1970s Muguet des Bois Perfume Ads: The Fragrance of Love, Romance and Springtime

I recently stumbled upon these perfume ads from the 1970s for the Muguet des bois by Coty perfume and I really like the illustrations! The spirit of romance and spring, the soft and dreamy colour palettes of green, blue and yellow all transport me into some fairy tale land where the sun always shines and flowers always bloom. I don’t even care for the perfume or the ad, these illustrations on their own are just beautiful. The butterflies, the meadows, the dresses, the girls’ soft curly hair, the way the lilies of the valley just flood the scene in the ad from 1979, the carriage and the romantic woods from the ad from 1978, all so enchanting.

The legend of Muguet des bois, April 1975

The romantic fragrance of the Lily of the Woods, 1978

The fragrance of love, romance, and springtime, 1977

Let yourself go. As far as your dreams take you, 1979

1973

 

1970s Fashion: Real romantics let longdresses set the mood

Some fun 1970s fashions, mostly from the first half of the decade, which I enjoyed looking at recently. And also the amusing descriptions from the original magazines!

October 1973. ‘Real romantics let longdresses set the mood.’

May 1973. ‘The good time begins when you step through the doorway and hear the beat of the band.’

August 1973. ‘He calls and says, “Let’s see a flick.” You say, “Fantastic,” then wonder what to wear.’

March 1977. ‘The soft prom look.’

March 1970. Skinny Bones by Thermo-Jac

April 1973. ‘The outfits that give you the best mileage, even when you’re not on the road, are the ones that mix well with each other…’

June 1973. ’…Splashy summer mixers, sunny little dresses, accessories you punch up in your own clever way…’

April 1973. ‘Here, sister-models Cindy and Lorraine try out long dresses. The kind that can stay home now, go to summer parties later.’

July 1972. ‘Crisp days call for easy pieces with plenty of options.’

September 1975. ‘How long has it been since you gave your jeans a rest and dressed up in something soft and pretty?’

August 1973. ‘What’s going over big in those good-looking school classics? Coats with neoclassic touches.’

February 1975. ‘The color of lipstock and the shine of gloss in one sheer, creamy lipstick.’

September 1975. ‘Challis charm in print with a streak of solid blue…’

May 1973. ‘How do you tie your prom look together…? You add little things here and there that say a lot about your personal style.’

June 1972. ‘Mix it up in a cling-top dress that goes anywhere.’

December 1970. ‘Natural Wonder by Revlon. For pretty young things.’

May 1970. ‘Puckering hug-tops bloom into ripply skirts and bring spring to full power.’

June 1972. ‘Get around in a puff sleeve T that stops short so your midriff can tan.’

July 1972. ‘Take a long skirt in a clan plaid that wraps to the side.’

December 1970. ‘Fresh. Free. Natural. That’s the feeling you get with Cover Girl.’

August 1973. ‘Getting back into dresses? Try a good two-piece plan…’

May 1973. ‘Summer whites get you into the good times, fast.’

May 1973. ‘Fabulous fashions bright-on for summer’

May 1973. ‘Forget the real world and dance the night away; celebrate, enjoy, tonight is for you!’

March 1970. ‘Wide-eyed slink. Come-on innocence. It’s marvelous to have it both ways with Aziza Smoke-Rings.’

January 1973. ‘Now’s the time to get sewing for spring, to stitch up dresses in just about the prettiest, girl-test prints ever.’

September 1973. ‘The fantasy feeling brings together color, shine and really romantic hair.’

October 1973. ‘For the traditionalist, the heirloom look of a Victorian dress in delicate white-on-white striped satin.’

January 1973. ‘Soft lines, feminine patterns – that’s what gentle dressing is all about.’

January 1973. ‘Inside Clairol’s beautiful new creme rinse is the breathtaking fresh essence of mysterious green herbs and enchanted flowers.’

January 1970. ‘Softly, prettily projected…’

November 1977. ‘Bold, gilded accessories add a glamourous touch t a very special evening.’

All the pics found here.

Victorian Influences in Lolita Fashion: Cuteness meets Modesty

I do not dress as a Lolita, but I sure love adding a bit of that cuteness to my wardrobe, and I love the style, not only because it’s cute, slightly eccentric and a bit over the top, but because it is heavily inspired by Victorian fashion. And I made a few collages to illustrate the point.

Contemporary Lolita fashion, which originated in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s but has since gained world wide popularity and attention in fashion magazines, is heavily inspired by certain eras of western fashion – mostly the Victorian fashion or the period from 1830s to early twentieth century. So, it’s a Japanese style inspired by the west, or, more specifically, it’s a romantic vision of the western fashion as seen by the Japan. Lolita fashion isn’t the only occurrence when the Japanese take something from western culture or fashion, twist it around and turn into something fascinating and new, and cover it with a thick layer of cuteness. The aim of Lolita fashion is to look cute or “kawaii” and girly, but there’s also an emphasis on modesty and refinement; nothing tacky, too revealing or too tight-fitted would be accepted into Lolita style.

Silhouette

A typical Lolita dress has a tight-fitted bodice and a wide skirt; either a bell-shaped skirt which flares out from the waist down and ends just below knees, or an A-line skirt which is also flared, but more subtly. While the waistlines may wary; natural waistline is by far the most popular choice, but a high waist and an empire waist similar to the Regency era fashion are also common, the skirt is always wide, like an upside down flower in bloom, it is never tight-fitting or short. This silhouette brings to mind the crinoline dresses from the mid nineteenth century, but they were floor length, while the Lolita dresses are shorter and have more in common with the Victorian fashion for little girls and teenage girls.

Headwear

Lolita headwear tends to be elaborate and distinctly Victorian. Usually a bow or two, but when it comes to bonnets, they are very similar in shape and decoration to the bonnets worn in the early Victorian era, c. late 1830s and early 1840s. Lolita bonnets tend to be even more elaborate, with frills, lace and flowers, and not to forget the ribbons that tie under the chin.

Hair

Lolita hairstyle have very little in common with the hairstyles that women wore throughout the Victorian era, but they have a lot in common with the hairstyles typically worn by little girls and teenager girls before they had their debutante balls and tied their hair up as a sign of maturity and accepting the new womanly phase in life. Lolita fashion has a taste for long hair, worn sometimes in pigtails but mostly in long silky ringlets that look just very similar to the way girls wore their hair in some old Victorian photos, and the way hair was styled for child roles in period dramas set in the Victorian era.

Bodice (Blouse)

In cases where the attire isn’t a one-piece dress but instead constitutes of a skirt separate from the bodice, a white blouse is a popular option, often decorated with subtle lace detailing, little bows or interesting collars. White blouses were often worn by Victorian women, mostly in the late Victorian era and well into the early twentieth century too.

Gloves

And lastly, gloves or lace mittens, a staple piece of a respectable Victorian lady’s wardrobe, which sadly isn’t so fashionable anymore, but a Lolita, especially the Classic Lolita would never leave the house without them.