This is what Stella was wearing when I found her. It’s so much fun to see her wear it again and to look at all the fascinating details of the construction. The dress has a few light spots (we all know what weddings are like, don’t we?) but a good cleaning will take care of that. It’s beautifully well-made and has stood up magnificently over the years. All those fabric-covered buttons, pointy cuffs and the silky jacquard fabric are all very bridal but I especially love the clues to it’s era in this design.

Shoulder pads? Of course! Midi-length full-circle skirt? Got it. Maybe the neatest thing is the metal COIL ZIPPER. It’s of the time, but rarely found and this one works great. Another cool clue was finding that the fabric had been pieced at each side of the hemline in order to make the circle complete. This tells me that the width of the fabric bolt the skirt was cut from was not quite wide enough. This might just have to do with standard bolt sizes but also might point to the rationing and scarcity of goods that plagued the fashion industry during WWII. Women at home, tailors and manufacturers learned how to “make do” and still turned out great garments.

I loved looking inside the jacket to see how meticulously it was hand-tailored. Each of the tiny buttonholes is hand-worked. Snaps and hooks & loops are placed just where they need to be for perfect fit. These are all the signs of a really professional job and made this bride’s day even more special. More specialized-era files to be opened soon. Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM