Robbins, who created a second set of Oscar-worthy unforgettably romantic images. 

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his modern twist on the traditional Bridal Rehearsal Dinner was the brainchild of Stylist, Curator and Producer Roberta Nasser and her White Stole Couture Collection as a Bridal Tea Party happening set in the old-world elegance of the Mayflower Park Hotel in Seattle, Washington on March 11, 2018 in anticipation of the upcoming Royal Wedding.   

Together, John and Kelly were the perfect pair to bring these dazzling visions of Couture Wedding and Evening Luxe in which each woman’s ensemble is, in and of itself, a representation of popular Wedding and Evening Themes - from Floral Garden and Romantic, to Vintage, Retro, Whimsical, Eco Conscious and Modern Urban Chic to Evening Glam -to life.  

Kelly is known in her universe of Wedding for mesmerizing and captivating views into the hearts, minds and souls of her subjects - and she did not fail our Royal Party. John is known in his universe of Fashion for stunning and jawdropping views into the hearts, minds and deep passion of his subjects - and he served glamour up on a Silver Platter to our Royal Party!    

The Over-the-Rainbow results show us how the “New Royals” artfully live, upending our conventional notions of either Plain-Jane Rehearsal Dinners, or Boring Tea Parties…and take us into the rarefied world of Celebratory Luxe.  As any “Special Wedding or Evening Gala Event” should!  
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Upon viewing this series of stunning images, one might ask ‘Who here is the Bride!?” because each woman’s look reigns supreme unto itself, and is capable of taking center stage at the party.   

That, my dear, is precisely the point! 

See if you can choose!

Watch our blog for full Coverage of our photoshoot's celebration of the Royal Wedding Day!

View White Stole’s entire collection for size and color ranges of Stoles, Shawl and Foulard Wraps, Vintage Stoles, and Cape Boleros for purchase, or rental, on our website.
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The “NEW ROYAL BRIDES” Celebrate their Bridal Tea with LUXE and CHIC!

5/19/2018

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White Stole’s innovative Bridal Rehearsal Tea Concept created a mashup of Couture Royal Wedding Looks of Silk and Vintage Stole and Shawl Wraps by White Stole topping Couture and Custom Wedding and Evening Gown creations from Seattle’s celebrated Couture Wedding and Fashion Designers Lisa Marie Couture, Kimmi Designs, and Gustavo Apiti seated in royalty before an opulently-filled Coffee and Tea table-setting created by Vintage Wedding Curator Lisa Mayer of Vintage Dish Company and photographed here by Seattle's beloved Wedding Photograher, Kelly Robbins.
 
Completing the vision created of Couture Wedding and Evening Luxe in which each woman’s ensemble is, in and of itself, a representation of popular Wedding and Evening Themes - from Floral Garden and Romantic, to Vintage, Retro, Whimsical, Eco Conscious and Modern Urban Chic to Evening Glam - is a lineup of Seattle’s up-and-coming modeling elite: Erika Foster, Jessica Marie Boyle, Michelle Green, Meenal D’rock, Irene Adler, Kiara LeBlanc, Aliea Taylor, Keith Vowell and Sandeep Saksham.     

The beauty seated for this memorable event was highlighted with dramatic and flawless mastery by some of Seattle’s most sought-after Hair and Makeup Artists: Tracie Saunders, Magnolia Karlsson, Daniella Rosaline, Allegra Rege, Jordan Ross, Matt Lawrence and Mayra Ruiz.  

Watch our blog for more Live Coverage of our photoshoot's celebration of the Royal Wedding Day!

View White Stole’s entire collection for size and color ranges of Stoles, Shawl and Foulard Wraps, Vintage Stoles, and Cape Boleros for purchase, or rental, on our website.
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The “NEW ROYALS” Celebrate Bridal Rehearsal Tea with Pomp and LUXE!

5/18/2018

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With all the pomp, circumstance and ceremony fit for a proper Royal Wedding Party, White Stole did what it always does to celebrate Romantic Milestones by bringing together the chicest of Seattle models’ silhouettes with the luxe of silk, satin, lace and fine china, from old to new, to capture the times we live in.   

No matter the era, the best Couture Creations, and the gifted Photographers who have captured their allure, have always layered multiple elements and meanings into their work.  To that end, White Stole’s luxurious photoshoot brought their Creative Universe to celebrate the time-honored Bridal Rehearsal Dinner in the most Royal-fashioned way – with a high-fashion Tea Party!  

