Tag Archives: Mary Quant

TRUE VINTAGE LATE 1950’S – MID-1960’S DRESSES

Late Fifties saw slinky knit sheath dresses that carried over the new, easy-care synthetics from the 1940’s. The prints morphed slowly from geometric, atomic shapes back to cute animals, fruits and veggies. This fabric is amazingly comfortable and drapes beautifully but was economical. Common, moderately-priced frocks were made from it.

Just a few years later, lace overlay became the big thing. Dressy day-dresses were often made from it, as well as semi-formal and formal gowns. These were also generally made from synthetic or blended fabrics but probably required dry-cleaning. Better frocks often came from British Hong Kong, where the design and hand-made tailoring made them exceptionally elegant and of higher quality. These dresses were still within the reach of middle-income ladies but were more expensive. See the black dressy sheath with a beaded over-blouse above. The straight black high-neck sheath came from Saks Fifth Avenue.

Then, again from the Brits, came Mary Quant’s Tent Dress in 1964. Although the Mod style had started in the 1950’s, it’s appearance in clothing was totally revolutionary. It brought with it radically shorter hemlines and easy-to-wear, casual shapes. See the light blue, home-sewn version above.

Some styles retained their classic, conservative lines and stuck to neutral or basic tones while bright colors became ever more popular, even in formal garments. While political and social movements became radicalized and changed society, the Hippie, Boho and Prairie styles started to take over in the late 1960’s and carried over into the early 1970’s. Tomorrow we’ll look at some of the ways that popular fashion incorporated these trends into mainstream dressing. Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

VERY ICONIC TENT DRESS – A DESIGN INTRODUCED BY MARY QUANT IN 1964

I was absolutely over-the-moon when I discovered this. They are hardly ever seen, in my experience. Women loved the style when it came out because it’s so easy to wear, comfortable and surprisingly cute. However, this design seemed to have a fairly short life in the retail market which may explain why it’s not easy to find as a vintage piece. In this case, the dress has been home-sewn (much more economical that buying a real Mary Quant!) and has a nylon zip, unlike the other 1960’s dresses I’m showing with metal ones.

My mother had a dress made this way, but I never did so was skeptical that I would want to keep it. Big surprise when I tried it on – it looks like a tent (duh!) but is super cute and even flattering (maybe men would disagree). Although the style is meant to be worn beltless, it would also look nice with a belt and give more shape to the body.

Anyway, the big payoff for me is the rarity of this find and it’s firm place in fashion history. Score!

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

ONE OF A KIND FIND. ICONIC STYLE THAT HAD A MINUTE IN 1964.

ONE OF A KIND FIND. ICONIC STYLE THAT HAD A MINUTE IN 1964.

This frock is a home-tailored version of Mary Quant’s Tent Dress which she introduced in 1964. It was an immediate hit because it fit every body, was SOOO comfortable and easy to wear and also was a radical fashion departure from the more structured, prissy day and evening dresses up until that time. The closest women had come so far was the summer shift dress that was only acceptable in the most casual settings.

I didn’t think I’d probably keep it at first. Waist-defining styles are usually my preference but then I tried it on. Mega cute!! It’s a little bit mini on me, which makes it just perfect. Just love the aqua color, with a printed repeating pattern of interlocking flowers in pale yellow for just the right amount of contrast. The vintage nylon zip and hook and eye at the neckline are the only hardware needed. Probably won’t even require a slip.

Such a fab find. Although there were similar versions over the following years, I’ll probably never encounter another one as faithful to the original authentic style. But then, you just never know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM