Summer Cottons (National Bellas Hess, Spring and Summer 1962)

You might be forgiven for thinking that 1960s fashions were all about exciting! modern! new synthetic fibres like Dacron®, Orlon® or Terylene®.  However, there was still plenty of room for more traditional fabrics like cotton (albeit treated in new ways to prevent shrinkage or creasing).  Below are a selection of cotton dresses from National Bellas Hess: very pretty, very feminine, and very summery.

THE DRESS
A full skirt... deep toned Schiffli embroidery... velvety ribbon beading... crisp woven cotton gingham checks — it's the look of Spring!  Velvety belt prettifies your waist.  Piping rims neck and sleeves, details skirt, too.  Back zip.  Washfast.

"Playgirl Sweaters" (Vanity Fair August 1961)

Vanity Fair (no relation to the US magazine of the same name) usually put photographs promoting  commercially available fashions on its covers. For some reason this issue was different, featuring models wearing holiday handknits (the patterns available inside).  

OUR COVER GIRLS wear playgirl sweaters, favourite holiday standby.  Knit them in softest Copley Orlon... which comes in pale pastel shades as well as deep brown, green, light navy and aubergine.  Quickly dries and should be washed in lukewarm water and laid out flat to dry—this way they will always keep their shape.

(Left: Short sleeved summer casual, and Right: Sweater shirt with three-quarter sleeves.)

If anything, Vanity Fair appears to be spruiking the latest Orlon yarns here!

Lana Lobell Fashion Magazine, Spring and Summer 1960

  ...And then there was the Lana Lobell catalog. To order and wear one of those dresses became the utmost in fashion snobbery 

"A Skill to be Proud of and Pass Along" by Ana Marciel, Threads Magazine (June-July 2004)

Lest you think that the sleek sophistication of Vogue was the only look in town, let me show you this bouffant confection by Lana Lobell.  In the 1950s and early 1960s, Lana Lobell fashions were aimed at a younger market.  They were advertised in magazines such as Seventeen, Mademoiselle, American Girl and Teen Magazine and the general look was one of youthful prettiness.

Style 500 . . . You'll turn every eye and charm all present as you move gracefully on the scene in this dress that every girl's dreams are made of.  Short bolero has crisp fresh trim at collar and cuffs of white rayon, edged with pleated cotton lace.  Under the jacket: a scoop-necked bare armed dress of unpressed pleats, floating on its own cotton crinoline.  Self belt with self bow.  Really the delicious on the fashion cake!  Washable and crease-resistant Cupiani in Navy, Powder Blue or Turquoise.

The catalogue doesn't describe the "cotton crinoline".  Though lightweight (usually plastic) hoops were available for women wanting to wear the widest possible skirts, I suspect that in this case the "crinoline" was a type of stiffened petticoat.

This dress could have been worn almost any time in the previous decade.  Only a few details give away the fact that it was made in 1960: the length of the skirt (a little below the knee) and the fashionably wide belt worn by model.

Vogue Printed Pattern News, 1959

 I'm now roughly three-quarters of the way through my survey of the mid-twentieth century.  And what better way to say farewell to the 1950s than a selection of Vogue Patterns, as depicted on the covers of Vogue Printed Pattern News?  They show most of the main looks of the year, as interpreted for home dressmakers.

Marvellous way to embark upon the new fashion year... this slim wool jersey dress in a brilliant explorer-blue. 9651

Vogue Knitting Book no. 52 (Spring and Summer 1958)

 "Chanel" appears to be the watchword for most of these elegant fashion knits.  For the rest, pastels and flowers are in vogue.

The Chanel touch—an easy V-necked jacket; cap-sleeved pullover and ribbed skirt.

Season For Suits (National Bellas Hess, Fall-Winter 1957)

 How could I let the 1950s slip by without posting any pictures of suits?  In the top centre, we have an example of the fitted suit most popular early in the decade, but the rest of the models here are wearing suits with the boxy jackets which became prevalent later on.  The skirts, however, darted at the hips and gradually narrowing to mid-calf, would look at home any year in the 1950s.

[32] Boxy Tweed Suit in Choice of Fabrics — Felt Cloche

Buttons accentuate the positive flattery of this twee suit  with its boxy jacket, slim zippered skirt. Jacket is rayon-and-acetate lined.

[33] Fur Trimmed Cape Suit

Stunningly styled cape suit in white-flocked 70% wool, 20% nylon, 10% rayon.  Jacket has rounded collar, button-trimmed tabs at the hips.  Detachable cape has rich, white-dyed mouton-processed lamb edging all around; buttons to suit for stay-neat look...

[34] Fashionable Tweed Ensemble... Packable Cloche

Three-part harmony ... tweed suit plus bonus blouse!  Choose your suit from two of your favorite fabric blends.  Boxy jacket has blouse-matched lining; back bow.  Wool jersey blouse is trimmed to match suit, has short sleeves, zip in back...

[35] Three-Piece Tweed Ensemble

Big news in suits... our 32-in. topper, matching skirt and coordinated blouse.  Warmly interlined topper has jumbo pockets with "surprise" side slits, is lined to match the washable cotton print blouse.  Can be worn over almost anything...

[36] Tweed Suit with Mink Collar

Cosy warm, ultra smart.  Luxurious 100% new wool tweed suit is magnificently set off by detachable genuine ranch mink collar (see description below).  Jacket has raglan-type sleeves, jet buttons, hand-bound buttonholes; iridescent acetate taffeta lining.  Slim skirt has back kick pleat, zipper.

[37] Genuine Ranch Mink Collar
Rich, beautiful, genuine ranch mink sides... so soft, so flattering!  We're "mad" about it and we're sure you will be too when you see the luxurious air it adds to every blouse, dress, sweater, suit or coat with which you wear it...

"A billow of chiffon" (Vanity Fair, June 1956)

 Here we have a couple of wildly romantic dance dresses in chiffon.  (The one in the background is "ballerina length", or just reaching to the bottom of the calf.)  The object of fashions like these was to look attractive in a ladylike way rather than being blatantly sexy.

OUR COVER GIRLS... dance in a billow of chiffon... two versions of the same dress, by Roecliff & Chapman... candy pink... pineapple ice... note the longer length.

Vanity Fair's "VANITIES" column noted some of the latest fashion trends for June 1956:

NEW AGAIN... THE ORGANDIE BLOUSE (Dior showed it time and again with his little city suits.)  Make it like a shirt in whitest cotton organdie and let the collar turn over the collar of your suit's jacket...

NEW ANCHORAGE...  for a floating, fragile , tulle stole... wear it straight across your throat, held in position by ropes of pears, the ends of the stole flung over your shoulder and flying free.

PRETTIEST POSSIBLE WAY TO LOOK...for the season's most formal occasion... carry a sunshade to match your dress... perfect for a garden party, Henley or Ascot... and a wonderful way to shelter a sun-shy skin.

HOW MANY SUMMER DRESSES IN YOUR WARDROBE?  Collecting summer prints can be an expensive business... Easiest to wear... the rose prints (that Dior adores and uses time and again; Digby Morton, too), the Van Gogh prints, mere smudges of colours, exquisitely merged, spots, diamonds (in fact most geometricals).  If you can be really strong-minded... keep your prints colour coordinated so that you can indulge in a brilliant pair of shoes.