SCISSOR SISTERS

Ossie Clark famously could take shears to Celia Birtwell printed chiffon and cut into it so confidently that the strips of fabric could be sewn together to create a gown like that one below.  I remember buying two of these gowns 15 years ago at Portobello Market before Ossie became a collector's rage.  We also had the definitive collection of vintage Ossie which we famously exhibited (and sold) at Decades a few years after Clark's untimely death in 1996.  Some archival photos of our historic collection are viewable here.  It was with great nostaliga when this Ossie came our way.  If you are unfamiliar with Ossie, do yourself a favor and have a Google-fest.  I bet this is one of the first dresses and prints that you discover!

-Cameron

Ossie Clark iconic printed chiffon dress size 4 to 6, c.70s SOLD
 For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-1960. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing.

OSSIE CLARK ICONIC COAT

In a way we are all looking forward to November when Resort 2012 collections hit the stores. All designers stepped it up this season including designers like Prabal Gurung and Joseph Altuzarra who added for the first time a Resort collection this year. One of the trends for this resort is the trench coat for every season. From the bright red leather trench at YSL to the patent one at Chloe, trenches came in all colors, prints and fabrications.

Why wait till November when you can get yours here;

This fantastic Ossie Clark piece de resistance: a snakeskin coat with brown leather bold trim and collar from around 1967. This is about as quintessentially Ossie as one can get and the coat is a very special addition to any fashionable connoisseur's collection of vintage fashion. It remains totally wearable and in surprisingly supple condition for a coat that probably saw it's share of Rolling Stones concerts and David Hockney happenings; all while making the fashionable transition from mod to hippie.

Ossie Clark snakeskin coat trimmed in brown leather, c 1967. Modern size 4 SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or todd@dtwo1.com or call + 1 323 655-1960. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting, so may offer you a high level of personal service.

Saucy Ossie

Ossie Clark is probably the most knocked-off designer in the history of fashion. His designs look simple and effortless, but his attention to detail and ingenuity are unparalleled. He was well known for using moss crepe fabric and prints created by his wife Celia Birtwell. This dress is not a Birtwell print, but it does have some amazing black satin detailing around the neck and the key-hole down the front. The classic 60's baby-doll shape and gathered princess sleeve make this little black number chic and sexy. Check out the video above to see Ossie in action on the streets of London. Side note- the dress has been shortened from it's original length

Ossie Clark black moss crepe long sleeve baby doll with black satin detail, c.60's. Modern size 4

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting.

OSSIE CLARK SPRING ESSENTIALS

With daylight savings time just around the corner (I can't wait for the longer days), now is the perfect time to add some Ossie Clark to your wardrobe. His maxi dresses in moss crepe look fabulous with sandals when the sun is shining. With signature full sleeves, wide collar, and zig-zag waist insert in Celia Birtwell's brilliant mix of tulips and graphic checks of blue and black, this is a wonderful collectible example of both Ossie Clark's classic silhouette and Celia Birtwell's memorable print. It's a perfect match! Way before Decades started the blog, we had a major Ossie Clark retrospective with around 150 pieces at our store in Los Angeles. It was the most amazing collection. I only wish we still had all those incredible pieces, but they went to very happy homes...as I imagine this one will, also.
-Cameron



Ossie Clark for Radley black maxi moss crepe dress with Celia Birtwell print sleeves, collar, and waist, c. 1970s. Marked size 36, modern size 4 to narrow 6. SOLD
For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting.

Let the Sunshine!

It's pouring outside and I am over it! The sun needs to come back and I need to bask in the rays of Ra's (Egyptian Sun God) glory. To help induce this I have decided to post this amazing bright yellow Ossie Clark dress. I really want to go hiking tomorrow, so lets hope this offering to Ra works!

The dress is a classic Ossie wool crepe long sleeve with buttons all down the front from the over sized collar to the mid thigh. The princess cuffs add a sense of whimsy, and the bright yellow color is perfect for all those upcoming Easter events. Now I implore all of you to make your own sacrifice to the sun God of your choosing (nothing crazy people, keep it clean and legal) and Let the Sunshine.

Obviously I feel the need for a little musical theatre today, so I've posted a video to help you make it through the rain!

*Daniel*

Ossie Clark vibrant yellow wool crepe long sleeve dress with large collar, c.70's. Contemporary size 4-6. SOLD

For additional information,

please emaiblog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting, so may offer you a high level of personal service.

