Princess Diana's Gowns: Up for Auction

Today ten gowns worn by Princess Diana will go up for auction in London. These gorgeous gowns date from the late 1980's and early 1990's. They all seem to share the glamour of that era. The gown shown here is by Catherine Walker from 1991. Other important gowns, such as the off-shoulder navy velvet down that she wore to dance with John Travolta are included in this auction at Kerry Taylor Auctions.

There are more details on this auction with photos HERE It's a great collection fit for a princess!

Vintage or Retro: 1950's Sun Dress

Isn't is amazing how REAL vintage is often better priced than the copies? This example compares a light blue denim 1950's sun dress with a super cute buttoned back against a new retro style copy in orange. As you look closely, notice that the vintage has many more details, like the great pockets. Both have eye catching full skirt panels in multi-color tones, both are sleeveless with scoop necklines.

When is comes to comfort, the orignal denim model is all cotton, while the copy has more polyester than cotton in the fabric. Both have back details, the 50's style actually buttons closed, so it can be made to fit just by moving a few buttons over. The new version has fake buttons and a side zipper.

What really boggles the mind is that the copy is nearly $100, but the original dress is less than $90. Kinda makes you stop and think, doesn't it!



Original Dress is for sale HERE in our PintuckStyle shop on Etsy.

Copy dress is available at ModCloth, which lists "vintage clothing" in the tag (shame on them!)

A Closer View: Navy Silk Sheath, c. 1955

One of the best ways to learn fine dress making is to study examples of the craft. This silk sheath dress from the mid-1950's is a great example. It is clearly a custom made dress, with many hand sewn details. By looking at it in detail, we can learn more about the design and drape of this wrapped 'sarong style' dress, along with tips on how to sew a feather weight dress like this that holds its shape well when worn.

This gorgeous navy dress of silk twill has a blue floral pattern that is probably Italian silk. It is backed by lining that is sewn 'in one' with the outer fashion fabric. I use the term 'flat lining' for this process. The lining is also used as a base to hold the drapery in place. It is probable that the customer had a fitting wearing the lining, while the dress designer wrapped the silk fashion fabric around the body, pleating it into the side seams as shown below.

The right and left sides are patterned and sewn differently, creating the signature sarong effect. This sarong skirt is sewn into the sheath side seam on the right, but it wraps around the left without a side seam, hanging open at the center back.

Looking inside the dress we can see the construction techniques. These are classic points. The scarf weight fashion fabric was 'backed' by a lining. The two layers were stitched together, then cut with pinking shears. When pressed open, the stitching shows clearly that this was 'flat lined'.

The transfer marks used to place the darts shows as little white dots. These would have been part of the custom or couture process. Seam tape is sewn along the waistline seam to stablize it and keep it from ripping apart. This tape was also used to edge the hem. Using hem tape is an easy way to provide a clean edge that is easy to sew through.

The bodice of this dress was cut with princess seam lines in the back, while the front had conventional darts. The fashion fabric was draped on top of this and sewn in place. This same lining was used in the skirt, but only to the knee level. This would keep the hips smooth, but allow the hem area to drape nicely.

This wonderful dress is listed in my shop on Etsy where you will find more photos of it. If you like this style, look for designs by Dorothy O'Hara, Helen Rose, and Peggy Hunt among others from that era who specialized in draped dresses. (this dress does not have a label)

Audrey's Trench Coat

A bit of inspiration for winter styling, this adorable photo of Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant comes from 1963, and shows her wearing a trench coat, as she made so popular in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" a few years earlier.

Photo source: "Look" magazine, December 1963 (nearly 50 years ago!)

Five Easy to sew 1950's Prom and Party Dresses

Here's how to sew five classic prom or party dresses from the very early 1950's (and late 1940's).  By using one of the current sewing patterns here, these styles can be made for today's parties, weddings and proms.  I also included the cute swing coat jacket shown here as a party cover-up.

It's great how many magazine archives are now online.  The Australian Home Journal collection from the late 1940's through early 1950's has monthly fashion features such as the two pages shown here showing spring gowns that could be sewn by most women at home.  These are easy to sew styles that feature simple but effective details.

Illustration above, Spring 1951:

A-ballet length gown with bertha style collar, B-swing coat, 

C-gown with sweetheart neckline, D-Gown with long sleeves

Illustration above, Spring 1949:

E-short sleeves with puffed trim, F-sweetheart neckline with lace trim

G-draped shelf bra bodice with short puffed sleeves

To create your own version of a late 1940's or early 1950's party dress or prom gown, I have found some current patterns that will help you to sew up a vintage party dress of your own.  Select the view above that you like, and you'll find the modern pattern to make it up listed below.

View A- Butterick 6022 has a similar bertha collar that can be sewn in contrast print or lace and made with or without sleeves.