This modern twist on the traditional Bridal Rehearsal Dinner was the brainchild of Stylist, Curator and Producer Roberta Nasser and her White Stole Couture Collection as a Bridal Tea Party happening set in the old-world elegance of the Mayflower Park Hotel in Seattle, Washington on March 11, 2018 in anticipation of the upcoming Royal Wedding between an American woman, Meghan Markle, and a British gentleman, Prince Harry.  

The vision created of Couture Wedding and Evening Luxe in which each woman’s ensemble is, in and of itself, a
representation of popular Wedding and Evening Themes from:

Floral Garden and Romantic, to Vintage, Retro, Whimsical, Eco Conscious and Modern Urban Chic to Evening Glam.

​Being high-season around the world again for a Royal Wedding, White Stole created this collaborative event to span both the fashion and the wedding industries in Seattle, WA, taking a fresh look at this theme from a truly 'American' and 'Seattle' viewpoint.  

Watch our blog for more Live Coverage of our photoshoot's celebration of the Royal Wedding Day!

View White Stole’s entire collection for size and color ranges of Stoles, Shawl and Foulard Wraps, Vintage Stoles, and Cape Boleros for purchase, or rental, on our website.
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SPRING AWAKENING ~ A Garden Wedding's Object of Desire, the Silk Stole!

3/3/2018

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The Fashionista’s current accessory of choice has become a must-have for fashion lovers everywhere.  Now brides are reclaiming it, reinventing it, and declaring it as the Essential Bridal Accessory that it is for a Spring Garden Wedding – The Silk Stole Wrap!

What could be better than having one, single Wrap Accessory to make your dream Spring Garden Wedding both functional….and perfect?

Whether you are having or attending a Spring Garden, City or Country Chapel or Gala event, 
if you are in need of a Luxe Bauble  for yourself, or that will serve as a ‘Thank You’ or ‘Adore You’ Gift for your bride or bridesmaids, look no further than the luxury-approved curation White Stole has spent hours putting together.    

The unexpected set of Italian hand silk-screened, inspired colors and designs in White Stole's Silk "Gift" Stole and Shawl Wrap Accessories Collection will rock any bride and her guests past the ceremony and on into her lifetime.  We have picked the perfect designs that will be cherished - and used - forever!

White Stole’s influential Italian Luxury Couture Silk Wrap design and production of printed, solid and yarn-dyed luxury Women's Wraps in silk or cashmere use the traditional, heritage-based hand-dyed and silk-screened custom-manufacturing process that has long been used by our manufacturing companies in Como, Italy since 1945. The meticulous workmanship or our Silk Stoles are guaranteed to last a lifetime with proper care. 

But perhaps the most exciting part of the story is that from March 1st until May 1st, you can BUY 6 and White Stole WRAPS THE BRIDE FREE!   What else do you need!?

View White Stole’s entire collection for size and color ranges of Stoles, Shawl and Foulard Wraps, Vintage Stoles, and Cape Boleros for purchase, or rental, on our website.
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CELEBRATE EARTH DAY WITH SUSTAINABLE COUTURE – Pure Silk Chic!

4/22/2017

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Did you know that the fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world, next to oil?  Never fear, because by buying from White Stole you’re doing something good for the planet!  Allow us to explain our enthusiasm…
 
White Stole was born to help our savvy Brides, Bridesmaids, Mothers-of-the Bride and Wedding Guests and Luxury Goods Lovers alike contribute to the decline in the demand and production of “fast-fashion” items by buying high-quality when others are buying low.
 
Although most people assume that most of what they wear is natural fiber clothing, this is far from the truth.  On top of how the fiber was grown and produced to create the fabric, how the fiber was processed, dyed and finished must be considered. 
 
Conventional manufacturing processes rely heavily on chemicals to clean and bleach fibers to prepare for spinning, weaving, knitting or dying - often with heavy metals and large amounts of water to flush and clean fabrics all the way up to and including the final finishing step in the garment process.  The facts regarding production of new materials also make vintage, recycled, reclaimed and surplus fabric arguably sustainable choices, as the raw materials require no agriculture and no further manufacturing to produce. 
 
Of utmost importance at White Stole is the fact that “Natural” fiber clothing refers to clothing made from fiber found in nature, such as the vegetable fibers of Cotton, Hemp, Linen and Flax; the protein fibers such as Wool, Alpaca and Cashmere; and the elastic fibrous secretions of silkworm larvae in cocoons used to create Silk. 
 
Each of the amazing natural fabrics in the White Stole Collection, irrespective of their distinct production and processing methods, nevertheless take them worlds-away from the man-made, artificially-created synthetic fibers which are chemically and structurally altered to the extent that they are toxic to both the person wearing them as well as to the planet.
 
For instance, despite the fact that all Cotton has a large carbon footprint for its cultivation and highly chemically treated production, Organic Cotton is considered a more sustainable choice for fabric because it is completely free of destructive toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers.  And while many designers have begun experimenting with Bamboo fiber which absorbs greenhouse gases during its life cycle and grows quickly and plentifully without pesticides, Bamboo fabric can cause environmental harm in production due to the chemicals used to create a soft viscose from hard bamboo.  Some believe Hemp is one of the best choices for eco fabrics due to its ease of growth, though it remains illegal to grow in some countries.  
 
Most relevant and adored in the eyes of followers of White Stole, Silk, the “Queen of Fiber” and cherished by couture lovers the planet over, is the fact that there are multiple ways to grow and harvest secretions from the natural larvae – from wild to ancient methods that date back to the Ancient Chinese and the Roman Empire to more eco-friendly methods today. 

Whether choosing one continuous silk thread that has been dried, brushed and reeled around a spool to form one silk “raw” thread with its exceptional ability to absorb dye  - or silk salvaged and harvested from a cocoon in smaller strands then spun or woven in ways similar to cotton or hemp to allow more silkworms to survive - Real Silk holds the remarkably different feel and visible glossy luster, natural amber glow, texture, durability, natural stain-resistance, and high-quality look to the knowing designer and consumer of fine fabric. 

As with all natural fibers, Silk fashion is a blending of compromises.  Whether the silk is hand-loomed in rural India by ancient artisan weavers or pure-dyed with mild-acid, environmentally low-impact fiber reactive dyes in a modern Italian cottage-industry factory using an age-old creation process as in the goods presented in the White Stole Collection, the raising of silkworms is, by its very nature, sustainable.   And Silk is biodegradable! 

Silk fabric when produced by weavers on handlooms has a near zero energy footprint, while silk produced by powerloomed textile factories are evaluated on a company-basis to determine sustainability.  The environmentally- focused createurs are the suppliers White Stole has built their business upon.

White Stole exists to offer Luxury Couture created with the highest-quality and integrity, as well as sustainable and ethical standards in the handmade tradition that has built the reputation of respect and admiration the Italian Silk Industry holds to this day.  

In essence, it’s a double bottom line — buying from White Stole you are doing your small part to create a cleaner environment by choosing “Pure” Silk fabric that is already produced, dyed and finished in an organic, low-impact environment while being the chicest of Planet-Lovers!

Join White Stole in making great strides toward a more sustainable fashion industry with “Pure” Silk and Vintage Wraps!

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


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SHAWLS &  STOLES in Indigo Infused Sacred Significance to 1900s Weddings 

10/16/2016

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"Spring Ribbons ~ Sky Blue" Couture Silk Satin Chiffon Bridal Stole Wrap Accessory by Valentino
Over the 100,000 years that humankind has been making clothes, a special reverence for cloth shaped in the form of a Stole, Shawl, or Cape has prevailed in many cultures, resulting in a rectangular garment that relies on a depth of meaning and strong belief.  Once worn in transformational situations, these shoulder coverings were not to be taken lightly.  None originated from a view of clothes as utilitarian. A Shawl has been considered to be a garment that carries a special blessing as early as the 1800s.

In the long parade that fashion is, Indigo has played an equally important role for centuries.  Indigo can be a color of leadership, of sacred significance, or of “blue collar” status, but it’s resilience has led to its use by farmers, fishermen and workers from France to Japan, from China to America throughout the ages. 

Once artists discovered Indigo-bearing plants containing the gift of blue, an infatuation with indigo and a huge impact on our visual world began.  Nothing compares with this dye’s ability to capture the blues of nature – a midnight sky, early dawn or an impression of the sea.  It can also define a mood – of joy and vitality in the lighter variations, or of melancholy and mystery in the dark hues. 

However, Indigo is a dye that demands discipline to use.  Because of that, artists who make textiles that incorporate the color can be considered feats of dedication to create.  Some creations posted here took thousands of hours to produce – requiring prolonged concentration akin to a meditative state.  Others were made swiftly but with highly specialized skill and have a different kind of appeal. 

In this blogpost, White Stole showcases the diversity of what the Shawl, Stole and Sarong have signified in cultures from the late 1800’s onwards – from the Ceremonial to the Sacred Wedding - with 6 historical photos from around the world.  Enjoy!
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CEREMONIAL SHAWL (Pa Biang), ca. 1900 made of cotton, Indigo-dyed, with silk supplementary weft weave, metal toggles from Laos, Northern Tai Nuea people
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CEREMONIAL SHAWL (Pa Biang), ca. 1900 made of cotton, Indigo-dyed, with silk supplementary weft weave, metal toggles from Laos, Northern Tai Nuea people
Photo 1 is a CEREMONIAL SHAWL (Pa Biang), ca. 1900  from Laos, Northern Tai Nuea people
Long-nosed lions, serpent-headed birds are just two of the signs of a mythic imagination that inspired the creatures on this shawl.  It implies a belief in the transformative vision of complex designs.  Weavers have loaded the indigo background with an intricate diagram of ancient forms of hooks, spirals and stylized birds, serpents, and occasional people.  Such a Shawl could serve as a facilitator of meditation, detachment and spiritual discipline.
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CEREMONIAL SHAWL (Pa Biang), ca 1900 made of cotton, Indigo-dyed, with silk supplementary weft weave, metal toggles from Laos, Northern Tai Nuea people
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CEREMONIAL SHAWL (Pa Biang), ca 1900 made of cotton, Indigo-dyed, with silk supplementary weft weave, metal toggles from Laos, Northern Tai Nuea people
Photo 2 is a CEREMONIAL SHAWL (Pa Biang), ca 1900  from Laos, Northern Tai Nuea people
Intensely symbolic Shawls are covered with signs of a dense imaginary world.  Embedded in the maze in this piece are diamond shapes derived from Buddhism to suggest a star, or third eye.  Looking closely you may also spot a river dragon, or naga, who is guardian of the underworld. Notice how the maze is not asymmetrical.  The weaver’s goal was “to help the onlooker discard all preconceptions of balance and, in meditation, to question the very order of life itself.”  Explains Patricia Cheesman, author of Lao Textiles: Ancient Symbols- Living Art (1988).
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SACRED SHAWL (Ulos Ragidup), ca. 1900 made of cotton; warp resist (ikat); supplementary weft; natural dyes including indigo from Indonesian, Sumatra, Batak culture
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SACRED SHAWL (Ulos Ragidup), ca. 1900 made of cotton; warp resist (ikat); supplementary weft; natural dyes including indigo from Indonesian, Sumatra, Batak culture
Photo 3 is a SACRED SHAWL (Ulos Ragidup), ca. 1900 from Indonesian, Sumatra, Batak culture
Sacred honor is bestowed whenever this type of shawl appears in Batak communities.  It is a technically remarkable cloth with complex iconography that carries great significance.  Wrapped around the shoulders of a person in transition at weddings, for pregnancy, and other life changes, it invokes speeches by chosen people whose great knowledge enables them to carefully observe the cloth and divine a way to enhance the wearer’s future.
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SARONG (kain kapala), 19th century made of cotton, factory plain weave; wax resist (batik)process; natural / synthetic indigo dye from Indonesian, Central Java
Photo 4 is a SARONG (kain kapala), 19th century from Indonesian, Central Java
Step into a Sarong and you enter via a network of symbols that support your place in a cosmic sacred landscape.  On this sarong, a dark Indigo night is set off against a breathtaking day, both nurtured with a constant drizzle of growth and fertility – visually, plants are thriving as they drift across petals, floating coconut fronds and entwined tendrils.  Fireflies flicker in the night while phoenixes and butterflies fly through the air during the day.  A sense of vitality is bursting off the cloth, ready to accompany the wearer when they are participating in ceremonies wherever they may go. 
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KASHMIRI SHAWL with RUMAL design ca. 1870 made of wool, interlocked twill tapestry weave with embroidery in chain stitch; pieced; natural dyes including indigo from the Indian, Kashmir area (for export to Europe), Dogra Dynasty (1846 – 1949)
Photo 5 is a KASHMIRI SHAWL with RUMAL design ca. 1870  from the Indian, Kashmir area (for export to Europe), Dogra Dynasty (1846 – 1949)
Kashmiri Shawls once ignited a covetous desire throughout Europe.  They were made of a lovely soft goat hair and evoked the aura of a royal Mughal personage.  French King Napoleon Bonaparte saw soldiers bring them back from India around 1800 and his wife Josephine soon had acquired hundreds.  Given this overwhelming demand, Indian producers began assembling shawls like this one, which is a mosaic of small woven segments locked together with embroidery.  Meanwhile, weavers in Paris and Paisley, Scotland wove silk imitations that have endured in waves of revival unto today.
 “Once upon a time, or actually several times upon a time, Indigo was the most important dye in the world.  At one point it helped prop up an empire, and then later it helped destabilize it.  Ancient Egyptians used Indigo-dyed clothes to wrap their mummies, in Central Asia it was one of the main colors for carpets, and for more than three centuries in Europe and America it was one of the more controversial dye-stuffs, and it would have been familiar to people of many nationalities.”  Victoria Finlay, Color: A Natural History of the Palette, 2002  
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.
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IN FULL BLOOM!   FLORAL-PRINTS are the Garden Wedding Classic!

