Summer Cover-up Dresses - 1958
Showing posts with label vintage dresses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vintage dresses. Show all posts
Why Can't I Find a 50s Dress That Will Fit Me?
James Galanos, 1955That's the#1 question I get in my inbox. Other versions are, "Why are the waist sizes on all your 50s dresses so tiny?" or "My measurements are 36-30-37 (or 42-37-44, or 39-33-38). Do you have a 50s dress that will fit me?" In fact, I get this question so often, I am going to address it here for all of you who have been frustrated in your search for an authentic vintage dress.
The fact of the matter is, the industry standard for measurements in the 1950s was a 10" difference between the bust and waist. That means if you find a dress with a 36" bust measurement, 9 times out of 10, that dress will have a waist that measures 26". If you don't have a waist that is 10" smaller than your bust (and believe me, most of us modern women don't), that explains why you're having a difficult time in your search.
So what's a gal to do? Here are some suggestions to help you overcome the obstacles.
#1 - Consider foundation garments.
Yes, a girdle. In the 1950s, every woman wore one nearly every day starting in her teens. If you'd been wearing a girdle from the age of 15 or so, you'd likely have a tiny waist too, as it would have been trained into shape! I've talked about the importance of wearing foundation garments with your vintage dresses before. If your waist is only 1"-2" larger than what it needs to be to fit into that dress, wearing a strong girdle or waist cincher may be just what you need to get that dress to fit. I'm not talking about Spanx or shapewear. They just won't give enough support. Here are some suggestions for finding the correct modern foundation garment for you.#2 - Consider separates.
If you can't find a dress that will work, consider separates. Look for a vintage skirt that will fit your waist and pair it with a blouse, a knit top, or a jacket that fits your bust. Voila!#3 - Consider a dress from the 60s instead.
Pierre Cardin, 1966By the mid-to-late 60s, women were moving away from wearing a girdle at all times, and styles moved to a more relaxed waistline. If there is a 6" or less difference between your bust and waist measurements, your body type may be more suited to a shift or empire waisted style from the 1960s. Try it!
#4 - Have a dress altered to fit you.
Many vintage dresses were made with the understanding that the new owner would have the garment altered for a custom fit. As such, they are often made with sufficient seam allowances to let a dress out at the waist by 1"-2" or more. You can also consider letting out the back darts in the bodice to gain more room, although this sometimes leaves visible needle marks in the fabric. A talented seamstress can add narrow panels into the side seams to let out the waist even more. While an alteration like this is not invisible, it is a workable option if you need to let out a dress more than 3". Before buying, ask the seller how deep the seam allowances are or if there is sufficient fabric in the hem to cut narrow bands for those extra panels.#5 - Sew your own or have a dress custom made.
Most of the major pattern companies now offer modern reissues of vintage styles. And vintage patterns abound on the web. If you can sew and know how to alter a pattern to fit, making your own dress is a great option. If you are going to use a vintage pattern, you'll likely have to know how to grade the pattern up or down to fit your size. If you can't sew, find a good custom dressmaker in your area to do the job for you.
I hope these suggestions help you in your search! If you have another to add, please post it in the comments! Read more...
David Crystal Dresses, 1955 #2
Today we continue our look at the 8 dresses by David Crystal that were sold in some of America's finest department stores in 1955.
Cotton striped sheath in blue, brown, or pink on white. The Halle Bros. Co. in Cleveland carried the dresses. Sold for $29.95 in 1955 (about $244.00 in today's dollar.)
This silk shantung full skirted dress featured polka dot accents at the neckline and sleeve cuffs. It came in black or navy with red polka dots or beige with brown dots. Hudson's in Detroit carried the line. Sold for $45.00 in 1955 (about $366.00 in today's dollar.)
Pleated stripes with lots of movement in rayon. The dress came in pink, navy, or aqua with white stripes. Burdines in Florida carried the line. Sold for $25.00 in 1955 (about $203.00 in today's dollar.)
Double breasted full skirt dress in Dacron/rayon blend checks. The dress came in navy, black, brown, or red with white checks. Julius Garfinckel in Washington, D.C. carried the line. Sold for $39.95 in 1955 (about $325.00 in today's dollar.)
I'm hard pressed to choose a favorite, but I really like the first silk printed one from yesterday. And the simple dress with matching sweater. The polka dots are really nice. And stripes are always fun................
David Crystal Dresses, 1955 #1
When I say the name David Crystal, what comes to mind are the polyester dresses he made for Izod LaCoste in the 1960s. But the David Crystal label meant quality dresses, suits, and separates from the time the company began in 1906. In 1955, the David Crystal company took out an 8 page advertisement that featured 8 dresses for spring and resort. Each page featured a different high end department store that carried all 8 dresses. I'll show you the pages today and tomorrow. Which one is your favorite?
