Monday, December 24, 2018

Weldon's Ladies' Journal (Christmas edition, 1924)


Seasons Greetings to all the lovely people who visit my blog!

And in the spirit of the season, enjoy this festive cover from Weldon's Ladies' Journal in 1924.  From left to right we have an evening dress, a simple dance frock and a fashionable "tube" frock.  All originally came as free patterns accompanying this magazine.

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Vanity Fair (1963) and "John Bates: Fashion Designer" by Richard Lester.



This issue of Vanity Fair has a picture of an evening dress by John Bates for Jean Varon on its cover.


“Jean Varon” was John Bates’ own label, established in 1959.  (“Jean” because it was French for John, and “Varon” because there were no other designers with names starting with “V” in the directory!)  In the early sixties, conventional evening dresses like the one above were Jean Varon’s bread-and-butter.  However, by the middle of the decade John Bates was also designing some of the most modern and cutting-edge styles around:

“On the one hand sleek, beautifully styled traditional day and evening dresses; ultimately very wearable and designed to appeal to a broad cross-section of clients, and on the other an undercurrent of change, gradually introducing new ideas and, when seen in the context of the history of 1960s fashion, pure innovation.” (Page 27)

Bates’ designs steadily gained press-coverage as the decade progressed, but real fame arrived when he was commissioned to design Diana Rigg’s costumes for The Avengers in 1965, including 

“coordinated skirt and trouser suits, ‘fighting suits’, op-art fur coats, bold shift dresses with contrast stripes, vinyl double breasted ‘car coats’, a white crepe plunge neck dress with Cossack embroidery and elegant empire line evening dresses with guipure-lace bodices, gathered high under the bust.” (Page 38)

A modern and eye-catching wardrobe for an iconic action TV heroine!

As the 1960s became the 1970s, mod fashions went out, and fashions inspired by nostalgia and the counterculture came in.  Bates moved with the times, designing some lushly romantic dresses utilizing pleats, patterns and embroidery for a rich and sophisticated look.   In 1974 he opened his own name label specialising in the luxury-end of the ready-to-wear market.  He had

"proved beyond any doubt that he was just as adept at handling fine silk, suede and fur as the new manmade fabrics used extensively at Jean Varon." (page 116)

He also became famous—even infamous!—for his backless evening dresses, and his slinky and very décolleté “Cosmopolitan” dresses.  (“Cosmopolitan” because they appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan, of course!)

In 1980 John Bates ended his fashion career, closing down "John Bates" and selling his Jean Varon label 21 years after he had founded it. 


John Bates: Fashion Designer
Woodbridge, Suffolk: ACC Editions, ©2008
9781851495702

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Burda Moden (November 1975)


Fashions in the 1970s weren't all denim, disco and polyester!  Here we have some patterns from the November 1975 issue of Burda Moden which showcase some of the more grown-up and glamorous styles of the era. 


7504.  An innocently graceful style in a delicate rose fabric.  Voile and chiffon are  recommended for making this dress.

7505.  Designed for the larger woman (and the woman with a larger bust!)  Comes with a pattern for its own unlined jacket.



7509.   Skirt and vest of embroidered velvet allowing many fashion variations.




7611.  A slinky and figure flattering dress made in a glittering paisley-patterned fabric. 

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Girl's Evening Fashions from "Butterick Quarterly" (Winter 1919-1920)


Grown-ups aren't the only people who go to parties!  Here we have Butterick patterns from the winter of 1919-20 for "small misses" and girls aged 14 to 19.  In other words (though the word hasn't been coined yet) teenagers!




The Rising Generation
"There is scarcely a word to be said for the young person to-day for she follows most of her mother's styles and uses almost all of her materials. One would like to offer a word of caution in regard to the brocades which are too old for her and add the suggestion that she use the younger shades of pink, baby blue, canary, white and green for her party frocks."

Sunday, December 2, 2018

La Mode Illustrée (1880)


It's December and the festive season has begun—which means parties, parties and more parties!  In the spirit of the season I'm going to spend the month posting pictures of evening and party dress.  To kick things off, here is an engraving from La Mode Illustrée of November the 21st 1880.   It depicts three young ladies dressed for a ball, though I must confess their outfits look uncomfortably tight for dancing to me!