Unisex! (Flair, March 1971)

"Unisex" was a term for clothing that could be worn by either sex.  It became fashionable in the late 1960s and 70s.  The timing might have had something to do with the rise of "Women's Lib" as well as the burgeoning counterculture.  In a way it was probably related to "his and her" dressing (also a trend of the 1960s and 70s) except, of course, one didn't have to be part of a couple to wear unisex!

The couple on the cover of Flair appear to be wearing unisex vests.  They are made of suede and are heavily fringed.  There was a vogue for "ethnic" fashion at the time, and they are clearly going for a Native American look.  Her matching skirt would not have been acceptable wear for him, though both sexes could wear caftans, and jeans, of course, were the ultimate unisex garments!

Overalls by Christian Dior (Elle, Aout 12 1947)

Elle must have patted itself on the back when it got this—a pattern for overalls from newly-famous designer Christian Dior.  Below are the instructions and the pattern diagram as the originally appeared in the magazine.

Grace aux confidences de Christian Dior, la coupe d’une salopette n’aura plus de secrets pour vous.  Il vous faut seulment 4 m. 25 de cottonade en 1 metre de large pour une taille 42.  Il vous faut surtout reussir les trois petits «trucs» du grande couturier qui feront le chic de votre vetement.

1.      Le droit fit est la clef de voúte de la coupe.Pliez le tissue en double dans le sens de la lisière et placez les différents morceaux du patron (que vous aurez étabil sur papier ou mousseline) suivant le schema.    Respectez bien le droit fil, car de lui depend en grande partie l’aplomb du vétement.
Coupez sur tissue simple les poches, ceintures et poignets.Laissez 3 cm. environ pour les couturs et 7 cm pour les rentrés du devant du corsage.

2.      Deux pinces et deux plis font de tailleFaites deux pinces d’un cm. de chaque côté dans le dos et deux plis souples de 2 cm de profondeur de chaque côté du devant.
Par ces pinces et ces plis vous maintiendrez l’excés d’ampleur á la taille, sans trop adjuster le pantalon sur les hanches, une salopette devant rester souple.Pour l’agrafage, partie devant, appiliquez sur l’envers les pattes avec boutonnieres et partie dos, appiliquez sur l’endroit les pattes portant les boutons.Faites la couture du milieu devant et celle du milieu dos (coutures anglaises).Réunissez le devant au dos par les coutures de côté (coutures anglaises) en laissant une ouverture de 15 cm. de chaque côté.
Fermez la couture intérieure des jambes.Piquez á cheval les ceintures devant et dos et faites une boutonniére á chaque extrémite de celle du devant; posez les boutons.Au bas des jambes, rentrez 10 cm á l’intérieur et retournez 5 cm. en revers sur l’endroit.Placez la poche á droite du pantalon.

3.      Le jeu de pinces de l’encoture finit le corsage.Faites deux pinces d’un centimétre de demi du profondeur de chaque du côté de la taille dans le dos et une petite pince d’un centimétre et demi du profondeur de chaque du côté de l’encolure.  Devant, faites 2 pinces d’un centimétre du profondeur de chaque du côté.  Assemblez épaules et côtés par des coutures anglaises.
Appliquez le col sur sa doublure, retournez-le et montez-le á cheval sur l’encolure.Rentrez les devants, faites les boutonniéres et cousez les boutons.  Appliquez la poche du côté gauche, ourlez le bas du corsage.
Fermez les manches.  A 7 cm. de la couture, faites une fente de 7 cm. également.  Appliquez tout autour une patte qui consolidera l’ouverture.  Posez les poignets á cheval, chaque bout dépassant d’un centimétre et demi environ l’ouverture de la manche.  Montez les manches.

Now for my rough and ready (though hopefully understandable) translation of the instructions.  If anyone can do a better translation please let me know!

Thanks to the confidences of Christian Dior, the cut of overalls will have no secrets for you.  You only need 4.25 metres of 1 one metre wide cottonade for a size 42.  Above all, you need three little "tricks" of the great designer to make your clothes chic.

1. The right fit is the key.Fold the fabric double in the direction of the selvage and place the different pieces of the patern (which you will have drawn up on paper or muslin) according to the diagram.  Observe the grain, because on it largely depends the balance of the clothing.
Cut pockets, belts and cuffs on plain fabric.  Leave 3 cm. approximately for the seams and 7 cm for the tuck at the front of the bodice.

2. Two darts and two folds make it fitMake two darts of 1 cm. on each side in the back and two soft pleats 2 cm. deep on each side of the front.
By these darts and these pleats you will control the excess width at the waist without adjusting the pants too much on the hips, overalls having to remain flexible.
Sew the middle front seam and the middle back seam (French seam).
Join the front to the back by the side seams (French seams) leaving an opening of 15 cm. on each side.  Close the inside seams of the legs.
Stitch the front and back sashes and make a buttonhole at each end of the front one; put on the buttons.
At the bottom of the legs tuck 10 cm. inside and turn over 5 cm. in reverse on the spot.
Place the pocket to the right of the pants.

3. The neckline dart set finishes the bodice.Make two darts, half a centimetre deep on each side of the waist on the back and half a centimetre deep on each side of the neckline.  In front, make two darts one centimetre deep on each side.  Sew shoulders and sides together with French seams. 
Apply the collar to its lining, turn it over and mount it on the neckline.
Attach the front, make the buttonholes and sew on the buttons.  Apply pocket to the left side and hem the bottom of the bodice.
Close the sleeves.  At 7 cm. from the seam make a slit of 7 cm.  Apply a tab all round that will strengthen the opening.  Place the cuffs, each end protruding about a centimetre and a half beyond the sleeve opening.  Roll up the sleeves.

And in the "you learn something new everyday!" department, today I discovered that "French seams" and "des coutures anglaises" are the same thing!

Peterson's Magazine, July 1878

Time for a quick trip back to the 19th century...

The artist has posed his models in a seaside setting, but none of the clothes depicted look suitable for the beach.

Fig. I. —A house dress of blue silk; the front is trimmed with three narrow knife-plaitings; the back breadths are laid in a number of narrow plaits, which are stitched-down near the bottom, and form a fan-shaped train; the over-dress of white bѐrѐge has a long plain front, edged with white blonde lace; the bѐrѐge corsage is worn over a low, blue silk corsage; it has two plaitings at the back, but the front is made as a close-fitting basque; the half sleeves are trimmed with three plaitings of the bѐrѐge.

(This definitely sounds nothing like the kind of "house dress" worn to do housework!  "Berege" (usually printed without the accents) is a light silk and wool blend.)

Fig. II—Walking-dress of cream-colored bunting; the lower-skirt is trimmed with one deep-plaited flounce, trimmed with a cardinal red and black figured braid; the long over-dress is turned up about half a yard at the bottom, in front, and is trimmed with the same braid; the long, back breadth is simply looped; deep cuirass made quite plain with half-long sleeves, and trimmed with cardinal red buttons and ribbons.  Hat of yellow straw, with long gauze veil and cardinal red flowers.  Long black lace mitts.

(The "cuirass" bodice was a long, sheath-like bodice that fitted over the hips.  It was popular from the late 1870s into the 1880s.)

Fig. III—Afternoon dress of pink silk made short; the front has three plaited ruffles, and the back is laid in straight plaits; over-dress of thin, white muslin, trimmed with wide insertion of imitation Valenciennes lace; the basque is deep, and the skirt is set on at the bottom of the basque in order to prevent the effect of the double muslin below the waist.  Scarf mantalet of the muslin, trimmed with two goffered ruffles.  Straw bonnet, trimmed with black ribbon and pink flowers.

("Made short" in this context seems to mean "without a train".  A "mantalet" was a short cape or woman's shoulder covering, usually longer in the front than in the back.)

Fig. IV—Afternoon dress of blue grenadine over blue silk or percale.  The under-dress is made quite plain in front, and has one plaited ruffle, reaching from side to side; the over-dress is very short in front, and is looped on the left side, scarf fashion; the over-dress at the back (coming from under the scarf drapery) is quite long; the mantalet and over-dress are all trimmed with knife-plaitings of grenadine, trimmed with bands of white grenadine figured in blue.  Black straw hat, trimmed with blue ribbon.

(Grenadine was a fabric made either of loosely woven silk, or a combination of wool and silk.)

Fig. V—House dress of black silk, with a light yellow, brocaded gauze over-dress; the over-dress is made polonaise, quite long, and is trimmed down the back and around the bottom with insertion and blonde lace; the deep side trimmings on the back are finished with knots of black and light yellow satin ribbon; the sleeves are of black silk, half-long, and trimmed like the skirt; long, black kid gloves.

(The late Victorians loved reviving historical fashions!  In the 18th century a "polonaise" was a skirt and bodice cut in one, with the skirts looped up at the back.  In the 1870s a polonaise was overskirt attached to a bodice, which hung strait at the front, looped up at the sides and draped at the back.)

Since women's fashions of the 1870s placed the emphasis on the back of the dress, all but one of the figures in the fashion plate above are turned away from the reader!

Charles William Stores Annual Midsummer Special Sale (1926)

 Among the smaller catalogues in my collection is this little gem from 1926.   Though "Charles William Stores" appears to have been a general merchandiser, selling everything from churns to children's toys, the catalogue includes a generous selection of women's ready-to-wear from the height of the Roaring Twenties.

"Fashion favors Prints this season.  In this Frock we have used lustrous Sateen Charmeuse, printed in the clever pattern that has become very popular.  The predominating color of the print is repeated in the plain sateen charmeuse that fashions pocket tops, cuffs and collar with its unusual tie ends."

 "Coin Dot All-Silk Flat Crepes are all the rage when used as a waist effect on the new summer Dresses as shown in the picture.  This attractive flat crepe frock has the chic Bolero effect and the circular skirt has a belt and buckle.  Very stylish and one of the best values ever offered."  

"Very chic and dainty for summer is this Frock of All Silk Georgette Crepe.  The dress is trimmed effectively with wide gold color embroidered silk net lace.  The tie strings trimmed with novelty bead ornaments.  There is a self-color Seco slip with a bandeau top and ribbon shoulder straps."

If you look at the illustrations from the more expensive fashion magazines of the era, you'll realise that these styles aren't at the cutting edge of fashion: the high fashions of the era were becoming more streamlined and more "deco" in appearance.  The dress at the top is plainer than the others: it's made of cotton ("sateen" was cotton woven so it had a shiny surface) and has patch pockets, so I think it was intended to be worn as a house dress.   The two more dressy dresses beneath are made of silk and share dropped waists, slightly flared skirts and sleeves gathered in at the wrists.  

"Something New From Something Old" (Ladies Home Journal, March 1918)

Through the years I've posted a lot about "make do and mend" as it was practiced during World War II.   It hadn't occurred to me that people would be tackling the same kinds of shortages during World War I, until I found this article from 1918 giving women suggestions for remodelling their old clothes into new fashions.

Of course, women had been re-making clothes long before the First World War, and would continue to do so after the Second.  However in peacetime this kind of economy was slightly embarrassing: it didn't make its way into the fashion magazines or the glossy women's service magazines.  In wartime it became both fashionable and patriotic—a matter for pride!

"At last the rumors are out, and by next autumn they say we shall be allotted just so many years of material to make our dresses with, and there will be no big, roomy pockets, no fascinating dangling girdles and no plaits hidden away to consume extra yards.  How to make a smart and warm dress with a minimum amount of woolen fabric will require a maximum amount of skillful planning, and here is a whole page of pretty ideas which will help you begin your early training in economizing right now."

"There are all sorts of ways to save wool, but the smartest way is to eke it out with soft silk.  One must have a least one warm dress for the crisp spring days, and the combination of silk and wool, which Paris has been so quick to sanction, provides an economical as well as attractive method of using an old silk dress which nearly everyone has , with a few yards of woolen material, which is all one can afford to buy in these days.  This smart little frock (no. 1507) made such clever use of the old beige crêpe de Chine dress on the left for its chemisette and the back and front of the side-opening skirt... A remnant of navy blue jersey cloth made the blouse and skirt yoke..."

"Below is a black satin skirt which gave itself up unreservedly for the blue serge coat dress (no. 1494).  Even though you may not have a black satin skirt exactly like the one below to use as a foundation, don't despair, as almost any old two or three gored pattern may be narrowed down to the straight lines of the new silhouette..."

"To keep up with the times this four-year-old charmeuse made no protest at being transformed into a graceful tunic blouse.  Very few new materials are being produced at the present time, in consequence of which the French designers are showing their ingenuity in using old materials in new ways and combinations.  The lovely blouse shown here (No. 1497) was copied from a French design, and it is one of the war-necessity blouses, being made for ease at the armholes and comfort of fit, so that one can slip into easily and work unrestricted whether at sewing, bandage making or knitting.  It is deeply pocketed, too, for unexpected overflow contributions."

 

"Have you an old broadcloth evening wrap like this one... too good to discard and yet too dowdy to wear?  If you have, this good-looking topper coat ... (No. 1493) is one of the things you can make it over into.  It is not always possible in making over to use two old garments for this purpose, and a yard or two of new material of matching or contrasting color in a different weave will often cover deficiencies which the old material may have.  In this coat... a bolivia with its twilled weave made a pleasing contrast with the smooth surface of the broadcloth."

"There are more ways than one of making an old coat-suit into a one-piece dress than you dreamed of in your philosophy.  One of the newest ways is illustrated just below in the good-looking street dress (No. 1487), and a glimpse of what it used to be before this great change took place in its life is shown in the little sketch on the left below.  Almost any type of coat which is not cut away at the front may be adapted to this design, and the ubiquitous black satin, which goes so smartly with everything will make the foundation skirt, collar and sash ends... In remodeling a coat into a dress, the sleeves usually must be taken in at the seam and the coat at the underarm to give the slimness essential to a one-piece dress if you wish it to be smart."

It was fortunate that the fashions of 1915-17 were so ample: it gave the  dressmakers of 1918 who wanted to remake their old clothes into new ones plenty of material to work with!

Marcus Clark's Catalogue, Autumn-Winter 1946

 I found this little mail-order catalogue from a Sydney department store on eBay.  It's a tiny little thing—postwar shortages still existed!—about digest size and with just over sixty pages to advertise household goods of all kinds.  Of course a good few of these pages were dedicated to women's clothing.

On the cover, a four-button women's suit in houndstooth checked wool.

Inside the front cover: more suits in Donegal tweed (left) and wool serge (right).  These suits still look very like their wartime counterparts, with broad shoulders and short narrow skirts.

A box coat in all wool tweed.  "Dog's Tooth Checks are back," says the description.  Presumably the more elaborately patterned weaves were abandoned for the duration.

More coats—a wrap coat in cherry boucle cloth (left) and a box coat in checked wool (right).  The broad shoulders are a selling point in the descriptions of both garments.

Separates!  A woollen blouse is paired with a striped woollen skirt at left, and a tailored woollen jacket with skirt in herringbone worsted at right.

There are some postwar features in these dresses: the dress on the left has a flared skirt and trim on the yoke.  The dress in the centre likewise has a flared skirt, and the dress on the right is "in a new style... with... frills and roules bind."  The square shoulders are still very much in evidence however.

In larger sizes: a coat and a dress in "up-to-the-minute" styles.  Once again there are few changes from the war years (the description points out the rever collars) and the broad shoulders are still a feature.

There's one last thing to note: since clothes were still rationed in Australia in 1946, all these garments are priced not only in money, but in ration coupons as well!