Vintage Clothing for Vintage Interiors

Do you ever see an outfit or an item of clothing that reminds you of a particular interior? Or am I the only one who does this? (I suspect not!) So, while I was browsing through the online catalogue of Leslie Hindman's upcoming Vintage Couture and Accessories auction (Dec. 3), I started to play a game with myself where I would try to find interiors that were reminiscent of or appropriate venues for these couture gems. Do I have too much time on my hands? Perhaps. But it is kind of fun to figure out where one might wear a particular Scaasi or Pucci if one had the opportunity to do so. Here's what I came up with:




If a date ever shows up at my home wearing an Hermès silk shirt like this, I might not let him get past the door. But I suppose that back in the early 1970s, I might have approved of his choice of attire. And the man who wore this shirt would have looked right at home in this room designed by Brown and Morrow.



Had I had the chance to visit Ava Gardner in her Madrid apartment (seen above and decorated by George Stacey), I would have worn this cream satin toreador cape. Certainly it would have been a bit incongruous in a rather staid apartment like this, but I would have worn it as a tribute to Gardner's well-known weakness for bullfighters.



I'm a closet maximalist, so had Diana Vreeland invited me to her Garden in Hell, I think that this Yves Saint Laurent Leopard Print Wool Dress might have been my choice. It might have clashed like crazy with DV's red floral print fabric, but I think she would have approved of this dress. Oh, and I probably would have accessorized with some Kenny Jay Lane.



In the spirit of a "Hunt Breakfast on a Kentucky Plantation", I think this Hermès sweater would have been a nice touch. Sure it's a bit themey, but how often are you invited to a hunt breakfast in Kentucky, especially one designed by Valerian Rybar?



These Chanel cameo earrings scream Dorothy Draper circa 1930s. I can't decide if they're evocative of the Hotel Carlyle or Hampshire House (seen above)- or both!

Image at top: I'd wear this Scaasi ensemble (c.1950s) anywhere and everywhere. It would be me and my Scaasi!