These photos from 1953 of Jack and Jackie sailing in Cape Cod made me smile. They were engaged at the time and Jackie was spending the summer with her in-laws. My fiance, John, is currently spending the summer on the opposite coast with his future in-laws and we’re having an equally fun time. Plus he has handsome shades just like JFK’s—I’m a lucky girl.
(via Life Magazine)
Their marriage may not have been the fairy tale the public was led to believe, but the wedding of Jacqueline Bouvier, 24, to Senator John F. Kennedy, 36, was certainly one of the twentieth century’s most iconic. The September 12, 1953 ceremony took place at St. Mary’s Church in Newport, Rhode Island and was followed by a reception at Jackie’s childhood home. The couple had been engaged only three months following their year-long courtship. I just adore Jackie’s Battenberg lace gown with it’s tiny sleeves, fitted bodice, and full, ruffled skirt. There were rumors she didn’t care for her gown and that her mother made her wear it, but I don’t want to believe them. She made for a beautiful bride, don’t you think?
(images from the Life archives)
My was she a character! I just found this footage of Diana Vreeland on You Tube and am completely enthralled. Until now I’d never heard or seen her speak! The footage certainly supports all I’ve read about the late fashion icon—she was a larger-than-life personality with endless opinions to share. I love how she unapologetically exaggerated just about everything. It certainly made her autobiography riveting. I hope this makes you smile too.
Vogue TV was among the first to get a glimpse of Coco Chanel’s private apartment in Paris and here is the footage! I love all the little details — interlocking C’s in the chandelier, the collection of lions, the spraying of No. 5 on the staircase prior to her arrival. Chanel was always ahead of her time, right down to the light suede sofa on which she sat!
#1 – Mona, Countess of Bismarck was born Mona Strader in Louisville, Kentucky. Her father was the manager of a horse farm and the family’s circumstances were considerably modest.
#2 – Mona married five times during her lifetime. Most notable was her third marriage to Harrison Williams, the “richest man in America,” which propelled her into the highest of society.
#3 – In 1933 she was voted the best dressed woman in the world by Molyneux, Lanvin, Vionnet, Lelong and Chanel. Chanel would later have an affair with Mona’s husband.
#4- Among other novelties, she owned a jeweled cigarette case (pictured above) once belonging to Louis XIV.
#5 – Salvador Dali painted her and Cole Porter mentioned her in a song. When she was seen in public with sheer nail polish Vogue ran a news article about it.
#6 – Her Christmas tree one year was made entirely of ermine tales.
#7 – When Balenciaga announced his retirement from the fashion world in 1968 Diana Vreeland was visiting Mona in Capri and reminisced, “Mona didn’t come out of her room for three days. She went into complete shock; it was the end of a certain part of her life.”
#8 – White was her signature color. Despite the fact that black was considered “fashionable” for the time, Mona rarely wore it and never before late in the afternoon. She favored solids as they allowed her to showcase her magnificent collection of jewels.
#9 – She hired Syrie Maugham to create one of the earliest all-white drawing rooms in America. They even lined white fabric with pink material for a little added glow.
#10 – Mona’s famous retreat in Capri was named Il Fortino and was an abandoned Roman fortress that was once the summer residence of Caesar Augustus and the late emperor Tiberius. Overlooking the Bay of Naples, Mona’s favorite part of the property was its gardens where she spent countless hours each day.
(Facts from The Power of Style, Images from Vogue)