Gray or blue floral print on white silk surah fashions this classic shirtwaist dress. Bergdorf Goodman, arguably the finest department store in America, carried these dresses. Sold for $49.95 in 1955 (about $406.00 in today's dollar.)
A button front sheath in Tootal linen was offered in ice blue, pink, white, black, and orange. I. Magnin carried the line. Sold for $39.95 in 1955 (about $325.00 in today's dollar.) Want that handbag!
This darling rayon dress came with a coordinating wool sweater in pink, blue or beige. Thalimer's of Richmond carried the line. Sold for $49.95 in 1955 (about $406.00 in today's dollar.)
White polka dots on red, brown, gray, or navy silk shantung. Neiman Marcus carried the line too. Sold for $55.00 in 1955 (about $448.00 in today's dollar.)
I love the drawings, don't you? Unfortunately, there is no credit given to the artist.
Floral Dresses for Spring - 1956
Rose gardens seemed to grow rampantly on silk dresses for spring in 1956. Nothing could be more feminine and all of these dresses bring to mind warm evenings on the veranda with gentle whiffs of nature's most elegant scent, a garden of roses. Ahhhhhhh.
Christian Dior
Henry a la Pensee
Christian Dior
Jacques Fath
Nina Ricci
Printed Dresses for Spring - 1948
Spring always heralds the wearing of pretty prints. Here, dresses from 1948. Which is your favorite?
Christian Dior linen with embroidered flowers.
Jean Desses blue and white striped silk taffeta.
Gabrielle geometric print rayon dress with a large white collar.
Left: Clouds dance on rayon crepe by Madeleine de Rauch.Right: Hermes uses polka dots because spring wouldn't be spring without polka dots.
Greta Plattry, 1955
Greta Plattry was an American designer of sportswear in the 1940s and 50s. Her work was on par with that of Claire McCardell, Tina Leser, and Joset Walker. Her clothes were versatile, comfortable, and extremely wearable. The following photos were taken by Richard Avedon in 1955 for a 4 page advertisement for Greta Plattry co-ordinates. Finding any of these today would surely make me smile!
Left: One-shoulder sundress in a cotton border print. Sold for $25 in 1955 (about $204 in today's dollar.)
Right: One-shoulder swimsuit with drawstrings at the side legs. Matching beach shirt to wear over it. Set sold for $30 in 1955 (about $245 in today's dollar.)
Left: Boat print swimsuit. Sold for $15 in 1955 (about $123 in today's dollar.)
Right: Boat print cotton sundress with rope belt. Sold for $25 in 1955 (about $204 in today's dollar.)
Left: Fish print cotton dress with tiny bows. Sold for $20 in 1955 (about $163 in today's dollar.)
Right: The same fish print cotton is used for a two-piece swimsuit and sailor collared beach shirt. Set sold for $22 in 1955 (about $180 in today's dollar.)
Left: White eyelet full skirt worn with a black cotton one-shoulder top. Set sold for $33 in 1955 (about $270 in today's dollar.)
Right: Swimsuit in white eyelet lined in pink broadcloth worn with a coordinating beach shirt. Set sold for $43 in 1955 (about $351 in today's dollar.)
Doris Fein Dresses
I came across this 1955 John Wanamaker ad today. Isn't this dress adorable? It's by Doris Fein, a name I was unfamiliar with.
1950In researching Doris Fein, I found that the company made dresses for the junior market from about 1947 to the early 1960s.
1951While most of their dresses were made in cotton, they also offered wool jerseys and rayons.
1951The most interesting thing is, with one exception, all of the dresses I found from the 1950s were priced at $14.95 (about $120 in today's dollar). This may have been a clever marketing gimmick so that the company became known for stylish dresses at an inexpensive price point.
1955What I do know is that these are some cute dresses and I'll be on the lookout for the label from now on! Read more...
Jonathan Logan Dresses - 1955
I've talked about my love of Jonathan Logan dresses in the past. While perusing an August issue of a 1955 fashion magazine geared toward younger women, I found page after page of ads for Jonathan Logan dresses. Each ad was paired with a regional department store, like Goldsmiths, Best Apparel, and Woodward & Lothrop, and included a coupon for ordering the dress. That way, the manufacturer and the department store shared the cost of the ad, and Jonathan Logan dresses got a lot of notice. Smart man, that David Schwartz.
The "Starlight" sleeveless dress came with a matching bolero jacket in blue, pink, or purple faille. Sold for $19.95 in 1955 (about $164 in today's dollar).
Soft corduroy full skirted dress came with a removable dickey at the neckline so the dress could go from day to date with ease. Sold for $14.95 in 1955 (about $123 in today's dollar).