Strawberries and Cream

By now you should all know who Ossie Clark is, if you do not please further your fashion education by clicking here. Now onto the show...

This moss crepe dress has a wonderful Celia Birtwell print in cream and rose colors. The print shows a series of snakes slithering through a garden. The material is gathered at the elbow and the shoulders adding a nice bit of drama to a classic shape. There are ties in the back that accent that oh so desirable hour glass shape.

Ossie Clark for Radley strawberries and cream Celia Birtwell print, c.70's. Contemporary size 4-6 SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting, so may offer you a high level of personal service.

JADE OSSIE

Nobody makes a better empire waist, flutter sleeve, moss crepe dress than Ossie Clark. True, when it comes to Ossie, they are de rigueur, so it's no wonder he mastered all of these elements in his imminently wearable day dresses from the late 1960s and early 70s. And they continue to inspire today's designers and style setters alike.

Ossie Clark moss crepe jade flutter sleeve empire waist belted dress, c. 1970s. Modern size 4 to small 6 SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting, so may offer you a high level of personal service.

40S? 70S? 2010?

Great design often avoids a time stamp. It is the timeless quality of celebrated vintage design that repeatedly draws clients worldwide to Decades in an effort to invest in clothing that will last not only a lifetime but not be disposable after a season.

Case in point: this black moss crepe and satin Ossie Clark tuxedo dress. At first glance, it could be a Valentina dress from the 1940s due to it's sleek cut and deep plunge balanced by long sleeves. Or it could be a variation of a modern Roland Mouret dress for 2010. The connoisseur can immediately identify the Ossie-isms of this dress: the signature crepe fabric; the turned up cuffs; the easy access bosom; the 40s Vamp influence; the self belt that nips the waist only to let the fuller skirt look more pronounced...dare we go on? This is a cocktail dress that could certainly be a dry dress for the type of woman who doesn't spend her mornings in Lululemon. This is also a cocktail dress that could certainly be an evening-cum-black tie dress for the type of woman who knows the power of elegant make-up and hair combined with dramatic accoutrement help a woman transition from day to "after 5" to a formal affair. Most important, this is a dress for a woman who transcends the limitations of trends, time, and decades. This is a dress for a woman who embraces the past, lives in the present, and is prepared for the future. It helps to be prepared for the future with the perfect Ossie hanging in your closet.

Ossie Clark for Radley black moss crepe and satin trim "tuxedo" self belt dress, c. early 1970s. Modern size 4 to 6 SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting.

All The Elements

This Ossie Clark dress has all the iconic treatments that have become synonymous with the dress. The dress is made from cream moss crepe, a material from which many Ossie pieces are cut. Now for some Details; pleated Keyhole front, open back, wrap dress, pleated balloon sleeve. We have had similar Ossie Clark pieces in before, but they had one or two of iconic details listed above, but not all of them. This dress truly sums up the Ossie Clark aesthetic; simple details, great fabric, fabulous cut. One last note, this would make the perfect wedding dress for a chic bride "in the know." To see some of our other Ossie Clark pieces click here.

Ossie Clark keyhole front backless cream moss crepe dress, c. late 60's. Contemporary size 4 SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting.

Poppies, Pre-Radley

For the Ossie Clark fans out there, this post is simply the beginning. Before Ossie was producing collections for Alfred Radley, he was partnered with Alice Pollock, selling the collection under his own name. The pieces from the collections that were produced during those independent years are much harder to come by and far less commercial.

The piece below is a black viscose material with the classic Birtwell pink and green poppy print. Unlike any other Ossie we have had, this one has a black suede bib down the front and back with oval cut-outs on the shoulders. The leather is accented with green scalloped ribbon and silver buckles on the shoulders. Below the bib, both front and back there is amazing pleating work. Just about any Ossie is collectible, but this Ossie is beyond.

Ossie Clark black viscose and suede poppy print dress, c.1965. Marked size 10, contemporary size 4 SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting.

Springtime for Ossie

For the first garden party of the season, nothing could be more appropriate than this ivory chiffon Ossie Clark dress. The print on the dress is a classic Celia Britwell floral heart with ivory satin accents on the shoulders, and floral applique below the neckline. The dress has an empire waist and angel sleeves, with a beautiful keyhole opening in the back.

Ossie Clark ivory chiffon and satin dress with Celia Britwell heart floral print, c.late 1960's. COntemporary size 4-6. SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting.