Vogue Patterns, March 1944

Today I have for you some colorful pattern inspirations from a Vogue catalog dated March 1944. This pattern book sold on Ebay awhile back. I wish the pictures were a little better but they still give you a pretty good idea. Which one is your favorite?

Suits from the 1950s

Dior suit, 1950s

I've been on a bit of a 1950s kick as of late. It started with researching tea length wedding dresses for a friend which some how led to 1950s prom dresses. Also, I recently acquired two 1950s patterns for shirtwaist dresses. Both are a vintage size 18 1/2 (about a 40" bust) which means if I use them I will need to scale them WAY down. Anyway, after a trip to a local antique store, my current fashion love affair is with suits.

I bought a "new" suit this weekend. It's a 1950s wool and cashmere blend, two piece suit by Swansdown, Jr. of New York. I had a little photo shoot yesterday afternoon in between some much needed rain showers so I'll have pictures of the suit to post soon.

There is something so classy and flattering about a women in a well fitted suit and hat. Why don't more people dress like that today?

Suits from the 1940s and 1950s tend to be fairly simple - very tailored and with smooth lines. Yet they all have wonderful little details. Look at the collars, cuffs and pockets. Take a look at the images and links I've posted and you will see what I mean. The other nice thing about these suits is that because they were so well made and classic in design, many of them are extremely wearable today! I worn my Swansdown coat to work yesterday and got a lot of complements. :)

Fashion Era

Fashion Era

The photos and advertisements for suits below are from My Vintage Vogue. Notice the long, clean lines. And I love the slim skirts!

Glenhaven, 1950

Whitley-Ette 1952

Lampl 1950

Etta Gaynes-1951

Tina from what-i-found posted the other day about late 1940s suits. You can view that post here. Also see Couture Allure's post Vintage Suits - 1949.

Will Steinman Original - Vintage Prom

I'm taking a little break from the 18th century to focus a bit more on other interests. Not to worry, I'm still working on that new 18th century gown which will (hopefully) be finished soon. I will also continue researching for my posts on portrait miniatures of British soldiers.(Part one and two.)

Today's fun vintage finds are a selection of Will Steinman prom and cocktail dresses from Vintageous. Gorgeous! I love all the layers of tulle!

Vintageous

Will Steinman Original was a formal dress company that specialized in making prom, formal, debutante and wedding dresses. The company was active from the 1920s through the 1960s. A signature feature of Will Steinman that I have seen so far is a wide waistband often accompanied by a large bow/sash.

Search online for "Will Steinman Original", "Will Steinman vintage" or "Will Steinman dresses" and you will find an array of fluffy brightly colored gowns!

Vintageous

Vintageous

Vintageous

Vintageous

Elsa Schiaparelli Hat from 1940

Let's take a closer look at that fabulous, drool worthy, blue and white hat by Elsa Schiaparelli.

This hat from 1940 is made from a straw base with a blue and white striped cotton covering. A matching blue and white striped bow and a red silk carnation complete the hat. Looks like there may be some kind of bow attached to the underside of the hat as well but it's hard to tell in the picture provided on the MET website. A black elastic helps secure the hat to the head. This is a common feature on hats meant to "perch" on top of the head. This kind of fastener is very discrete, especially if it matches your hair color.

MET Accession # 2009.300.1837

Description of the hat from the MET reads...
        "Red, white and blue are colors often used in nautical flags, and Schiaparelli has playfully interpreted those colors in this sailor-inspired doll hat from her summer 1940 collection. The traditional sailor hat has an even crown and is usually made of straw, but this feminine design, made of a jaunty striped cotton and straw, has a sloping crown, upturned brim and a decorative carnation, which throughout history has symbolized true love and affection. Red, white and blue are also the colors of the French flag and as World War II approached Paris (Paris would fall to Germany in June 1940) this hat could represent Schiaparelli's subtle salute to the French nation."

Here are some close ups of the bow and hat brim. I believe the striped fabric around the brim has some kind of stiffener in it. Possibly some milliners wire but it looks to have more structure than that. Perhaps a piece of basket canning or something similar? The image below also shows how finely woven the straw base of the hat is.

This last image is a nice view of the silk carnation. It looks so real doesn't it? This really is a perfect little hat for summer. Makes me wish the warmer weather would hurry up and get here.

Color of the month - Pink

Pink is the color I have selected for the month of February. The first image I would like to share is a painting attributed to Thomas Gainsborough. A artist well known for painting gorgeous hats, the one seen below is certain to please. It's very simple but very pretty all the same. There will be a hat trimming workshop coming up on February 12th. This would be a great hat to try and reproduce. :)

The other thing I love about this painting is the detail in the silk gown. It's not all that often you see a gown painted as something other than a solid or stripe. Even most of John Singleton Copley's gowns seem to be of a solid color. This is a nice representation of what appears to be a painted silk. The V&A has an interesting article here about conserving a painted silk gown in their collection. 

Attributed to Thomas Gainsborough

Here we see the lovely Dorothy Quincy, wife of John Hancock looking pretty in pink. She was painted by John Singleton Copley in 1772. 

MFA, 1975.13

The painting below is appropriately titled "Woman in Pink Reclining on a Canape." It was painted by Theodore Lebrun around 1819. I really like the combination of pink pelisse and and yellow turban. I wonder what book she is reading...

MET 1979.510

I just stumbled across this image from Le Journal des Dames et des Modes the other day. 

From Le Journal des Dames et des Modes, 1913

Here are two stunning examples of pink evening gowns. Both are by 19th century Parisian fashion designer, Charles Fredrick Worth.

        "Worth's designs are notable for his use of lavish fabrics and trimmings, his incorporation of elements of historic dress, and his attention to fit. While the designer still created one-of-a-kind pieces for his most important clients, he is especially known for preparing a variety of designs that were shown on live models at the House of Worth. Clients made their selections and had garments tailor-made in Worth's workshop." - from the MET article "Charles Frederick Worth (1826–1895) and The House of Worth"

Worth gown from 1900, MET 2009.300.1250a, b

Worth gown from 1895, MET 2009.300.2115a, b