6/11/2016

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​It’s true that Floral-Printed anything is as ubiquitous to the season as the blooming buds, and rank high among the other motif you could be wearing during the warm-weather months ahead. As June marks the start of Summer Wedding Season, we honor the sunny days ahead with fun, patterned pieces sure to inject a bit of brightly hued cheer into your Wedding Wear wardrobe!
 
Chances are your calendar is already full of wedding dates as we wrap our way into summer, and you are looking forward to a wide variety of ceremonies from vineyard to yacht to ranch, but by-far, one of the most romantic and memorable wedding backdrops is the age-old idea of a Spring Garden or Summer Veranda Wedding. 
 
And to toast to this occasion, White Stole humbly suggests a POP of pink and persimmon floral to a Bridal Wedding Party set to the scent of anything from the Queen’s Rose Garden to Grandma’s gladiolas and peony patch!
 
Bring a “cultivated” look and a treasure trove of floral to your Garden Wedding in White Stole's  "Fabiola" Couture Bridal Stole Wrap  Accessory in pure Silk Satin Chiffon from the Signature Leonard Paris Collection. You will treasure this divine pure silk Momento of your wedding day forever.
 
“Fabiola” is in full bloom putting pretty glamour into any summer wedding with its luxurious pastel floral iconic "Orchid" design in lush shades of rose pink, purple, pale gray and persimmon on blushed white that will wrap sweeping highlights around shoulders, arms or neck of your Garden Veranda Wedding Party! 
 
Shop the full Wedding Stole and Wrap lineup now and keep your eyes peeled for more wedding coverage from us throughout Summer Wedding Season.
 
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.

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Take toughness out of your world with Silk Floral Wraps for Garden Wedding

4/24/2016

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‘To express oneself and how one wishes to be to the world isn’t much different than how an artist views a figure or landscape’ a biographer of Helena Rubinstein once said.

White Stole is a big supporter of the view that how a woman chooses to craft her look and construct her identity is chiefly accomplished with the fashion and accessories she adopts. 

And more importantly, that on the most important day of her life, challenging some norms – such as those surrounding weddings – simply are in order!  Our Brides know that her own beauty is in her eyes as she beholds herself at it’s deepest essence.  And expressing that self means not stepping into someone else’s fairybook Princess Wedding Story….but into her own! 

May we humbly suggest that one of the most perfect ways to cultivate your inner feminine-self is with the soft, flowing look of pure Silk Chiffon in Couture Silk Floral Stole Wraps!

White Stole’s "Charming Rose" Bridal Wrap in Pink or Lilac from the Signature Valentino Collection offers you a sheer cascading rose design that not only wraps your future in a floral embrace, but gives a perfectly flowing Heirloom Gift for the Bride and Bridesmaids who know how to put the fun into elegance for a lifetime in any season  from Spring to Summer!
 
Delicately highlight your bridal party's silhouette with a rainbow of pastel shades from lavender and lilac, or pale pink to coral in any Spring or Summer, Garden Wedding setting or season while giving yourself a pure Silk Momento of your Wedding Day that you will cherish forever.

The women White Stole loves to love have a deep desire to have, hold and “wear her accessories for life"….then see them end-up in the hands of her daughter, her favorite nieces or cousins, or even a fashionable second-hand store where Style-Savvy young girls or Budget-Minded women will discover them 20 years later.  

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.

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WHITE STOLE marries at the LITTLE WHITE WEDDING CHAPEL....on time!

1/9/2016

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It was a White Stole Las Vegas ceremony!  And she brought several Silk Satin Shawl Wedding Stoles to celebrate the Glitterati Wedding history of many of our favorite Divas from Old Hollywood to New.  Famous and fabulous women from Judy Garland, Rita Hayworth, Joan Collins and Patty Duck as well as Mary Tyler Moore, Mia Farrow and Demi Moore have been swept into the starlight under the influence of getting to this iconic little white chapel setting in Las Vegas "on time."  And so did White Stole….on their big Wedding Photoshoot day! 
 
Whether you choose to marry and hold your Wedding Photoshoot at a star-studded space like The Little White Chapel, a Historic City Center, a Family Vineyard, an English Manor’s gardens, an Island Beach Resort or Urban Ballroom, we are sure you will want your Wedding Album filled with photos taken at an idyllic setting, complete with memorable attire and decorations to match your theme, and warm your nostalgic heart in the years ahead.   
 
