This post features fashions from 1949 as seen in "American Fabric" magazine. These 1940s fashions were shown to support the growing textile and fashion industry that followed World War II. Inside this issue are full page advertisements from the 40's of fashions using new textiles that were used to promote textile manufacturers. Many of these ads were also seen in "Vogue" magazine co-sponsored by the fashion designer or label and the textile brand.
I have a good sized collection of textile magazines, and I want to start sharing them here, so as I get to photographing each, I'll post it here. If you have any questions about an issue or photo let me know because there may be information on it that are not included in the page photo.
In this issue, following the advertising section are informative editorials exploring topics such as: Color theory, Bridal wear, Camel hair textiles, the History of American textile industry, Roses in textile design, Armour in textile design, Textile artists, and Loom weaving. This was a very educational magazine, teaching the apparel and textile trade about all aspects of apparel fabric.
Here are most of those advertisements. I'm starting with photos of live models wearing the latest textile trends for specific manufacturers. I list that information at the end of this post.
This next group shows fashion illustrations, where the artist has been allowed to create the ideal using individual techniques and media:
It is interesting to see that by 1949 fashion had changed from the war year's restrictions. Garments featured quantities of yardage, natural fibers such as silk, cotton, wool and synthetic fibers such as rayon. Convenience textiles that were treated to be wrinkle free, washable and had other features are common. In fashion, the wearing of a longer silhouette was the norm, and that would continue from this point for the next decade.
The remainder of this magazine does showcase textile designs, these can be found in my blog post "1940s Fabric: American Fabrics magazine from 1949".
I want to comment on my cropping of these ads. This magazine is the typical large size we associate with fashion magazines of that time: 11" x 14 1/2" and I found that trying to include the entire page usually left the type face very small and difficult to read. I made my focus the fashions themselves. This issue has 124 pages. The cover is a heavy cardboard. I'll include that in the next post on this issue.
Advertisements, in order presented:
(striped suit jacket) 100% Virgin Wool, Forstmann Woolen co,
Passaic, NJ
(yellow suit) Unidure, permanent crease-resistant finish,
rayon fabrics, the United Piece Dye Works, NY, LA
(gray suit by Monte-Santo) Juilliard bankers grey worsted suiting, 100% virgin wool, “Fine fabrics are the
foundation of fashion”, ADJuilliard & Co. Inc., NY
(print two-piece dress) Foreman’s famous tubrite, Zodiac
print, rayon crepe, Foreman Co, NY
(gray plaid tent shape coat) Hat by John Frederics, Hoffman
California Woolens, “California Living Colors” Los Angeles
(maillot swimsuit by Cole of California) Rustler cotton taffeta, Joyce shoes, Wesley Simpson,NY
(one shoulder dress with swatch) Everfast printed cotton
damask, wrinkle-resistant, stabilized, washable, soil-resistant, Vogue pattern
4949, "Everglaze products luxury at a low cost"
(brown dress) Jacqueline jacquard faille, Verney Fabrics
Corp. NY. Note: this photo includes early examples of a hairpin leg table invented by Henry P. Glass in 1941, a womb chair designed in 1946 by Eero Saarinen
(sun dress) Fiddlesticks, Totarn yarn, resists wrinkles,
washable, 32 colors, American Silk Mills, NY
(Brown outfit and green bathing suit by Carolyn Schnurer)
taffy moire cotton, clokay embossed cotton, washable, Ameritex- Division of
Merchants and Manufacturers, Inc, NY
(light color suit) Tegra rayon, crisp, crease resistant, dry
clean, Labtex Fabrics, NY
(gray dress with white collar) chambray, Picolay white
cotton, Vogue pattern 423, extra-wide, Bates Fabric, Inc. NY
Illustrated Advertisements:
(gray dress by Bruno) Hockanum Woolens, MT Stevens &
Sons Co., division of JP Stevens & Co, NY
(green dress by Star Maid) illustration by M Bolegard, Lorraine
gabardine, Lorraine Worsteds, Lorraine Manufacturing Co., NY
(row of suits) Lankenau faille, “art in fabrics”, Lankenau
Co, Inc, NY
(tweed suit) Kanmak “fabrics of thoroughbred quality”,
Kanmak Textiles, Inc. NY