A Look At The Duchess Of Windsor

I just got a copy of The Windsor Style by Suzy Menkes. It's a fascinating book about a level of high life that none of us will ever see. The home furnishings, the art, the food and of course the fashion. There is no disputing how influential Wallis Simpson was in setting fashion trends, both in her dress and her jewels. Her whole life was glamorous, from her embroidered lingerie to her world famous jewelry. But here are some of her chic clothing choices.

 
"The Duchess of Windsor in the square-shouldered 1940's silhouette..."

"Wallis's severely plain crepe dress decorated with bows is by Mainbocher."

"Wallis using the chic bag as the essential 1940s accessory to trimly tailored suits."

"Wallis in Schiaparelli's carbon blue silk jersey dress and jacket embroidered with baroque gilded scrolls, photographed by Beaton at the Chateau de Cande on the Loire just before her marriage."

"The Duchess photographed by Horst in 1947 in a Scarlett O'Hara dress by Mainbocher. The austere high neck is balanced by the panniered taffeta skirt built out over an elaborate crinoline."

It's 1967 - Let's Wear Paper Dresses!

The Paper Caper - 1967 Paper Dresses

You can't clean them, but you can snip off the dirty parts.

"The Duchess of Windsor has worn it. Joan Kennedy, wife of the senior senator from Massachusetts, worn paper to a fund raising tea she gave last spring and passed out duplicate dresses to her celebrated guests. Pop painter Robert Rauschenberg has a tailored suit of grocery-bag paper. Princess Lee Radziwill owns a gold quilted mini-mini with gold collar and gold side panels to match her newly gold hair. Jolie Gabor lunches in paper after swimming in her pool. A number of brides have worn it to their own weddings. In the south of France a concert pianist beat the heat by wearing a paper dinner jacket designed by Paris couturier Pierre Cardin, after scissoring off the sleeves so they wouldn't get in the way of the keyboard."

If you wanted to get your very own you could check with Scott Paper Co. - two styles at $1.25 each to promote their toilet paper. You could send for paper dresses if you bought Johnston Frozen Pies, or sent two butter wrappers to the American Dairy Association. A Go-Go Light hair lightener box top plus $1.25 could get you two mini-skirted mod-styled paper dresses from the Breck shampoo people..." Air India offered a mail-order sari ("Be the first princess in the palace to own one").

 Lever Brothers offered a fireproofed "Swinging Dress" in three vibrant colors with matching hat for $1.00 plus two Dove, Lux or Lifebuoy soap wrappers. 

No need to worry about that rattling noise when you walk. Fashion expert Eugenia Sheppard thinks it's the most fun since taffeta.

The live paper doll above wears paper bracelets and a metalized paper 'lame' handkerchief evening dress by Elisa Daggs ($12.00) The wig is made of Aluminum foil.

Dressed like a party snapper, tomorrow's hostess may entertain with paper items such as these exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts.

The bikini, made of polycoated Kaycel, costs $4 and is usually a throwaway after four dips.

The slicker of polycoated Lexon ($8) is good for two dozen outings.

Paper haute couture includes a wiggy mini, a key-tag and Green Stamp shift, an 'ermine' cape, informal and glittery evening dress, colorful at-home slippers.