Tag Archives: swing dress

HOW ABOUT A TRUE VINTAGE 1940’S SWING EVENING DRESS?

STILL WONDERING WHAT YOU'D NEED SOME ELEGANT GLOVES FOR? HOW ABOUT A TRUE VINTAGE 1940'S SWING EVENING DRESS?

Black is always good, but this dress – with its black velvet accents – looks just right for that Halloween party or autumn dance.  Originally from Margaret’s of Lubbock, Texas, it’s a ’40’s stunner with a big swingy skirt.  I look forward to photographing it properly on Stella some time, back at Headquarters.  But, for now, here’s an early photo I took shortly after the discovery.

Made of black taffeta sometime after World War II with black velvet tubing all around the skirt and making a false lacing up the bodice front.  Ruching on the 5/8 sleeves – a common tailoring touch on garments from the Forties.

As always, fashion good fortune was with me.  A great dance dress and fabulous find!  Jitterbug or Texas Two-step – let’s go!

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
Blog: Magicvintagespy.com

MID-CENTURY SWING DRESS FIND

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Fun find – a custom-tailored frock made sometime between 1960 and 1985.  It’s got overall a great day dress style, harking back to the 1940’s.  The best thing about the styling, I think, is the flared skirt design which will flip and twirl with every movement.  A perfect dress for dancing!

Another neat thing is that the seamstress put in a LONG side zipper so that it’s really easy to put on and take off – no need for contortion or someone to help you zip, as sometimes happens with back zippers.

This is a relatively simple dress, but little clues tell me that the maker put special thought into the styling and construction, which make it special.  Love it!

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

JUST FOUND – NEW WAVE DOES FORTIES DAY DRESS

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A very fun side-zip-waist poly/synthetic frock that was home-sewn – much of it by hand – in the styling of wartime and postwar day dresses  This is a retro re-make from maybe the Sixties up to the Retro years with a ’60’s – early ’70’s Talon zipper.

Love the art print fabric.  If not for various signs, I might have taken it for 80 years old. Anyway, it’s a great find with lots of evidence for it’s story.  With a nice black belt cinched at the waist and some ’40’s – ’50’s pumps, I’ll enjoy it!

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

 

 

ANOTHER MID-CENTURY FLOWER-POWER FROCK – FROM PARIS!

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GIRLY, GIRLY, GIRLY FLORAL DRESS FROM ABOUT 1970

See the similarities to the dress shown yesterday, from Canada?  Yes, the siren call of Fashion was making slaves of us all on both sides of the Atlantic.  All over the world, women who were able to follow the latest trends were rushing to wear this 1940’s retro style.  Even though Paris was slow to be corrupted, it happened.

The thought of it kind of ruins your day, doesn’t it?  Well, thankfully we’ve now reached the era when we can wear whatever suits our fancy without worrying about whether we’re up-to-date.  Because, if we develop our own unique, personal look, we will be very fashionable (and who cares, anyway)!

This dress was probably custom-tailored, too.  We’re still in polyester (of course), but not in a knit.  This is a woven fabric with a much lighter hand and a woven-in stripe for texture and eye appeal.  Same prim collar, fussy trim, puffed sleeve, nipped waist and swing skirt.  It’s also a little more sophisticated than yesterday’s frock – less of a rockabilly feel.

Still not haute couture, by any means.   And, like all the “newer” garments, it carries the stamp of international trends and fabrics that take away from it’s Parisian roots.  That’s one reason that I always prefer clothing from the early 1960’s and before.  But, if you have to go with something made later, why not choose something from Paris?  Tomorrow, we’re off to Ireland . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

1940’S RAYON SWING DRESS FROM PARIS

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JUST MADE FOR SWING DANCING – AND DON’T YOU LOVE THE NOVELTY PRINT?!

This discovery came from a different arrondissement, but still within the city of Paris.  It is another treasure that only Stella can fit into.  I’ll get her to model it after returning to headquarters.  Also will be busy scouting out belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Couldn’t be more pleased, though, to find another wartime rayon frock in a fun, fun print. These are some of my favorite garments.  This one tells the story of WWII as it was custom-tailored and shows the signs of saving on fabric and notions.  The design is very simple with no extra decoration and a very narrow hem allowance, though the tailor did indulge in a big sailor collar with piping.

Such fun to find another rare novelty print – atomic squiggles with goofy birds and other animals.  The color combos are also unique.  Won’t ever find another one like it . .. . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM