"Australian Designers" (Harper's Bazaar Australia, Spring/Summer 1988)

 

It was photographed at Versailles, but the designer was Australian.  Based in Sydney, Robert Burton created this "beguiling strapless silk taffeta dressed trimmed with pink bows" for a mere $1,500—in 1988 values, of course!

"Conversion Tactics" (Handmade, Autumn/Winter 1989)

 Handmade, as its title implies, was a fashion magazine for crafters, filled with knitting and sewing patterns and ideas for enhancing one's wardrobe. In one of its 1989 issues the magazine suggested: 

"an inexpensive way to make a rich winter fashion statement: cheap shirts — or ones you've made yourself — cleverly decorated and trimmed."

To illustrate it took some cheap white shirts from Woolworths (less than $10!) added trimming and altered one or two details.

The example on the cover had the buttons on the shirt replaced with press-studs and the front placket covered with ribbon.  Further ribbons were added to the front to "form a dramatic yoke" and the collar was also edged in ribbon.  The accessories include silver cuffs worn as arm-bands.

"To Make Yourself... A Culotte Suit" (Vanity Fair, September 1961)

 Culottes!  Not much worn now, they were wide-legged pants that looked like a skirt.  In the past when

pants were not considered ladylike wear in many situations, women could combine the propriety of skirts with the practicality of trousers by dressing in culottes.

Vanity Fair (the British magazine, not the American one) offered these simple patterns for culottes and a matching top in September 1961.

Overblouse.

MATERIALS REQUIRED: 3/4 yard of Jaska-Djana jersey, 54 in. wide... 1 yard of 3/4-inch wide elastic; Pervivale spun Terylene threat to match; on 6-inch zip.

PATTERN: Fits 34-inch to 36-inch bust.  Each square of the diagram represents 2 inches.  Draw squares onto large sheet of brown paper and draw on pattern, adding 1/2 inch turnings to seams, 1/4 inch round neckline and armholes, and 1 1/2-inch hem.  Cut out pattern.

CUTTING OUT: Leave jersey folded and place pattern onto cloth in the position as indicated on the diagram, e.g. centre front on fold of cloth and centre back lying down selvedges.  Chalk round pattern and cut out two backs (A), one front (B), one bow strip (C) and one pocket (D), double.

MAKING UP: Press well at each stage with a hot iron and using a damp cloth.  Join centre back seam up to notch, leaving opening for zip; stitch darts into back and front bodice.  Press.  Stitch pocket pieces together right sides facing inwards.  Stitch and turn inside out and topstitch onto left side of bodice, as marked.  Press.  Join side and shoulder seams.  Press.  Face or pipe neck and armholes, using surplus material.  Turn up hem, making it 1 inch deep when finished.  Press.  Insert length of elastic, 1 inch shorter than hip measurement, through hem.  Make narrow hem all round edge of bow strip and press.  Tie into casual bow and stitch it at the centre front of the hem.(*)  Insert zip into back of neck.
Alternatively you can leave a vent at the back and fasten with link or hook and eye.  If you prefer your overblouse loose or with side vents, leave 3 inches free at side seams and no elastic.

Culotte.

YARDAGE REQUIRED: 1 7/8 yards of Jaska-Djana Jersey...(2 yards larger sizes); 8-inch zip and 3/4 yard 1-inch petersham for waisband; matching Perivale spun Terylene thread.

PATTERN: Each square of the diagram represents 2 inches.  Square up a large sheet of brown paper and draw diagram onto it.  This pattern fits 24-inch waist, length 24 inches.  No seams are allowed, so add 1/2-inch seams and 2-inch hem.

 SIZING: To alter size, drop points X 1 inch for each size and lengthen skirt to required length.  Increase or decrease hip pleat between C and D to alter waist measurement.

CUTTING OUT: Cut out pattern and open cloth to full width.  Lay pattern on material, chalk round and cut out.  Cut two pieces as pattern.

MAKING UP: To begin with, work on each piece separately, pressing at each stage with damp cloth and hot iron.  Put point X to point X and seam down to hem.  Repeat on other piece.  Press.  Place the points X together, matching A to A, B to B, and seam crotch, leaving 8-inch opening at C B for zips.  Press.  Insert zip.  Make waistband length of waist plus 1 1/2-inch wrap and cover.  Make box pleat  by putting C to D and then attach waistband gathering between points D and B.  Neaten inside of waistband.  Hem each leg by slip-stitching by hand, and your newest, easiest-to-wear fashion garment is ready to be teamed with your favourite sweater or shirt.
French girls like their culottes and trousers to fasten in front.  We do too, so if you prefer the zip in front it is very new and modern, and the pattern needs no adjustment.

"Jaska-Djana" jersey is no longer available, so anyone wanting to try their hand at making this pattern will have to find a substitute.  As always, I'd love to see the results if anyone does take a shot at it!

A Decade of Dresses 6 (1970s)

 The 70s—also known as the decade that taste forgot!  Speaking sartorially, it was also the decade that began with "do your own thing" and ended with "dress for success".

Style Pattern Book, Spring 1970

This dress is a miniskirt (as shown by a small black and white photo of the same garment inside the catalogue) but it also has some details that are very characteristic of the early 1970s.  The long pointed collar is one of these, as are the sleeves gathered into deep cuffs.  

David Jones, Spring and Summer 1971

These two dresses take their inspiration from the thirties (though they are very definitely of the seventies).  Hemlines have dropped, colours are more subdued, and they are made up in very retro-looking floral prints.  Nostalgia plays a key role in many fashions in this decade.  However there are still many shorter, brighter dresses sharing the pages of same catalogue 

 

Vogue Patterns International, Spring 1972

These two dresses on the cover of Vogue Patterns International illustrate the classic style that became typical of the mid-seventies.  Everything is moderate: the skirts, at knee length, are neither too short or too long, the silhouette is neither too loose nor too fitted, and the shoulders are (as yet) unpadded.  The look is somewhat reminiscent of the 1940s, except the model on the right is flashing rather more leg than would have been thought appropriate in 1940!

Burda Moden, June 1973

The style is classic, but 1970s influence can be seen in the choice of materials and colours.  While shades of orange, brown and yellow were most popular for interior design they did make their way into clothing as well.  This particular shade is described as "coral", and the material is double (polyester) crepe.

McCall's Carefree Fashion Catalog, Summer 1974

This pattern is designed for "unbonded stretchable knits".  The knits in question were most likely to have been polyester.

David Jones, Spring and Summer 1975

By this stage it should be no surprise that these dresses are made of polyester!  The mitred stripes on the dress on the left suggest that it was cut on the bias.  If you look at the photo closely, there are hints that skirts are becoming fuller and bodices less fitted than in the early seventies.  By the late seventies women's fashionable dresses could be extremely loose and baggy—though contemporary fashion reporters never described them that way!

Simplicity Pattern Book, Summer 1976

High-waisted dresses became a thing in 1976, along with moderately full skirts.  This example is made of "100% cotton!" and is plainly not designed for stretch fabrics or knits.  

Vogue Patterns, Summer 1977

Diane von Furstenberg designed these dresses for Vogue Patterns in 1977.  The shirt-dress at the left has a loose sash belt (in the same material as the dress) at the natural waist.  The pullover dress on the right has no waist at all, and hangs like a shift from the shoulders.

Style Pattern Book, Summer 1978

This romantic dress (made in a polyester-cotton mix) from 1978 has a high waist seam, but hangs loose and unfitted.  Summer dresses in the late seventies took a very soft and feminine turn, mixing pastels and "peasant" styles in a kind of rural fantasy.  These fashions somehow managed to exist alongside of denim jeans, flashy disco wear and "dress for success" separates.

Simplicity Pattern Book, Summer 1979

Lastly, florals, florals, florals!  There are plenty of dresses in solid colours inside this catalogue, but the blouson top and full but not bouffant skirt shown here are typical of the styles on offer.

A final note: This was by far the hardest of the "Decades of dresses" post for me to do, because for the first time since the 1920s one-piece dresses started to play second fiddle to separates.  However, dresses seem to have had a little revival by the end of the decade.  I wonder what the 1980s will hold?

Looking Back 30 Years (Vogue Patterns, February 1991)

 Today I'm going to look at some slightly-more-recent than usual fashions from the Vogue Patterns counter catalog issued in February 1991.  Although the 1990s is associated with grunge and minimalism in fashion, these styles from early in the decade are still very much of the 1980s.  Big hair and BIG shoulder pads abound.  Only the colours seem a little more subdued than in  previous years.

Let's start off with a couple of dress patterns.

Firstly, short (knee-length) and narrow dresses.  The broad shoulders and lack of a waist give these a rather box-like shape.

Next, by contrast, this long and sweeping coat dress.  Only the shoulder pads indicate that it is from the same era—the same pattern catalogue!—as the dresses above.

Broad shoulders also made their way into patterns for evening fashions.  Not surprisingly there was only one pattern for a strapless dress in the entire catalogue—you can't pad out bare shoulders!

Here we have three variations on the same evening dress: with long or short sleeves, a "sweetheart" neckline, dropped waistline and a bell-shaped skirt which is longer in the back than the front.

Somewhat slinkier in effect, these evening dresses feature large, off-the-shoulder shawl necklines and narrow skirts.  

A decade after Prince Charles' wedding to Lady Diana Spencer romantic "fairy tale" wedding dresses were still in vogue.  This is a typical example (my sister-in-law wore one like it to get married in 1991) with puff sleeves and a long bouffant skirt.  The sleeves and the skirt would gradually narrow as the decade proceeded.

For more day-to-day activities, blouses were indispensable.  By modern standards, these shirt blouses are roomy, with big shoulders (of course!), large collars and generously cut armholes.  

 

Waistcoats for women were very fashionable—I owned a few.  Warmth and decoration in one package.

Of course shirts and tops need to be paired with bottoms.  Here are some typical examples: slacks and a pencil skirt.  The slacks are fairly high-waisted and wide legged.  Bumsters and skinny jeans still lay in the fashion future.

Coats.  Like shirts they were generously cut with big armholes.  Of all the clothes I have shown here, they probably had the widest shoulders.  Remember, in the coldest weather they might well have been worn over three or four layers of clothing—each with their own shoulder pads!

Here are some more body-conscious garments in the form of leggings, a unitard and bodysuits.  These would almost certainly have been worn as exercise gear.  (However, the figure on the left, dressed in all black, is giving me strange supervillain vibes!)

And lastly, for those leisure moments, women's shirts and pants.  Big and baggy, they are clearly designed for the wearer's comfort!