This dress is very special. I’m sorry that I don’t yet have a photo of Stella wearing it, or a personal photographer to take pictures of me wearing it. It is VERY sheer, as you can see, and requires a slip underneath.
The little cap sleeves and dainty collar, plus the belted waist and full skirt make a very flattering and feminine impression. The small buttons down the front, which are purely decorative, have big clear rhinestones at their centers. A fabric-covered buckle belt finishes off the waistline.
This dress closes with a zipper at the left waist. It is a real wiggler to get your shoulders into. If I were any larger, it’d be a no-go! As it is, it works and the skirt swirls around because the fabric is so light, ending right at or slightly below my knees.
You could wear this dress to a party or out at night, but I have usually worn it as a day dress. It’s very versatile. As a dressy option, with a coat over, it could even be worn in colder weather with the right accessories.
But really, it’s a little hot weather frock for a sunny summer day . . . . . . . . . ..
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM
BOOK: HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILALBLE ON AMAZON.COM
To change gears a bit today, here’s an example of a beautiful handcrafted item. It’s an evening purse made of black velvet and satin with metallic embroidery all over, front and back.
It was probably made in Hong Kong or Europe and took someone a long time to do by hand. These sorts of items were much more available back in the day. I suppose that you can still get them now, but only overseas or in very specialized shops.
Handiwork of this kind and exquisite workmanship used to be seen in fashion items that middle-income women could afford to buy, at least once in a while. Although it was generally done overseas, many of the major department stores sold it in their better departments. It’s difficult to find now. The hand-crafted items that are sold today generally can’t compare in terms of their quality.
Keep your eyes open for little items like this, hiding here and there. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM
BOOK: HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM
This was a fabulous find – not too dressy, but certainly a step up from some of the little day dresses I’ve shown recently.
Cotton, again – one of the most versatile and perfect fabrics for most attire 50 or 60 years ago. No one was afraid of an iron, and most women expected their clothing to last a lot longer than one season.
This is a snazzy little number, though possibly custom tailored. It shows off the mentality of women who had gotten tired of war-time deprivation and modest conservatism a decade or so before.
Although it took us a while, girls have always just wanted to have fun . . . . . . . . . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM
BOOK: HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM
Magicvintagespy 