when old is new, a la Dior

i love a good dose of old fashioned glamour.  not that there is anything wrong with modernity, i do love to see what is new and upcoming.  but sometimes a girl likes to feel like a girl.  the Dior couture show in Paris was all that with a cherry on top.  at times theatrical, always pure lady-like glamour.  a number of  looks were very reminiscent of the New Look of Dior, nipped waists and flared skirts.  LOVELY. all of the looks were drop dead CHIC.  the fabrics, the colors, the silhouettes, all if it just oozes the sophistication of  ladies in Paris in days gone by.   here's to dressing up and here's to ladies looking like ladies.  let us all join in a chorus of "oui!"

all photos GoRunway.com

merci, monsieur

not to be rude or anything...  well, i'm just going to say it.  a lot of this season's shows have verged on  boring.  don't get me wrong - there were loads of impeccably made things, and some outright beautiful things, walking down the runways.  but not a lot that took my breath away. it all began to blend a bit too - which is just, well, boring.  THIS was a happy exception.

ah, Dior.  it's just flat out sexy.  M. Galliano showed some dreamy, gorge pieces.  it's just so "i rolled out of bed and threw this on" fantastic.  it's perfect Dior, lovely and ethereal,  bumped up a sexy notch by bits of leather here and there...and these over the knee boots on top of it all?  sigh.  LOVE.  je t'aime Dior.  voila la mode!

paris - oh la la cherie

it's haute couture time in la jolie Paris. which of course makes my oft-felt pangs of desire to be there even stronger.

when i lived in Paris, i felt an intense need to go to the Dior store. i knew i wasn't buying anything - but it made me feel tres chic and oh-so-Parisienne. i loved it. (i also went to Chanel to buy my perfume, rather than a dept. store - because - well - it was the CHANEL SHOP) that city is so deeply ingrained in my heart i feel like it's partially home.

anyhoo - back to now. M. Galliano put on quite a show for Christian Dior haute couture. the fun thing about couture shows is that it is balls out (pardon the expression) fantasy. it is like watching a costume-y vision come to life. i love it. and when it's done well it's like a dream. and this one was dreamy indeed.

it's all very equestrian themed - very much English ladies propped up on a horse just to look fab, but with a fun little naughty tweek. (that's how we English ladies roll...) amazing riding coats, long gloves, riding crops -- gorgeous. and the gowns were beyond beautiful. made me feel like i was a little girl again, imagining i am a princess and i'm going to the ball in my new dress... hmm... actually i still feel like that. voila! the power of haute couture!

globe-y styles

i'm not sure if i'm jaded... perhaps i am. but the award shows are just not the glam-slam they used to be... maybe they'll bump it up a notch at the SAG awards or the Oscars. i spent the larger portion of my time saying "meh" watching the rainy red carpet parade at the Golden Globes. (and i am pretty much certain that i have become at LEAST 30% more stupid having had to withstand that much drivel from Ryan Seacrest and Guiliani what-ever. (ps - EAT).

AAAAAAAAANYHOO. let's discuss what there was to be salvaged from the puddles, shall we?

in no particular order - the dresses that floated my rainy day LA boat...

Halle Berry in Kaufman Franco. UN... BE...LIEVABLE. this woman could not possibly be more gorgeous. her skin is the prettiest thing i have ever seen. it's flawless. and quite frankly - her boobs are so perfect that i would like to thank them. just for existing. in addition, i would like to thank HER for putting her rockin' body into that dress. she is perfection.

Jennifer Garner in Versace. pretty pretty girl in a pretty pretty dress. stunning dress actually. i'm not always the biggest Versace fan - but this is a killer number. and she is doing it justice. well played lovely, well played.

Olivia Wilde in Gucci. me thinks it might be a bit hard to make this woman look bad. this dress is bad ass - and somehow she pulls it off without looking slutty. and in addition - she's auctioning off the dress to benefit a charity for Haiti. so what we have here is an all around beauty.

Emily Blunt in Dolce & Gabanna. i'm a teeny bit torn on this one - but i'm leaning on the i love it side, so i'm just going to roll with that... some people hated this dress. but there is something juuussst sassy enough about her to pull it off without it being too coy.

Marion Cotillard in Christian Dior. there is not too much to say. except GORGEOUS. woman, dress, color, it's the whole package. avec je ne sais quoi. oui. oui. oui!!

lastly - and SOOOOO not leastly(i think i'm developing a bit of a girl crush) Zoe Soldana in Louis Vuitton. i LOVE this dress. yes, i love the girl, but the dress stands up as an equal to her - and she to it. that is style in a nutshell. the color is amazing and the dress itself is gorgeous. simplicity and intricacy wrapped up into one lovely package.

the rest of the dresses were, for my tastes, too ruffle-y or pouffy or "oh my god what landed on your shoulder-y". and so my fashion court rests. consider the gavel banged. case closed dolls.