"Farmer & Co." Fashion Advertising in Vogue (1974)

"Farmer's" was a Sydney department store that has since folded.  Back in 1974, however, it was still prosperous enough to afford to take out a number of full-page ads in Australian Vogue.

These styles from 1974 give a nod towards 1930s nostalgia with their sleek lines and geometric prints.  However, they are made of 1970s synthetic fibres, and these advertisements do their best to sing the virtues of Estacel (an acetate fibre) and Celesta (a polyester blend) both trademarked by Courtaulds.

“Super separates blended for action” by Sportscraft in “silky-cool Celesta… Celesta loves machine washing and stays bright forever.”

“Fit the scene in action-loving Celesta—a superb combination of natural-based fibre and long-wearing polyester” in dresses by Compass.

A “streamlined … simple skirt” and “straight-cut” pants by Compass.  In Celesta, of course!

 “Sun-loving body shapes” by  Image in “Estacel’s fine silky easy-care knit.”

 “Take a natural based soft silky fibre and blend it with polyester for easy care and long life and you have beautiful, cool, comfortable, colourfast, machine-washable Celesta.”  Knitted garments  designed by Crestknit.

Day Dresses from "McCall Style News" (August 1933)

Paris was still the capital of fashion in the 1930s, but Hollywood was giving it a run for its money—at least as far as the average woman was concerned.  A few privileged women bought upmarket fashion magazines like Vogue, but in an era when most people went to the cinema at least once a week a great many more got their fashion ideas via the silver screen.  The studios also used to release publicity photos of their stars and starlets, dressed to the nines by their in-house designers, to be published in the fan magazines.

While the patterns in this booklet aren't direct interpretations of movie costumes, they show a definite Hollywood influence.  The most obvious is their use of organza ruffles, made popular by an Adrian design for Joan Crawford in "Letty Lynton" (1932).  Indeed, the "Letty Lynton" dress became so fashionable that it inspired dozens of knockoffs and reinterpretations at all price levels.  The broadening shoulders in these designs were also a Hollywood inspiration (once again from Adrian designing for Crawford).  Lastly, the emphasis on design details (such as bows, jabots, etc.) framing the face, surely came from the requirements of designing for the movies—where actresses were often filmed in medium- or close-up and embellishments lower down on the costume would be lost.

"Frocks in the New Bridge Length"

"Shoulders Going Up Via Flouncing"

"Tailored Types for Street Wear"

"Bows and Jabots at the Neckline"

"The Fashion... Cape or Jacket Atop a Frock"

... "Its Advantages... Twice Useful, Twice Chic"

"Organdy Rustles Around the Neckline"

"Interest and Width Above the Belt"

"Simplicity and Slenderness Below"

The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine (1870)

The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine was launched in 1856 by Samuel and Isabella Beeton (of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management fame).  It was one of the earliest "women's service magazines", publishing a soon-to-be standard mixture of domestic advice, fiction and fashion.

July 1870

The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine was published in two editions—a shilling edition which came with a colour fashion plate, and a sixpenny one which came without.  It was also one of the earliest magazines to include paper dressmaking patterns with each issue.

September 1870

Here we see depicted the fashions of the early 1870s, an era when more was definitely more.  Each model is depicted wearing elaborate confections of bustles, bows, flounces and trimmings in situations (on a beach, travelling) where you'd expect simpler outfits to prevail.  The whole effect is rather upholstered: our pretty models remind me of nothing so much as a pair of ottomans that have somehow managed to escape from a Victorian parlour to roam the streets.

Wartime Fashions in Australian Home Journal Part V (1944)

1944: and the beginning of the end is in sight.  In Europe the Allies open up a second front on D Day.  In the Pacific US and Australian soldiers push the Japanese out of New Guinea.  And in the narrower world of the home front, women are still coping with rationing and renovating.  It's not that fashion was banished for the duration: it's just that it had to take a back seat to thrift and practicality.

January 1944

B Coupons
The Minister for Trade and Customs has sounded a warning about B coupons which became current on 15th November.  They may have to last longer than six months.  People should not go in for a coupon-spending orgy that might be regretted later.  Present indications were that stocks would allow a new coupon issue in June next year, he said.  Australia, however, was entering a vital stage of the war in which still greater demands might be made upon our productive capacity and stocks of raw materials, including textiles.

February 1944

Snappy Styles
Fashion styles for adults this season have a snappiness that is all their own.  It may be, of course, that folks who have to "make do" with the material available have made up for this disadvantage by a smarter cut and much greater care in the trimmings and etceteras.

August 1944

About Overalls.
Overalls for domestic and war work are being catered for on a more colourful basis.  At one warehouse we saw one- and two-piece slack suits, one-piece coveralls and overalls of sturdy washable fabrics principally in blue and shades of blue.  With the coveralls and overalls, V-necked cotton blouses in stripes and colours predominated.  

Material Shortage
From the evidence given before the Quota Commissioner it will be noted how coupons are only worth while as long as goods are available in exchange for them.  This is a further argument for the making of children's clothes from the partly worn garments of their elders.  Children go through clothes quickly, and there is not enough material to provide them with new dresses or suits all the time.

September 1944

Plain and Patterned
The alliance of plain and patterned material is always effective, and this season it will be more and more in evidence.  It is a change from the usual one-colour dress, and with most of us is compulsory.We note this idea exploited by one of our movie actresses.  She had a brightly-patterned floral blouse with red and blue sprigs on a white background, and a plain blue skirt.One friend of mine who copied the idea retrieved the best bits from a former dance frock for the bodice, and picked up a short length of material at an oddment counter for the skirt.

November 1944

Changing Ideas
... Don't hang onto that old frock; you know you never liked it much, the material was too heavy.  Why not make a smart new skirt, plain enough for morning wear, yet dashing enough for afternoon?

New Hats.
The flattering little new hats worn by smart women are definitely the badge of evening fashions.The smart, right look is the combination of a pretty but simple little black dress or suit, with a confection of a hat that does everything possible to flatter the face, complexion and coiffure.

December 1944

Exchange Children's Shoes
In countless cupboards throughout the country, children's shoes are lying idle, not because they are outworn, but because they are outgrown.  What a help it would be if mothers would pass these shoes on to a friend, whose child could wear them.  Or perhaps the local school, local store, welfare clinic or some local women's organisation may already be running a children's shoe exchange—or planning to run one.  It's worth finding out, anyhow.

Poor Materials
Be very careful of the material you buy.  Some stuff has arrived from overseas that is just absolutely shoddy.  Good appearance, but no wear.  We had brought before us a little boy's shirt; it had been washed once and collar and neckband has started to fray.  This class of material should never have been granted an import licence.