Styles of '65: Pinafore Dresses (Simplicity Pattern Book, Autumn-Winter 1965)

 The pinafore dress (or jumper) was usually considered to be a youthful fashion, so naturally it was popular during the youth-conscious 1960s.  These designs from Simplicity Pattern Book of Autumn-Winter 1965 were intended to be worn by sub-teens, teens and juniors.

6098 - Sub-teens', teens' and juniors dress or jumper

6134 - Teens' one-piece jumper with two necklines - Simple-to-sew

Pinafore dresses were also easy to make, which made them perfect for girls just learning to sew.  The designs above were both part of Simplicity's "How-To-Sew" series of patterns.

"New Ideas in Jumper Costumes" (McCall's Magazine, April 1908)

 I had something more elaborate planned for today, but Real Life™ stepped in.

In American parlance, a "jumper" or a "jumper" dress is the same as a pinafore dress in British or Australian English—that is, a sleeveless dress made to be worn over a longer sleeved blouse or top.

[Left] This lovely gown is made with a blouse waist of white China silk, with a narrow pointed yoke and and a stock collar of Irish lace.  The sleeves are short, reaching just below the elbows, but long sleeves can be used instead if preferred.  Over this blouse is worn a most attractive over-blouse of the skirt material, a soft shade of pink chiffon broadcloth.  This is edged with narrow black velvet ribbon, set off by a line of soutache braid and trimmed with tiny ball buttons.

[Right]  One of the new princess jumper skirts, worn over a waist of allover lace, is illustrated on the colored plate... A fashionable green and white checked woolen was chosen for the jumper skirt, but the pattern is suited to broadcloth, cheviot, serge, Panama, as well of fancy woolens of all sorts... The waist or slip in our model is of allover Renaissance lace, but any variety of lace, China, taffeta or fancy silk, allover embroidery or lingerie can used for its development if desired.

"All-Day Frocks" (Weldon's, 1934?)

 This publication doesn't have a date, but the original owner cut some of the free pattern pieces out of newspapers.  Searching Trove for some of the articles printed on the pattern pieces ("RAILWAY PILFERING.  Forty Bottles of Beer Stolen") I managed to date them to 1934.  This would indicate that Weldon's All-Day Frocks pattern brochure was published no later than 1934 (though it could have been published a year or so earlier!)

6248—Smart Dress with Draped Collar.
6249—Pretty Dress with Puffed Sleeves. 

Two delightful frocks, so easy to make and smart in any of the lovely Ferguson crêpes—such as crêpe Fersyl or Rosemary crêpe, or in Courtauld's satin, etc., either plain or patterned weaves, such as San-Toy.

The editors of this catalogue made a lot of suggestions for brand-name fabrics! I leave it to my readers to decide whether they were paid promotions or not.

Australian Home Journal, April 1956

Let's look at some of  the ladylike fashions of the mid-1950s, as depicted on the cover of the Australian Home Journal.  In Paris, couturiers produced an endless succession of "lines" and "looks" each season.  In the towns and suburbs of Australia, however, fashion in the 1950s took a more "steady as she goes", approach.  

Thoughts of what to wear in the coming months, as Autumn deepens into Winter, are uppermost in the minds of most of us just now.  Although there are no revolutionary changes in line, the new season's styles offer infinite variety to the home dressmaker.  The slender silhouette is a fashion leader.  Other styles, by concentrating attention on the hips, achieve the longer line which is so flattering to those who lack height...

The use of tabs for ornamentation as well as practical purposes is a feature of many autumn styles.  Artfully used at focal points they add importance to the line of a frock or coat.

A Glimpse of Stocking (Montgomery Ward, Fall & Winter 1929-20)

 Victorian and Edwardian women's stockings could be surprisingly decorative, but they were not for public display.   In the 1920s, however, skirts became very much shorter, and legs (and the stockings covering them) became a focal point.  How did this change things?  I'm going to take a look at the stockings advertised in a Montgomery Ward catalogue from 1929 to find out. 

The first thing I noticed was that the stockings on offer were plainer and less colourful than their 19th century counterparts.  Victorian women could wear stripes, checks and embroidery under their petticoats.  The modern woman of 1929 was offered a subdued palette including black, "tansan" (dark tan), nude (light tan), pearl blush, gunmetal and medium gray.  Clearly the wearer's legs were the focus, rather than her stockings!

Still lower prices for the Golden Crest full fashioned stockings that were such a sensation last season!  Choice of clear, sheer chiffon or service weight  silk—both in the new narrow French heels or slender pointed heels that make ankles so chic—so charming.  The chiffon are dainty, sheer silk from top to toe with cleverly reinforced silk covered foot to give extra wear and elasticity; fine lisle strengthens the inner surface at points of wear.  The service weight is strong, highly elastic silk well over the knee to the serviceable hem of fine-knit mercerized lisle.  Slipper soles, toes and heels are same fine lisle.

Styles of '65: Blouses and Overblouses (Spiegal & National Bellas Hess catalogs, Spring-Summer 1965)

It's the first of the month, so I'm heading back to 1965 again to look at blouses as advertised in two American mail-order catalogues.

Firstly, Spiegel offers blouses with Bermuda collars, and blouses with ruffles.

Spiegel, Spring-Summer 1965

Left side, top to bottom

GINGHAM WOVEN CHECK; all combed cotton.
PASTELS WITH DACRON*; lustrous, easy-care broadcloth of 65% Dacron polyester, 35% prime cotton.
'SHAKESPEARE' PRINT... sure to be a lively conversation piece!

Right side, top to bottom:

TINY WOVEN CHECKS... they're delightfully dainty in fine all combed cotton.
PASTELS WITH DACRON*, silky-smooth broadcloth of 65% Dacron polyester, 35% combed cotton.
INTRIGUING PAISLEY PRINT; lustrous Avril® rayon and cotton broadcloth.

"Correct Clothing and How it Should Be Made" (Girl's Own Paper, March 31, 1883)

Let's venture back to the early 1880s.  As you can see, the "second bustle" era is getting under way, though at this stage the Girl's Own Paper is only talking about skirts being "fuller" at the back and not about the adoption of "bustles" or "dress improvers". 

 All skirts are decidedly fuller in the back-breadths, and short skirts are worn on all occasions, save very state ones; elderly ladies should wear them touching the ground indoors, and just clearing the ground when walking...

The other thing to note about this era in fashion are the "short" skirts.  From the late 1860s all through the 1870s, fashionable skirts trailed on the ground.  Even the shortest walk out of doors must have left wearers with filthy hems! In the 1880s, skirts would either just touch the ground or just clear it.  The 1890s and 1900s would see long trained skirts return, only to disappear forever in the 1910s.

Waistcoats are used with every style of dress, both for morning and evening. 

In the young girl's walking-dress for the spring the most useful and sensible form is given that I have seen.  It is a kilted skirt, finishing in a flounce, and where the flounce begins there is a gathered puffing.  The overskirt is quite plain, and gathered like a shawl from the left side.  The Breton vest and jacket are intended for walking in, and are so simply braided and made, that it is within the power of any of our girls who have tried to make their own dresses to manage it...

The child's coat is made of a broché cloth... edged with velvet, and the hat is of felt with two silk tassels and a silk cord for its sole trimming.