The Way We Wore

Owner Doris Raymond opens up her personal closet in The Way We Wore, revealing a treasure trove of delicate frocks from the late 19th century to the early '80s. The store, which is in the space formerly occupied by the late, great shoe store Diavolina, has no mothball smells or secondhand cooties. Raymond kept the previous store's dramatic gold lame canopy, white-studded walls and leopard-print carpeting upstairs, which houses the couture section of the shop. We found dresses Charlize Theron wore in The Legend of Bagger Vance (and they were smaller than you'd think she'd wear), beaded-Indian saris, a dress that appeared to be made out of newspaper and dainty vintage shoes (with no traces of toe jam). The downstairs is stocked with clothes, hats and jewelry, including mint-condition 1940s silk floral print dresses, 1950s pin-up bathing suits and 1960s mod dresses with white trim. The excellent selection and like-new condition of items is reflected in the prices, which range from $20 to $100,000.—Mai Dinh

---

---