Dita von Teese Clothing Collection

Dita von Teese's clothing collection can now be ordered from the Decades web site! And yes, they ship globally! Let's take another look at the different pieces, and see where Dita got the inspiration to create each of them from!

The Bon Bon Dress

"This is a combination of two of my vintage dresses. The luxurious velvet ribbon straps tied neatly in a bow is a detail from a 1930s gown that I own. The inspiration for the fabric comes from a favorite 1940s dress in my closet. I had the idea of reworking this beautiful print with my signature retro-styled half moon manicure. It was 20 years ago that I first discovered this vintage beauty method of manicure by closely studying vintage glamour photos, and I've been painting my nails this way ever since. It's an obsession of mine, so I was delighted to find a way to work it into the silk print!"

The Follow Me Dress

"This is designed after a dress from the 1950s that I have worn over and over for about eleven years, and I always get compliments on it. It is timeless and always chic, which makes it a perfect wardrobe staple. I like to wear it with different vintage brooches from my collection on the shoulder. I have worn this dress over the years on red carpets, to events, parties and for many a romantic rendezvous. We remade this dress with a beautiful silk lining and silk chiffon, and I'm especially happy to have an improved version of the original dress in my wardrobe!"

The Second Look Dress

"There is a very simple, sleek black vintage dress I wear often, and one of my most elegant friends loves this dress, often stating it is so simple, yet it is the height of chic, with nothing to distract from the beauty of woman. I love to wear extravagant clothes, but every woman must remember to also have something simple but sexy to wear. I called this the "Second Look" dress because it may not seem like much, but when you slip into it with it's figure-hugging power- mesh interior, you're bound to get a second look!"

The Showcase Dress

"I have a vintage dress in my collection that has a very deep sculpted neckline, and I would often wear it with various different beautiful bras underneath it to give it a sexy and unique look as the lace teasingly peeks out of the top. Sometimes I would wear it simply as is, with it's deep plunge "showcasing" my decollatage. With a below the knee hemline, it's the perfect way to bring sensuality and sophistication together."

The VIP Coat

"I've always said that the key to achieving glamour on the go is to have a very chic coat. I collect coats from the 1950s, because the hourglass fit and flare silhouette is so flattering. I wanted to bring this shape to the classic black trench coat, and this one has wonderful details like a hidden pocket, a tulle lining for a bit of volume, and the lovely grosgrain waist ribbon, which is a tribute to vintage couture. I might add that one of my favorite tools of seduction is a sexy coat, which I wear with nothing but black stockings and lingerie underneath!"

I know a lot of people where a bit chocked over the fact that the pieces in this collection cost as much as they do, thinking Dita would create something everyone could afford. A few days ago miss von Teese posted a note about this on Facebook:

"I've launched several brands recently, and I've had to make a lot of choices that weren't always black & white. It is true that my dress collection is a little bit more expensive, and that is because I wanted the linings to be silk and I wanted all the details to be up to par with my vintage pieces with things like embroidered grosgrain waistbands, silk velvet and all the things that make a differ

ence upon close inspection. Unfortunately, those details come with a higher cost to make, especially in this era of manufacturing. I would like to offer a more affordable line too, and perhaps I will, but this first one is a very limited edition collection based on my vintage wardrobe treasures. This line is for those that see the benefit of obtaining one forever piece rather than a bunch of clothes that go unworn. This is one of the lessons I have personally learned over the years, so I decided this would be my first approach. I also felt that in light of my perfume, makeup and lingerie collections being in the more accessible price range, that this was the right approach for this first clothing collection. Lastly, of course no matter what the price point is, someone is going to be unhappy with it. So thank you for understanding my choices. I would love nothing more than to wave a magic wand and offer you full blown haute couture for free. That would be a neat trick, no?"

Haute couture for free would certainly be nice! But on the other hand it would soon get boring, since everyone would be seen wearing it, all the time! And as a vintage clothing collector myself, I know you have to pay more the better the condition the old garment is in, but then you will have something beautiful to wear for as long as you can fit into it - if you take care of it of course. One of the reason there is so much vintage clothes out there that is still wearable, is because they often used better materials, and actually took the time to give the pieces those extra finesses that made them hold together for decades - in comparison to some cheap mass producers of today - *cough* H&M *cough* - whose clothes lose their shape and breaks after just a few washes...Dita's collection is still a bit out of my price range, but if I didn't already have, and really needed, a well made dress that would never go out of style, I would save up and get one anyway! Probably the "Follow Me Dress"...

Photo: Sheryl Nields

All photos (except for bottom pic) by Damien Pleming for lime door brands.