Glamour Defined: Letizia Buitoni

One of the most truly glamorous women I have ever met was my husband's great aunt, Letizia Buitoni. 

I first met her when she was in her 80s and she was quite the glamorous coquette, beautifully dressed.  She even flashed me a bit of thigh with her garter belt and stockings which thoroughly impressed and charmed me.  

Letizia always wore the most fabulous jewelry.  She loved jewelry and jewelry loved her.  She wore all of it well.  

Once we were having lunch in Lugano and all of the waiters fluttered and cooed about Letizia as if Myrna Loy herself was there.  (And how Myna Loy in The Thin Man is Letizia in the photo with her wire haired terrier?!)

She studied opera with her father when she was an enfant prodige starting at 6 years old.  Her father, the handsome Nino Cairone, Chorus Master at La Scala and the Opéra de Paris:

She later became friends with Maria Callas and Luciano Pavariotti.  Letizia's photo of Callas and Giuletta Simionato: 

A career on the stage was not meant to be as she met Giovanni Buitoni (from Buitoni pasta) who fell madly in love with her.

The stylish and elegant Letizia Buitoni:

Here is a photo of Letizia with the designer Emilio Schuberth of whom I have been lucky enough to have had a few beautiful dresses from for RARE vintage which you can see here and here and Reese Witherspoon in a Schuberth from RARE here.

I adore seeing these photos of Letizia Buitoni because they are photos of an elegance that is almost all but lost now...

The Season of Pretty

When I saw this beautiful Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton  eyelet lace dress with overblown daisies and wisps of pale blue colored ostrich feathers, all I could think about was wearing it for a stroll.  With the LV parasol of course.  

Photo from Vogue.com

Prettiness made a comeback for this Spring and it is pretty irresistible.  What girl would not dream of riding a carousel on a white horse in that dress?!

Emilio Schuberth was a Roman couturier who understood prettiness.  He also loved lush, voluptuous women.  He himself was quite the dandy and drove around Rome in a Cadillac with a lace interior and full of flowers.

This beyond beautiful Emilio Schuberth gown from the 1950s is in a pale seashell pink.  The slip style dress has an 'apron' overskirt that is entirely lined in horsehair and boned so it poufs out from the body.  One of the things women and collectors of vintage love is the workmanship and this dress is magnificently made.  The LV Spring dresses actually have a puffed shape that is slightly reminiscent of this Schuberth.  So maybe the perfect thing to wear with this would be a pair of the sugar almond colored LV mules and that parasol.  So perfect for a stroll don't you think?!  

1950s Emilio Schuberth seashell pink dress.  

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Reese Witherspoon in RARE vintage!

I have always believed that with vintage, the dress waits for the perfect person to come along, try it on and like magic, it is a perfect fit.  So it was a perfect fit for the dress and the woman when Reese Witherspoon found this 1950s Italian haute couture dress by Emilio Schuberth at RARE vintage.  

All of our clients are equally chic, equally fabulous, equally stylish and while we may not always have a photograph of every client in something from RARE vintage, I know that you all look wonderful and fabulous and unique:)

So looking molto caldo (muy caliente, sehr heiss, tres chaud, very hot) in 1950s Emilio Schuberth at the premiere of Water for Elephants is Reese Witherspoon (and my daughter thought I was going to say Robert Pattinson.  Really.  Who is even looking at him as good as Reese looks!)

Reese Witherspoon in 1950s Emilio Schuberth at the premiere of Water for Elephants

Emilio Schuberth and the Wicked Décolleté

Emilio Schuberth was an Italian designer known for his wicked décolletés.  His clients included women with famously wicked décolletés: Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren,  Brigitte Bardot and Ava Garnder.  

His clothes were molded to the body and ultra feminine.   Schuberth too was quite the dandy driving a Cadillac with a lace interior and full of fresh flowers.  He could be just as extravagant in his fashion designs: the tulle!  the lace!  the embroidery!  But his work could also be tailored and simple and architectural.

But tailored and simple the Italian way which was all about the Bella Figura and La Dolce Vita.  And the wicked décolleté.

I am very excited to be able to offer this extremely rare and beautiful 1950s Emilio Schuberth black jersey tailored to the body, with a weighted hem and black silk ribbon trim dress.  

1950s Emilio Schuberth cocktail dress.

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