There’s always a wedding somewhere in the world, and with all the choice the White Stole Collection offers those devoted to handmade, hand-silk-screened, heritage luxury goods, everyone from Brides and their entourage to Wedding Guests alike can find the perfect luxe Stole to get excited about.
 
We’ve got you all wrapped-up in Love with colors as white as your purity, ruby-red as your heart, or brilliantly-pasteled in floral, graphic, ethereal, or silky-cool gold and diamond embroidered Stole and Wrap pieces.  And for Vintage-Inspiration, our natural toned Fur Stoles will warm your heart as you melt in his arms!
 
Simply choose from one of our favorite Valentino or Leonard, Paris Silk Satin Shawl or Stole Wrap Collection, or our Vintage Rental Stole Collections. These iconic brands’ graphic collections feature rich embroidery and color blocking to add superb styling to timeless essentials, all with a decidedly cool Modern Wedding flare!
 
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.

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Top Vintage Bridal Wear Stole Wraps as seen on WHITE STOLE PINTEREST!

9/19/2015

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Any glamorous Retro Wedding Theme wouldn’t be remarkable without a quintessential Bridal Wrap that makes your look stunningly complete.  So, White Stole thought it only appropriate to thank all of their adoring Pinterest fans who have so carefully chosen and rated these curated ICONIC couture looks as their FAVE PINS from White Stole's Pinterest Page over the years by posting them altogether here, in one spot, for your viewing pleasure!

It is said that Beauty is Self-Preserving because what we fall in love with, we protect.  We all want to be on the journey to inspiration.  And every fashion-minded, Chic woman knows that taking the best looks from the past and bringing them forward not only protects, but projects the best sides of our fashionable selves....yesterday and today!

Take a peek and take-charge of your own Couture Chic by using these gorgeous 40's, 50's and 60's Vintage Photos to bring excitement for more posts to come from White Stole…and inspiration for how you can synthesize, rev-up and create your own Wedding or Evening Wear look wearing a Stole – whether Couture or Vintage – from the White Stole Collection.

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.
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Jackie Kennedy wearing Oleg Cassini Gown with Silk Stole
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Jackie Kennedy wearing Oleg Cassini Gown with Silk Stole
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Evelyn, Sunny and Dovima in White Mink Stoles over Evening Wedding Gowns
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Sketch by Rene Gruau in Red Stole and matching Gown
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WEDDING WARDROBE:  Summer “City Wedding” NIGHTLOOKS after dark

8/8/2015

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Warmer days bring strapless Bridal Gown Styling…and a perfect opportunity for you to think about flirty, around-the-shoulder silhouettes and Statement Accessories for instant Chic at an Evening Wedding in the City.  Style “topped” with…. an Evening Wrap!

Our Seattle Bride infuses her signature Je Ne Sais Quoi style into her glamorous look with a simple-but-chic, lightweight Silk Stole cover-up as sunset winds down into moonlight. A long Stole - many inches longer and wider than a typical scarf - is the workhorse of the accessories world.  Use it to shield your décolletage from the sun during the day, to bring your most seductive mood into your photoshoot, and as that extra layer when the sun fades into evening moonlight.

If you're attending a City Wedding this summer or just planning on taking an urban Night-Out-On-The-Town, a Silk Stole from White Stole is the key piece you need to look stylish and be prepared for the temperature all weekend long - without over-packing.  And, Have-And-Hold as a Momento forever-after!

Whether traveling to a Destination Wedding across town, across state or across-country, heavy luggage really isn’t necessary.  Packing a few versatile pieces you can wear multiple times is the difference between going In Style…and going without!

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.


Photos courtesy of Melissa Miksch Photography 


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White Stole's "Sophisticated Evening Lace ~ Mixed Colors" Couture Bridal Wrap in gray/black
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White Stole's "Sophisticated Evening Lace ~ Mixed Colors" Couture Bridal Wrap in gray/black
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1950’s FASHION'S GREATEST HIT – The Stole Wrap is back in Wedding Wear!

7/11/2015

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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.

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Audrey Hepburn, 1954, in Tea-Length Wedding Dress
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1940's Bride in Bridal Hat and draped sleeve Wedding Dress
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Put the Gatsby into a Bride with a Silk-Feathered Hair and Stole Couture!

4/25/2015

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Eons ago, Brides simply wore their hair flowing down their back on their Wedding Day to symbolize their virginity.  Later, Roman Brides began wearing an intense, flame-colored and fulsome Veil to protect them from evil spirits on their Wedding Day.