View B- Vogue 8146 includes a short swing coat that could be worn with the collar turned up.

Views C and F- Curved sweetheart necklines are seen in both illustrations. A good pattern for the sweetheart necklines is McCall's 7281, which features a princess seamed bodice for a great fit.  McCalls 7049 has two sweetheart strapless bodices, one that is simple darts, the other with princess seamlines. To get the curved bodice line in B, add a fold of ribbon around the sweetheart neckline.  For F add ruffled lace edging and "pinch" a few gathers into center front bustline. 

View E- Butterick 6022 has a good bodice, low waist and short sleeves for this look.  Also, McCall's 7083 is a basic dress pattern with sleeves and princess seamed bodice that can be used.  If the neckline were lowered and a puffed edge of chiffon trim were added, this same look could be achieved.

View G-The last dress with draped neckline looks almost like a shelf bra and is similar to Butterick 5882, although this pattern does not have sleeves.

I had to include this cute tip for a little puffed sleeve to wear with a strapless bodice.  It's as simple as a tube of fabric with elastic at the top edge.  The dress is similar to View F above, and the illustration here shows how the front has a line of gathers up the center that emphasizes the sweetheart neckline shape.

Fabric suggestions are for soft, not stiff, fabrics that have some weight like satin, taffeta, faille or crepe.  It should also be noted that bodices had few bones to support the styles.  These were often in the side seams only.  Zippers were popular in the left side seam, instead of the back seam.  This was to keep the back view pretty and smooth, without the look of a zipper showing down the back.

Fashion pages from Australian Home Journal, 1949 and 1951

1948 Coat: Fashion Illustration by M. Bolegard

In the Post WWII years, 1940's coats became more feminine and fitted. This version from 1948 has a cape shoulder and embellishment that is probably braid or soutache trims. Made in the princess seamed silhouette, the coat has a fit and flare style that was so new in the late 1940's. The era that followed the war showed many looks that used a considerable amount of fabric, something that was impossible during the war. The romantic trend was also part of the Victorian revival where crinoline dresses became the norm.

We also can't help but notice the vivacious red accessories. This perky hat predicts the trends seen through the 1950's, with a bit of trim and veiling.

This is an advertisement for both the "Edelson" label and wool gabardine by Lorraine Fabrics of New York. Look for the textile label when you find a vintage coat. Sometimes that may help you determine the date.

The Fashion Illustration

This is illustration was signed by "M Bolegard". It is an ink wash with black brush lines. Great accents are seen in the red details.

India ink is a rich, heavy black ink that can be diluted with water to produce sheer gray washes. Using a heavy paper with some texture, a pencil sketch was made first, often using a live model. Next, the shading was added using light gray washes. When those dried, saturate black ink was brushed on to create the illustration.

The red elements would have been painted with guache or watercolor at the same time as the gray under wash. To get that very white glove, a 'mask' of rubber cement could have been brushed on the area before adding the washes. This mask would then be rubbed off after the wash had dried, revealing the original unpainted white paper. White also may have been painted in with guache. It would have covered any gray wash to create a 'pop' of white.

The name "Bolegard" as an illustrator appears to be often used without a first name. This artist worked for department stores such as Marshal Field & Company in Chicago as early as 1919, and was probably a resident of that city at that time.

Reference: Catalog of Commercial Art, Exhibition, 1920, but Society of Art Directors, Art Institute of Chicago

Let's Talk About: Chanel Metiers d'Art, 2013 & Historical Inspiration

The Chanel Metiers d'Art for Fall 2013 has been buzzing big online this week. In part, it was the lush use of Scottish textiles and heather colors that caught the eye of everyone who has seen it. But another facet of this collection are the direct references to Elizabethan era fashion, men's apparel in particular. This slide shows both a runway look and men's doublets from the late 1500's that could have inspired it.

Lagerfeld has always shown an interest in using historical references to inspire his work, and this design from the early 1600's is a great example of how skillfully he can take a strong historical silhouette and create modern fashion that feels new and exciting.

The three slides shown include several runway ensembles along with original historical portraits. I hope they help to demonstrate how closely Lagerfeld used the late 1500's to mid-1600's as design inspiration. The women in black dresses with white lace accents from 1600's were obviously used to inspire this black dress on the runway. It also is easy to see where he worked with current trends for line, silhouette, color and texture to produce dramatic and new design ideas that are clearly derived from the past.

It is brilliant and creative collections like this one that drive fashion forward and give us something to talk about and try out for ourselves. Keep your eye on Fall 2013, we may see more of styles like these as other brands modify and copy Lagerfeld's lead.


