1938- John Bates aka Jean Varon

[Sacheverelle]

'60s Jean Varon Dress

www.ebay.com

Frothy pink dotty vintage 1960s Jean Varon empire dress
Impossibly adorable, this candy floss pink confection by John Bates for Jean Varon is a perfect example of the stunning empire-line evening dresses for which he was famed in the mid Sixties. Bates was fond of the underwear-as-outerwear look, which sometimes reflected in skimpiness but also in frills and the kind of unashamed romance you were more likely to see in a negligee than an evening gown at the time. This dress is frilly, there's no denying it. Pink and spotty too, full and frothy but never anything less than showstopping and elegant. How he did it, I'll never know but Mr Bates was a complete genius! - emmapeelpants

 

[Sacheverelle]

My 1970s Jean Varon Dress

I got this flowy 1970s Varon dress on eBay from emmapeelpants. She called it 'Ethereal Jean Varon Dress'.



http://shop.ebay.com


The fabric doesn' breathe so it's kind of hot to wear.







Crappy digital photos taken by me.

 

[Sacheverelle]

EmmaPeelPants has an excellent blog re: this era in fashion.
My dress pictured here (hee hee
http://emmapeelpants.blogspot.com/search?q=Jean+Varon


She is a very nice lady to buy from & her prices have been quite reasonable.
I bought 2 pieces from her just a few months ago, right before the dollar went bust.

 

[La bordélique]

All text & images from the book
'John Bates: Fashion Designer' (2008)
written by Richard Lester.

1964: John Bates in the stockroom of Jean Varon, Woodstock Street, with house model Judith Allera in a banded crepe dress selling at 21 guineas.

Jean Shrimpton models John's 'Lily of the Valley' dress, the bodice covered in hundreds of tiny flowerheads, 1964.

A Jean Varon first: Grace Coddington models dresses with stockings to match, in tiny floral print or with pendant appliqués.

Mrs Peel - we're needed!' Diana Rigg previews designs for the show with John Bates.

Sleek, confident and not without humour: Diana Rigg models some of the most iconic clothes of the decade for The Sunday Times in 1965.

Will Kane at flickr.com

 

[La bordélique]

John Bates' sketches for Diana Rigg as Emma Peel, using a simple two tone palette and crisp, modern lines.

'Kasbah', modelled by Jean Shrimpton for Vogue in January 1965.

A classic shape for the mid 1960s in bold checks with a bow at the bust, shot by Traeger for Vogue.

Down by the quay, Jean Shrimpton wears an op-art ensemble which was to take America by storm aboard the QE2. John Bates stands over her shoulder.

John's bold designs for 1965 in a two tone palette were unlike anything seen before, and allowed him to develop a look which began on screen in The Avengers, with co-ordinated dress, stockings and shoes.

Short and sweet, the vitality of the new length caught for French magazine Jardin des Modes.

Will Kane at flickr.com

 

[La bordélique]

Short and chic, a Jean Varon wedding dress for 1967 with chiffon veil, photographed by Norman Parkinson for Vogue, retailing at 19 guineas.

October 1966 in Vogue: John's use of challenging fabric started with PVC in 1962 and continued into the second half of the decade with metallic and brightly coloured crepes.

For Autumn/Winter 1967 Twiggy models the Jean Varon short, full cape, worn with shorts as an alternative to a mini.

The new lace: a square of Calais lace over white taffeta, shoulder bows in black satin, £13 2s 6d.

The new shirtwaster: window pane checks in pink, blue, green and yellow, the turned up collar line in yellow to match the low drawstring belt, £6 19s 6d.

The new sleeve: slashed to the long cuffs in purple bouclé wool, on a dress with wide buckled belt, £10 9s 6d.

Will Kane at flickr.com

 

[La bordélique]

Photographed by Cecil Beaton for Vogue, Twiggy models a Jean Varon mini dress in yellow velvet, with hems continuing their journey skywards into 1967.

June 1967: from 'Young Ideas' in Vogue 'smallest yellow crepe tunic with greatest electric effect', skinny scooped top, side buttons, and a tiny skirt with drawstring tie 11 guineas.

The "little girl look": linen mini dress with wide hipster belt, circa 1968.

Tiers of toning tassels: Jean Shrimpton spends some time with herself in a Jean Varon mini dress, shot for Vogue.

A step on from the 'Ad Lib': a mini dress with alternating bands of crepe and sheer georgette.

Will Kane at flickr.com