This month — in the spirit of Fashion Week El Paseo — we take a fun look back at the styles featured in the pages of vintage Palm Springs Life magazines
As Christian Dior, the fashion designer of the late 1940s and ’50s, stated, “Simplicity, good taste, and grooming are the three fundamentals of good dressing.” As we discovered by paging through old issues of this magazine, that was remarkably apparent in Palm Springs during the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. Back issues of the magazine depicted fashionable women who donned the latest trends in their daily lives — attending fashion shows and social events — and fashion spreads that showcased the latest looks for women wanting to be resort and country club chic. Here’s a peek at what we found.
1963: A ladylike skirt and matching cardigan (left) were the consummate style for an afternoon at the club. Perfect white pumps and gloves assured the most elegant entrance.
Fashion Rewind
Photo from the Palm Springs Life archives
1969: With more than 4,000 swimming pools located in Palm Springs in 1969, a demure yet revealing clingy knit swimsuit was a stylish necessity.
Fashion Rewind
Photo from the Palm Springs Life archives
1974: This update on the classic shirtdress silhouette of the ’50s was designed by Halston from silk crepe and embellished with iridescent paillettes.
Halston styled classics into showstoppers that were suitable for Studio 54 or Palm Springs’ evening soirees.
Photo from the Palm Springs Life archives
1962: This full skirt is enhanced by many starched petticoats, but in Palm Springs the sheer white cotton dress with spaghetti straps was a great way to stay cool. White kitten-heeled mules perfectly completed this bare resort look.
Fashion Rewind
Photo from the Palm Springs Life archives
1962: A little black dress is reflective of what was then known as Dior’s “new look.”
The sheer sleeves and bodice show a bolder and braver woman who is eager to reveal her tiny waist, but the addition of black gloves maintains its refinement. The flared and pleated panel over-skirt may have been removable to create a more versatile dress.
Photo from the Palm Springs Life archives
1964: The prosperity of the ’50s created a new category of fashion called “resort wear” that was ideal for desert life, as seen in this terry playsuit.
The look may have been an inspiration for Norma Kamali’s 1980 bathing suits or Donna Karan’s stretch body suits.
Photo from the Palm Springs Life archives
1965: Jacqueline Kennedy was an extraordinary influence on women who did not want to wear the more radical clothes of the mid-to-late ’60s.
A sheath with scalloped hemline and bowed waist (right) provided an ideal background for a strand of matinee-length pearls. The elbow-length gloves and kitten-heeled pumps were the only other ladylike accessories needed.
Photo from the Palm Springs Life archives
1967: Following the rigid constrictions of the ’50s, the ’60s offered alternatives for evening wear.
The mini was great for younger girls, but the bead-trimmed, undefined bodice designed from a softer fabric served as an elegant and easy solution for a desert lifestyle.
Photo from the Palm Springs Life archives
1969: Thigh-high platform boots, shorter skirts, and flared bell bottoms were popular in late ’60s, along with the “wet look” for outerwear.
Fashion was influenced by the bold colors of futuristic designers such as Andre Correges, Pierre Cardin, and (a protégé and eventual replacement for Christian Dior) Yves Saint Laurent.
Photo from the Palm Springs Life archives
1967: In the late ’60s, many designers began to create comfortable fashions in bright colors and prints to adapt to the mantra of “turn on, tune in, and drop out.” This bold swim cover-up was the answer to whichever direction was chosen.
Fashion Rewind
Photo from the Palm Springs Life archives
1970: Italian designer Emilio Pucci inspired bold prints in bright colors and black and white. These two long maxi dresses were photographed at the La Quinta resort.
Fashion Rewind
Photo from the Palm Springs Life archives
1974: Bill Blass, who helped bring America to the forefront of fashion, designed this daring, celery-colored silk jersey easy-flowing creation.
The versatility of jersey was a good fit for women who had to pack a small suitcase for a pleasure trip to Palm Springs.
Photo from the Palm Springs Life archives
1964: A fashion editorial reveals a sheer white penoir with satin ribbons that could complete every bride’s trousseau.