Velveteen dreams in full skirted or slim silhouettes. Full skirt dress came in blue, purple, or black. Slim dress came in purple, red, or black. Sold for $22.95 and $14.95 in 1955 (about $189 and $123 in today's dollar).
Mix-and-match separates that were dyed to match. Wool flannel skirts were matched with a wool jersey top or a cotton puff sleeved blouse. All 4 pieces came in blue, red, or green. Prices ranged from $3.98 to $8.98 in 1955 (about $33 to $74 in today's dollar).
Black wool flannel fashions a polo collar dress with elastic waist or a sleeveless dress that could be worn with a blouse for daytime. Sold for $17.98 and $19.98 in 1955 (about $148 and $164 in today's dollar).
Nubby wool tweed full skirted dress is accented with soft angora at the collar and cuffs. Available in lilac, royal, or gray. Sold for $25.00 in 1955 (about $205 in today's dollar).
Wool check slim cut dress came with a matching boxy jacket in brown, gray, or turquoise. Set sold for $25.00 in 1955 (about $205 in today's dollar).
Mix-and match-separates in corduroy with a black wool jersey blouse. The separate pieces included a full skirt, slim skirt, boxy jacket, and pants. Prices ranged from $5.98 to $8.98 in 1955 (about $50 to $74 in today's dollar).
Don't you love Jonathan Logan too?
All photos from advertisements in a 1955 magazine.
Cat Deeley Wears Vintage
I'm a huge fan of the TV show So You Think You Can Dance on Fox. One of the best parts of the show is watching what host Cat Deeley will wear each week. The 5'9" tall British born gal is a former model with a great sense of style. She often wears vintage dresses on the show, which she mixes with modern accessories and shoes to great effect. She has an affinity for styles from the 60s and 80s, and I can tell that she has many of the dresses shortened before wearing them. We can only hope that her tailor is leaving all of the original length intact rather than cutting the hems off!
Cat wears a vintage 60s yellow dress with beaded collar and sleeves and a 60s sequin knit dress, both in season 7.
Here, a 60s beaded fringe cocktail dress from season 7 and a 60s pink brocade dress with beaded neckline in season 6.
Here, an 80s strapless gold lamé dress and an 80s green beaded dress, both from season 6.
Lastly, an 80s sequined dress and a 60s blue dress with Cleopatra collar, both from season 6. I loved that blue dress. Her stylist did her hair long and straight that night, and the look really worked!
What will Cat wear this week?
All photos courtesy of InStyle.com.
Wearing White - 1948
Wearing white in the heat of summer is a smart choice, as it reflects the sun's heat and also has a soothing psychological effect. Here's how women wore white for the summer of 1948. Included are our tips for the modern woman who wants to wear white, republished from an earlier post.
Left: Silver Fashions white cotton pique suit with gold buttons. Sold for $28 in 1948 (about $255 in today's dollar).
Center: Glamour Apparel white cotton blouse and skirt. Sold for $18 in 1948 (about $164 in today's dollar).
Right: Nancy Hood white pique suit. Sold for $23 in 1948 (about $210 in today's dollar).
Tip #1 - Choose the right white for your skin tone. Clear, bright white looks best on skin with blue undertones. For those with warmer complexions, cream or ivory is a better choice.
Left: Harry Keiser white cotton organdy dress with eyelet ruffle. Sold for $35 in 1948 (about $319 in today's dollar).
Right: Mary Stevens white dotted swiss dress. Sold for $35 in 1948 (about $319 in today's dollar).
Tip #2 - Select high quality fabrics with enough body to diminish show-through. Lighter weight fabrics should be lined for the best result.
Left: De Pinna white cotton pique dress. Sold for $40 in 1948 (about $365 in today's dollar).
Center: Cameo white cotton pique dress. Sold for $35 in 1948 (about $319 in today's dollar).
Right: Sol Meyerson white cotton dress with gold belt. Sold for $25 in 1948 (about $228 in today's dollar).
Tip #3 - Wear skin-toned underwear with white. White underwear will show through your dress! Choose a bra and panties in a color as close as possible to your skin tone. If your dress is not lined, a nude color slip will work wonders.
Judy Bond white cotton batiste gypsy blouse can be worn on or off the shoulder. Sold for $5 in 1948 (about $46 in today's dollar).
Tip#4 - Choose the proper shoes or sandals in soft beige, camel, silver, or bronze. Avoid wearing heavy colored shoes like black or dark brown. Bright pops of color like red or yellow on your feet can work if they are balanced with a matching accessory. White shoes will give a look that is too "matchy-matchy".
June Arden white eyelet peplum dress. Sold for $15 in 1948 (about $137 in today's dollar).
Tip #5 - White can appear too virginal, too sweet. Offset that tendency by showing enough skin. Choose sleeveless or low-cut styles over being too covered up.
First 3 photos by Landshoff.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
