This frock is REALLY a beauty! Made by a higher-end label back in the day, the style is so ingenious and flattering. I love the ruching that makes it so unique. Again, you have to have a special figure to do it real justice but Stella never lets me down in that regard.
As I said, it’s made of 100% heavy silk that needs no lining. This is an LBD that is one-of-a-kind; Never will find another like it!
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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This one was from Chicago, as the label tells me. It’s not officially an LBD because it is actually dark mid-night navy blue in a smooth, lighter weight fabric to get that sleek silhouette. In spite of the little flesh-color straps, which might have been mostly for hanging purposes, you’ve got to have the right figure to pull this off correctly. Marilyn Monroe did it wonderfully well.
This was a one-of-a-kind find originally sold by a higher-end store in the Windy City. Would love to know who, where, when and how it was worn but, sadly, there were no additional clues. Who cares – she speaks for herself. Stay tuned for more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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In striking black and white, this dress is in a Junior size styled for teenage girls and young women back in the day. Quite modest but sophisticated in textured jacquard fabric with a floor-length empire sash. Formal dresses in the dead of winter often seem to stick mostly with the “Winter” color family of black, white and jewel tones with some metallic thrown in but there’s lots of variety. Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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A not-quite-as-little LBD from the 1970’s with casual vibes. I wasn’t going to show this frock until I got into the Snowbird vacation designs, but it’s such a great comparison to the dressier version from yesterday that it was time. Just as sleek, simple and elegant, but of Hawaiian origin with their wonderful cotton fabric. It’s up to the job in the afternoon as well as the evening.
This dress is a perfect example of functional true vintage wardrobe selection for traveling. One dress can do double or triple duty – from casual to sophisticated, even without accessories.
Semi-formal and Formal season are just starting, so back to those archives again next – stay tuned . . . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM
While it’s still warm enough to wear them, here are several of my favorite casual day-dresses. They’re great in the Summer, too, but the colors look like Autumn to me. The plaid fabrics are a wonderful vintage look.
I just love these for running around in every day. Since the fabric is somewhat sheer, they do require a slip but they’re super simple to wear and accessorize. Anyway, who objects to opportunities to wear beautiful true vintage lingerie?
All have unknown maker’s names, or maybe just a union tag. They were average garments from that time and wouldn’t have been expensive, but they fit really well and look smart. Exceptional tailoring is one of the reasons that I love true vintage clothing so much.
For some reason, these look like Nancy Drew dresses to me. How appropriate . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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Here’s a good picture of the a-line shift dress that I found in New Zealand last fall. Very plain and classic in style, but that’s often the best. It’s certainly a design that was VERY common in the Sixties decade. Probably custom-tailored, with a metal zip, which I also enjoy finding in a true vintage piece.
The feature I like most about this dress is the fabric. It’s a nice woven cotton – hard to find now – in a print that uses the colors and dotted style that you will find in the Aboriginal & Maori artwork from Australia and New Zealand. It’s a wonderful souvenir of my time there.. . . . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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I love the colors of these dresses – pink to lavender, with black and white. Both in a similar shirtwaist style, below-the-knee length and made of a substantial cotton. Perfect mid-century design. Absolutely LOVE the collar shapes!
The dress on the left has little houses in a novelty print and some interesting tuck and piping details. The fabric is a bit heavier, and I’d wear it into Fall. The one on the right has cute pockets, ric-rac trim and a great plaid. It really says “summer” and farmers’ markets, to me. I took the sleeves off for a more flattering fit for me (and saved them, of course!) and wear it often.
Neither one has a label, but I doubt that they were made at home – especially not the left-hand one. Just goes to show, that labels often go by the wayside. . . . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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I love wearing this dress and it’s special because it belonged to a family member. Cos Cob was a well-known maker of women’s sportswear back in the day, similar to Bobbie Brooks, but I don’t think that the company was as old.
This dress is cotton in a wonderful print, with a long pointed collar and nice, easy shape. Thank goodness it isn’t culottes, which were popular then. They look convenient, but they’re really not.
A sleeveless shift is great for casual summer wear and always looks smart if you accessorize properly. That’s the key to transforming most ensembles and women used to do that so well. The Europeans, I must say, are better at it than Americans now.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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Time for a new color. This dress is spun sugar pink, with bubblegum, white and (dare I say it – puce). That’s an awful name for a color, but mixed with these others it is very effective.
There’s no tag remaining, so I don’t know for certain that this dress was commercially-made but it certainly looks as though it was. The bodice is lined and the belt would have required some exceptional skill to make at home.
This type of fabric was called “whipped cream”, I think. A type of synthetic, but I can’t say which. It has unusual body that gives it a form of its own. The tie belt and blousey effect create a flattering fit.
Back zipper – simple style, but very much a stand-out. It makes me think of an ice cream social in the summer . . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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This was a fun find, with its own attached scarf and in cool, floaty fabric again. The really unusual thing, to me, is the color combo.
It’s an all-over print in purple with black accents on an olive background. That’s a great combination which you don’t see often – especially for summer!
By Westover – New York. Fabric-covered belt. It’s one of those fun, flirty and feminine styles that I’m sure some woman loved wearing, even if her day was just a pretty average one. Of course, she’d have a pretty slip underneath, too.
I’ve never seen another one like it. It’s a real one-of-a-kind style, as so much true vintage is. Each one is a unique discovery – you just never know. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, the Magicvintagespy
Blog: Magicvintagespy.com
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