But by the 19th century, our idea of a Modern Wedding clearly turned the corner from notions of hiding the Bride’s visage to her stepping forward in all her pure, natural perfection.  Wedding Veils continued to symbolize a woman's modesty in marriage, but the traditional cotton and lace “Boudoir” Cap was transformed into a confection of exquisitely colorful silk and lace, ornamented with silk ribbons, bows, and flowers fit for a proper Romeo and Juliet Wedding Day ceremony. 

During the years of the 1920's, the Wide-brim Hat of the Edwardian era also reigned chic alongside the "Juliet" Bridal Cap Veil.  A typically fine woven Straw Hat at that time would feature a deep crown worn so low it just about covered the eyebrows. The very wide drooping brim would drop dramatically at both sides and be trimmed with narrow satin ribbon. Large, floppy pink petal flowers were artistically arranged along the brim.

Veils pinned to hats have survived the changing fashions over the centuries and are still common today on formal occasions that require women to wear a Hat.  These Veils are generally designed with netting or other sheer material not to hide the face from view, but rather to grace and adorn the head.

Hats, from fur to silk, have endured in popularity throughout cultures and religions over the centuries, coming in all sizes and shapes from Berets, Caps and Turbans, to Cloches worn to envelope either the head, shoulders and silhouette in celebrating life’s most memorable events ~ and, of course, the crowning event of a Wedding Day.

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.

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Our Muse ~ the timeless ‘20s-inspired Bride topped by flowing, modern Chic

4/4/2015

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Gloria Swanson Wedding Couture 1921
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Yolan Cris Wedding Couture 2011
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.
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This New Year....waltz down the aisle in "NEW BRIDAL" STYLE!  

1/3/2015

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The wisest Brides-To-Be view the New Year as the sartorial equivalent of a clean “white” slate- - -and White Stole wholeheartedly agrees!  We encourage you to take the First Day of the year as an opportunity to shake-up your thinking about how you and your entourage will greet the First Day of your married life-to-come!

Rather than reaching for the conventional, vanilla-combo, we suggest you amp-it-up a notch by way of a glamorous, shoulder-hugging Couture Silk Stole Wrap over a delicately-designed Couture or Vintage dress, with a pair of classic heels for a look that is fresh, and totally unexpected. Top it off with a touch of exotic or vintage-flaired floral in your hair, and you are ready to walk the aisle in New Style!

One of our favorite bridal looks is the theme of “Embellished Accents” and the feel of a “Viennese Waltz” for your wedding.  Certainly, you would choose dark florals and poetic fringe or lace scattered throughout your entourage and venue, topped by White Stole’s “Sophisticated Evening Lace” embroidered Couture Silk Stole Wrap by Valentino with elbow-length evening gloves to spin a rich, bohemian vibe throughout the night.  You and your entourage would be perfectly suited to the romance of Old Europe in an autumn or winter wedding, and appropriately outfitted to sip mulled wine and stroll in equal measure amongst either fallen leaves or snow-dusted sidewalks!

Simply choose from one of our favorite Valentino or Leonard, Paris “Silk Satin Stole Wrap” Collections and you are set to roll-into the New Year in extraordinary style!  These iconic brands’ collections feature rich embroidery, color blocking and graphics to add superb styling to timeless essentials, all with a decidedly upbeat flare.  Whether you're 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.

Note:  Sartorial comes from the Modern Latin word sartor which means "tailor"- literally "one who patches and mends." 
In English the adjectives sartorial and sartorially are used to refer to any matter pertaining to the consideration of clothing or fashion.

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GILTY AS CHARGED!  A Black-Tie Wedding in NEW YORK STYLE

12/26/2014

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Formal weddings are the perfect time to dial up the glamour.  Channel your inner Screen-Siren!  Choose a floor-length matte Satin Silk Mermaid Gown hand-made by a local designer, such as Seattle’s Julie Danforth, and top it with a gorgeous, natural-toned Vintage Stole from the White Stole Collection.  Add intricate drop earrings, a delicate orchid arrangement and classic stillettos for height and you’re not only the Wedding Bride, but the Bombshell!

What anyone who has ever owned a
Vintage Stole knows is that these luxe designs have a tradition of being made under unflinching standards…entirely by hand.  In fact, it took these Americans hundreds and hundreds of hours to make the Vintage Stoles in White Stole’s collection.  And that truly is the top of luxury today…TAKING TIME.  

The Stole was launched in an era when just one piece was often made for one woman with her initials beautifully embroidered in a luxe thread inside the lining.  No need to accessorize with diamonds and a too-big hair bun.  If the gown was well-made and topped by a meticulously crafted Stole, you didn’t need anything else – not even makeup!  With every stitch crafted just for her, she is beautiful.  And today’s Bride knows that what was good for her Mama, is certainly good for her!

Go overboard!  It’s “Your” wedding, afterall.  What-with grand designs of your favorite Wedding Dress topped by a vast pick of Vintage or Couture Stoles, you are able to style yourself with the maximum “artistic license” you can envision for your Theme Wedding.  White Stole is here for you with styles and colors that will evoke any tradition or heritage you choose to make your own. 

White Stole’s emphasis is to bring a new, artistic approach to the bridal market - not simply luxury, but the creative placement of luxury items to maximize their unique appeal to women who value highly-crafted luxury goods, both past and present.

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.


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How to wear a SILK WEDDING STOLE  ~ The “Must-Have” Bridal Accessory!

10/26/2014

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We have seen them on last year’s runways, but again in 2014 the world’s top Bridal Collections are truly outstanding with their renewed emphasis on elegance…and the Stole: irreplaceable for the Bride who wants to feel like a fairy Princess on her “I do” day.

Reserved for true dreamers, this “Must-Have” accessory gives a royal touch to the wedding - a Princessly allure that each of us look for on the big day.  An elegant detail, light and sinuous, capable of enchanting a Bride’s guests during her triumphant walk down the aisle.  Short or long, the Stole is present in all variations, Silk Chiffon, Silk Satin, Silk Cashmere, Silk Twill, Silk Tulle, Silk Lace, in white, pastel, black or bold colors, floral and graphic patterns fastened with or without the adornment of a broach.  Extremely light, the Silk Chiffon Stole, in particular, lends an elegant touch that gives fluency to the bride’s every movement unlike any other fabric or accessory - whether draped over neck, shoulder or arm, or tied in the back and draped forward over the shoulders.  For the Modern Bride, the sky’s the limit on her style choices of Silk Stoles!

Even more sophisticated, is the Silk Stole with Lace Embroidered patterning, or in the form of a Vintage Tulle. The Stole becomes an essential accessory for every respectable bride, useful to hide necklines, and, when the time is right, reveal them and enjoy the party.  Truly infinite are the combinations of materials for those who are always chilly and love sheer covering over a strapless gown as they move from church to reception or dining room, or across a ballroom floor.  From the sheerest Chiffon to Silk-Cashmere blends to Tulles that give soft volume and silhouette, the Stole’s transparence and delicacy enriches the shoulders with grace and elegance.

It is well- known that the details in your wedding accessories make the difference!  Viva La Difference~!

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.

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Hand Silk-Screened Techniques applied to Cutting Edge Design = COMO

9/20/2014

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During the Roman Empire, Silk was sold for its weight in gold.  Today, “Silk” is yet another word for elegance, and silk garments are prized for their versatility, wearability and comfort. ​

Silk, or "soie" in French, is the strongest natural fiber. A steel filament of the same diameter as silk will break before a filament of silk. Silk absorbs moisture, which makes it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Because of its high absorbency, it is easily dyed in many deep colors. Silk retains its shape, drapes well, caresses the figure, and shimmers with a luster all its own.

The styles and technological innovations made by Como's silk manufacturers may be new and constantly innovating, but the raw materials have remained constant for more than 4,000 years.  300 to 1,600 yards of filament extruded from silkworm cocoons have been the basis of the coveted silk fabrics. It takes 100 cocoons to weave just one tie, and 630 cocoons to make a blouse. 

​Today, the entire finishing cycle of silk and of other natural fibers are masterfully applied to every new printing and weaving solution.  The result merges the distinction between creativity and production as all themes are “creative:”  the emergence of a fiber or weave, of a pattern or bold color combination, of an innovative print or a yarn-dyed fabric.


To this day, the end result of cutting-edge CAD design production technology combined with the creative rhythm of masterful creations by individuals dedicated to their craft point to the skill and the unmistakable products that emerge from the luxury textiles industry in Como, Italy. 

White Stole offers representation of influential Italian luxury design and heritage production of printed, solid and yarn-dyed luxury women’s fabrics in silk, cashmere, cotton and modal using the traditional, custom-manufacturing that has originally been used in the production of Valentino and Leonard Paris Couture Silk.

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.


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    A note from
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    White Stole and I introduce the New Face of Modern Wedding and StreetChic Accessories with Stoles, Shawls, Foulard Wraps that bring out the pretty-little-bling in any gown!
    ​xoxo Roberta, Stylist

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