This original article on fashion is part 9 of a series called "Let's Talk About:" that is posted only here at Pintucks. The contents of this article are the intellectual property of this blog. Please do not copy any content or images to another blog or digital media without contacting me first. I will ask that you link back to this article and give reference to this source within your feature. If you are using content or images for a research paper or project, please link back to this page in the traditional academic format, thank you!

Made in Los Angeles: Branding Local Fashions

While the idea of promoting domestically produced apparel seems like a great idea, the reality of organizing, marketing and implementing any such program is much more involved and political that it seems on the surface.

We can all agree that we want to know more about where our apparel comes from. 'Country of Origin' tags inside our clothes help to list that for us, but hang tags can emphasize that even more. Over the past decade, Los Angeles has become a top of apparel design and manufacturing region. While labels here may produce their product locally, at this time there isn’t any local hang tag to note that for the shopper. Some brands do carry the “Made in California” logo, but the actual state region is not listed.

In an attempt to brand the city of Los Angeles as a fashion capitol for design through manufacturing, the mayor has released a new logo promoting L.A. fashion. Intended as a label or hang tag, it boasts “Designed & Made in Los Angeles”. Behind this label is a new program to promote Los Angeles’s apparel industry, create resource guides, and other means of support for local companies.

The “Made in California” program already exists, and for some companies that is a strong branding tool that some aren’t in a hurry to trade off for the new localized tag. Another concern is that manufacturing in the Los Angeles region spreads wider than the city boundaries. The new “Made in L.A.” logo must be supported by performing all design and manufacturing functions with-in the city limits.

Rozae Nichols, who designs and produces her high end fashions in the city and is a well known proponent of local design and manufacturing injected a note of reality to the proposal to comment that for her, to produce off shore isn't always bad for her business.

Trina Turk also commented that she is already using the "Made in California" logo. She also noted that her customer is more concerned about style and fit when making their purchase. Turk’s line has long been designed locally and a significant portion of the products are manufactured in the region. She went on to point out that because of labor costs, she can only produce her more simple garments in the city. Items requiring more labor are made off shore. This is essential for keeping her price points in line with the market.

There is a concern that this new program has the requirement for all design and production to be Los Angeles city based. This is where simple to manufacture T shirt and sport clothing manufacturers such as American Apparel can be successful, while garment designers whose product is more complex must still seek off shore production. This creates a ‘split’ manufacturing concept with both local and off-shore production.

Will brands with this method of manufacturing be able to carry the tag? Will various products by one label be tagged, while other items in the line are not? These and other questions remain to be answered.

Many local but California designed and produced brands will be ‘out’ in this game. By confining the hang tag to companies located only in Los Angeles many labels designed in the city but manufactured in the San Fernando valley (where many are located in what had been the center of the aerospace industry in the mid-century), and the vast areas of L.A. county’s industrial belt will be ‘out’. This could make selecting a contractor tricky at best for the L.A. based design house.

It is important to understand that many companies have design rooms located in the city core, but the manufacturing process might be located further away in other cities and unincorporated county sites that offer less expensive locations to rent and maintain.

Another concern is what the hang tag will mean as a brand. Los Angeles produces a wide and diverse selection of apparel. This range covers items that will be sold at low price points on up to nearly couture level garments. How will the localized branding cover this stretch in quality and price points?

It may be difficult to ‘sell’ the idea of a regional tag to the higher priced design companies, since cheaply produced apparel will be able to carry the same hang tag along with their higher priced labels. The city logo won’t be able to signify high quality or design superiority.

Perhaps the mayor’s announcement (timed with the Spring Fashion Week in L.A. in October) was premature. The obvious support such an initiative requires, such as a web-site and resource lists and more importantly a large team of labels and manufacturers on board for support are as yet unformed. With only 19 out of 10,000 companies supporting this logo, most are taking a ‘wait and see’ position on this new concept.



To read more:
Los Angeles hopes to make a fashion statement
October 21, 2012|By Adam Tschorn and Booth Moore | Los Angeles Times

A PDF file of this article can be found HERE:

The Delineator Magazine: July 1925, Flapper Fashions

Finding a magazine from the 1920's with fashions is always fun, and "The Delineator" from July, 1925 is a good one. Most of this issue has fully illustrated pages that are filled with fashions. Published by Butterick patterns, the magazine was designed to promote their home sewing patterns and keep women up to date on fashion trends.

This version of "The Delineator" is a publication posted online, HERE. This format allows for small image browsing, as well as 'click' close-up views of the page. If you love this decade and want to know more about flapper fashion, this is a great resource to have. It is part of a set of other magazines from this month, assembled to create a news stand for the summer of 1925.



"The Delineator" magazine history, HERE

The News Stand for Summer 1925, HERE, Note: many of the magazines are not available for viewing, but the history overview is still posted on the site.

This topic was suggested by a post in The Vintage Traveler