Vintage Fashions from Fall 1953

Looking at advertising from a specific year is a great way to see fashion.  This time I'm showing fall, 1953 styles available in small towns across the country at department stores and smaller owned shops on Main Street.

Back to School Fashions, 1959

Gotta love how the 1950's and 60's were so excited about 'back to school' and fall fashions in general. That was always the thickest magazine issue of the year. I guess after a summer of old cotton dresses, new wool Chanel-style suits, crisp paisleys and plaids were a sight for sore eyes.

Sheath Cocktail Dresses from 1958: Fit to Impress

1958 fashion illustrations from "Modes Royale" a pattern magazine of European designs for the home seamstress.

1958: Vintage New Year Cocktail Dresses

Fashion Illustrations: 1958 from "Modes Royale"
This was a pattern magazine that showcased European fashion designs when cocktail dresses were at their height for creative drape and silhouette.

1958 Back Views: Cocktail Dresses for New Years

1958 fashion illustrations from "Modes Royale", a pattern magazine of European designs for the skilled seamstress.

1950's Vintage Fashion: Little Cover Ups

Little cover ups for spring and summer dresses during the 1950's came in many styles that included bolero and small capelets. The looks shown here are from sewing patterns that give both the dress and cover up views. There is an amazing variety of styles that were worn over dresses during this decade. From simple shapes to trims with buttons, collars and turned back cuffs. Today we tend to wear cardigans over dresses, but why not plan to sew a cover up when you make your next vintage styled dress? It's such a cute look!

Top view: Butterick 7243
Middle view: Simplicity 2501
Lower view: McCall's 9330


The little bolero shown here features turned back cuffs on the short sleeves and a winged collar. Mock buttons on the front are a cute accent. For most outfits, this shape really is figure flattering, creating a nice hour glass silhouette.

Black bolero with matching skirt

1950's Fashion Illustrations

Dramatic strokes in black create impact and visual texture in these magazine illustrations for several Simplicity sewing patterns from the mid 1950's.

Deep black strokes of what is probably charcoal are seen on a textured paper that make for a high energy composition with rough lines. In creating the illustrations, the artist developed the color areas first, probably using opaque gouache, a water soluble paint.  Details were left out in the high light areas so that the overall effect wouldn't be flat or even.  The body and face are colorless as well, giving the garment full focus in the layout.  Over this first layer of color, black strokes were then applied.  Finer ink lines from a pen then detail the faces and garment structure.

 

This illustration technique is developed from a well defined primary illustration that is layered under the top illustration paper, creating a guide for the artist to use as the color, then black lines are applied. Often a light table is required so that a thicker, more textured illustration paper can be used for the final work.

Today fashion illustrators often use markers and marker paper, layering their primary sketch under the marker paper.  It would be used as a guide when applying marker ink strokes to the top layer of marker paper.

 

I thought it might be interesting to compare the first illustrations to these simple yet stylish versions of the same garments.  They are illustrations from the original pattern envelopes.  You can see how these versions are very simple, with clearly shown details and garment seam lines. 

 

But even so, the green shirt waist dress (Simplicity 3848) does present an 'attitude' and bring style to the garment presentation.  The more simple red candy striped dress in the first example (Simplicity 3857) uses a quick repeat of the figure stance for the second figure which allows that illustrator to 'whip' out the illustration quickly.  The white blouse in that illustration is shaded with an india ink wash (black ink, diluted to grey with water). 

The dark green sheer shirtwaist in the lower illustration also uses a wash, this time water color or gouache is diluted with water so that it appears light and sheer like the fabric.  In the first set of illustrations, the magazine illustrator presented a more dramatic interpretation of this dress, with bold red gathers and a the bodice lining that is clearly defined.

Envelope illustrations provided the backbone of the pattern industry throughout the 1950's.  Inspiring to their readership, more dramatic illustrations gave a woman's magazine the opportunity to suppliment expensive fashion photography with dreamy illustrations for their readers to view. 

Since I posted this popular article, I have added more fashion illustrations from the 1950's. You may want to check these out as well:
Cocktail dresses, 1958
Back Views of cocktail dresses, 1958
Dagmar, the illustrator
Count Rene Bouet-Willaumez (RBW)