The Sultry Joys of Vintage Missoni
The Sultry Joys of Vintage Missoni
No support, completely see-through, and easy to pack...aka the perfect summer piece.
I wrote a small piece on Missoni knits. This is part of my The RealReal “The Comeback” series. Go to The RealReal now for the trippy knit selection and knock yourselves out! Ps. Peep “The Comeback” on Tod’s from a few weeks ago.
About two summers ago, I bought a Missoni set from a vintage shop. A slinky tank dress and cardigan that boasted on-acid, bleeding stripes in inky blue and deep red and cream. Finally! A dress that fit me like a glove. It was like wearing a wave that skimmed the dip in the waist and the tingly fabric was frosting on the curve. The material offered no support, so everything jiggled—and I, at times, love that unbridled body bounce moment for myself. And the stares! While I was walking through the World Trade Center’s harrowing Oculus, an optic white sexless tunnel akin to a gynecologist’s waiting room, it was as if I was a bodacious Italian mamma mia chick, swiveling her hips through Rome; some siren who causes scooter crashes and annihilates traffic.
It wasn’t until I found a mirror that I saw that everything underneath was completely see-through, hence the stares. That itty-bitty flossy virgin-white thong? Totally visible. The fact that I wasn’t wearing a bra—and that the Oculus was savagely air-conditioned? Well, I had just given all of New York a show—and it wasn’t even 10 am.
I should have known that Missoni knits are famously—and a bit fabulously—transparent. As legend has it, in 1967, Rosita Missoni and her husband Ottavio “Tai” showed the clingy knits at the Pitti Palace show in Florence. Rosita didn’t like how the models’ underwear looked under the knits, so she had them take off their underpinnings. When the stage lights flashed, it appeared as if the models were, well, flashing the crowd themselves. It was a total nude show—and a disaster. The Italian knitwear duo were not invited back the following season. Non ci posso credere!
The see-through component is undoubtedly a raw, sex-charged moment that has become a signature for the label. There are some incredible Missoni shows in the late ‘90s where supermodels march down the runway in the gossamer threads with their goods on display. In a YouTube video of the spring 1998 Missoni show, there’s a major spike in views when Gisele stomps around in a should-be corporate black V-neck that happens to be translucent. Oy.
Beyond the obvious naked appeal of Missoni knits, the fabric and prints are incredible. The way the Charmin-soft material hits the body is pure bliss. That’s not silk. That’s not satin. Fun fact: Missoni has historically used rayon (how retro!) because, according to Signora Missoni, the synthetic material held the dyes the best. And, of course, the dyes are paramount to the Missoni identity. Back in the mid-50s, Rosita and Ottavio (a former Olympic hurdler!) owned the first-ever factory to create active sportswear in Italy. Fast-forward, I presume to the mid-60s, when Missoni began producing their own knits, the knitwear matriarch returned to her parents’ factory, which had produced bedspreads and shawls. There, she found the “prototype of the space dyes” her parents used. (To space dye is when a single yarn is dyed in different sections.) The prints are traffic-stopping, and while they are completely man-made, they feel like they follow a pattern out of nature, like a fractal zig-zag.
This past summer collection for Missoni was refreshing, and it felt like it took the solid parts of yesteryear. Floss-thin fabric, the naughty peekaboo that occurs through the cirrus rayon, and those uplifting prints that tremble and vibrate with every strut. No-nonsense dresses. Nothing trendy. According to the Vogue Runway review, the current creative director, Filippo Grazioli used Kaleidoscope of Dreams, a book about the late Ottavio’s prints, as inspiration. A great day for house codes.
In vacation-verse, there’s a myriad of ways that people wear Missoni: beach coverups, shawls, bandanas. (Rachel Tashjian mentioned in Opulent Tips that she used a Missoni hand towel as a scarf). The pieces historically make for good packing, too. In 1971, as the popularity of Missoni grew, the late Bernadine Morris of The New York Times mentioned a funny packing blooper that illustrated just how well the brand traveled. A young Italian woman arrived in Southhampton for a long weekend with a mere bag (!), and the host, noticing the tiny carryall, asked if she was indeed staying. Little did the host know that the bag was actually filled with Missoni pieces. They don’t take up too much space. You can truly ball those things up, stuff ‘em in there, and pull them out—unwrinkled! Currently, there are zillions of already-worn pieces of Missoni on The RealReal, and most are as good—and as slinky—as they get. Though, in some cases, I’d suggest maybe buying a slip.
A Mini Rando Report (!):
Selena Gomez gave her best pout in a “Pickle Princess” bedazzled dill green baby tank top by Old Jewish Men. Mazel tov to the hot, hunched men behind the brand.
In the chat,
is selling these really fab strappy sandals. She thought she could smoosh her size 9 feet into an 8. I’ve been there. A phalangeal tragedy but an incredible learning experience. Speaking of regrettable buys, I want to bring Closet Psyche back.
I’m currently reading an issue of Marie Claire from August 1998. (Christy Turlington is on the cover…modeling a gaze of dissociation). Anyway, late ‘90s Vogues are a hot commodity, but Marie Claires from that era are incredible. Poignant stories. Real women. Aspirational but attainable clothes. Great editorials. However, editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike has fantastically been bringing that magazine back to its powerful roots.
Does anyone know of a jean doctor? I need a custom-made pair. Long torso ladies, please reveal yourselves and tell me what you like. I love my Wranglers, but I need to…make a switch. Maybe
can help.Obsessed with Gucci Westman and her Nicolas Ghesquière-era Balenciaga cargos. Ask Balenci-MENSA brain Eden Pritikin if there are any still on the market.
Read my piece for The Malin, aka my workspace, my sanctuary, my home away from home, about bad bathroom lighting…sickening!
Also, I always say this, but a new NEVERWORNS will happen soon. For now, watch me and the Sykes sisters get down and dirty.
Girl you betterrrr delete and gatekeep this. As a diehard Missoni fan, the resale prices are still so cheap and we can't let others onto us. Thanks xo
So true about office lighting! I always thought “I don’t remember leaving the house looking like this!”
Also shout out to 90’s W magazines. I’ve got a nice stack (along with my Vogues and Harper’s Bazaar). They always felt like your cool older cousin who you secretly wanted to be.