Vintage Perry Ellis ca. 1979

 I was talking to a friend the other day on the phone, and he mentioned he had these original fashion watercolors from Perry Ellis years ago.  "What years, and when can I see them?" were my first questions.  And here's the first of the prints.

 In the close-fitting skullcaps and bandeau straps there's the spirit of an American flapper, like something Chanel would have sketched up in the late 1970s, had she seen fit by then to expose the knee.

Effortless, sporty elegance circa 1979.  We see vintage clothes by Perry's peers, including Ralph Lauren and Bill Blass of the same time period.  We don't see Perry Ellis much.  Perhaps that's because these well-made resort clothes were well-loved and didn't make it to the next generation so often.  In these prints, we can certainly see the chic that would make this so.