Mint green acetate(?) satin with floral embroidery, a sweet bow at the waistline and box-pleated skirt make this pretty dinner frock an iconic mid-century style. All hand-tailored for semi-dressy occasions.

The color says SPRING, but the fabric weight and style would take it through most of the year. Obviously, the woman who owned it had kept it for many years and worn it to many events or saved it because of special memories.

I love finding garments that were custom-tailored because they tell a lot about the former owners as well as the time period in which they were made. There’s nothing much more personal than having clothing hand-made exactly as you want it and fitted on your own body. That used to be a common practice no matter how poor or wealthy a person might be, but now is mostly a lost art.

“Printing” our clothing in the not-too-distant future won’t be the same as having a personal tailor, but might be interesting in many ways and certainly a lot faster! However, I won’t stop searching out and wearing beautiful old fabrics and hand-done work, . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM