Jonny Herbert Dresses - 1958

"Jonny Herbert does the Capri de Havana" So goes the title of a several page ad from a 1958 magazine. Jonny Herbert was a Seventh Avenue company that specialized in junior sized cocktail and evening dresses in the 1950s and 60s. The Hotel and Casino de Capri in Havana, Cuba, was built in 1957 and opened in November of that year. The 19 story hotel and casino had a rooftop pool and was built by mobster Santo Trafficante as a draw for vacationing Americans. The ad pages feature Jonny Herbert dresses in various shots taken in the hotel, casino, and the surrounding Havana neighborhood.

Above, a Chantilly lace dress that was available in white, pink, blue, and black. Sold for $49 in 1958 (about $373 in today's dollar).

Pin dot taffeta strapless dress with matching jacket came in navy, gray, and blue. Sold for $39 in 1958 (about $296 in today's dollar).

Rose printed silk surah dress with bows at the shoulders came in green, royal, and red. Sold for $39 in 1958 (about $296 in today's dollar).

Taffeta bubble skirt dress with buttons at the front came in navy or black. Sold for $35 in 1958 (about $266 in today's dollar).

I love the composition of this photo. The model wears a silk/linen sheath dress with matching jacket and is surrounded by Cubans. The suit was available in navy, black, blue, and beige. Sold for $55 in 1958 (about $418 in today's dollar).

By the way, the Hotel de Capri closed in 2003 and today sits empty and derelict. You can see the rooftop pool in the opening scene of the 1959 film "Our Man in Havana".

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Full Skirts - 1959

By 1959, the heydey of the full skirt is starting to wane. The look is still popular, but we see much less volume and shorter hemlines. Crinoline petticoats are not worn as often. Bell shaped skirts and skirts with volume at the sides and back instead of all the way around give the appearance of fullness while using less fabric than the dresses of 5 years before.

As I said yesterday, women expected a dress they purchased to last several years. In order to keep up with fashion, most women shortened the hems of their dresses that they had purchased in the mid 1950s rather than buy new ones.

Mr. Mort dress with bolero jacket from 1959.

Left: Gold brocade dress with fullness at sides and back and shorter hem by Youth Guild. Sold for $30 in 1959 (about $220 in today's dollar).
Right: Black point d'esprit lace over black organdy lining by Anne Fogarty hemmed just at the knee. Sold for $50 in 1959 (about $366 in today's dollar).

Kasper white silk beaded dress with bell shaped skirt. Sold for $125 in 1960 (about $900 in today's dollar).

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