"Dress Sense" by Poppy Richards (1950s)

A friend gave me this amusing little booklet for Christmas.  It originally came as a supplement to an issue of Woman and Beauty and has no date on it.  However the contents and the illustrations make it clear that it was published in the 1950s.

At 32 pages, it's far to long to transcribe in full—but there are plenty of quotable passages that give the flavour of this entertaining work.   So let's sit back and learn the tricks of the well-dressed 1950s woman.  The additional illustrations are from my own collection.

   "WHAT IS DRESS SENSE?  Dress sense is knowing how to pick clothes that show you at your best.  It tells you when to dress plainly, when to cut a dash, suggests the details which make all the difference between looking smart ...  and just missing the mark."

Heatona, 1950

   "MONEY WELL-SPENT.  Never sacrifice quality to quantity.  A good suit pays for itself a thousand times, and the same goes for a good coat."

   "KEEPING UP TO DATE.  Well-chosen clothes shouldn't have to be discarded until they are worn  broadly the season's fashionable silhouette (with the modifications necessary to your own figure.)  As fashion evolves slowly over a number of years you should have plenty of time to wear it out.
 out—and then you should regret them.  The outfit you continually set aside in favour of another is a mistake.  When ordering a new model you should be careful to follow
   "If old clothes—that is to say, clothes that have seen a season's wear—are no disgrace, an old hat is unpardonable.  Good hats give the impression of just having left the milliner's fingers—should have the knack of making any outfit look as smart as paint."

   “BUYING A SUIT.  There are two types of design: tailored and ‘dressmaker’ styles—the first streamline, the second softer in treatment.  As a good suit has a lifetime of at least a couple of years—another advantage!—extremes should be avoided…

   “…Where you can introduce variety is in the lining.  This may come as a complete surprise... and be all the better for it.”

Alice Edwards, 1955

   "BUYING A DRESS.  When dresses are introduced into your wardrobe, you have already started building it up, and are more experienced.  The sort of design you need is one which makes people say instantly, ‘What a pretty frock!’  This gives you kudos.  

   There is one model that always pleases, with fitted bodice and a full skirt…"

   "THE UBIQUITOUS HAT.  Unless a new hat makes you feel you can get away with murder, it is valueless.  A good hat is the gilt on the gingerbread of dress.  It can save a situation… or land you in one."

   "DRESSING IN THE DARK.  The most difficult occasion to dress for is the one at which you don't know what will be taking place.  The obvious thing is to try and find out, but if this is impossible, dress up...
   "If you have gone hopelessly wrong, save everyone embarrassment—and particularly yourself—by laughing about it quickly.  The fact that you know there is nothing basically wrong with your outfit as it stands should mollify you.  It will certainly prevent others making unkind remarks."

   "WEARING CLOTHES THE SMART WAY.  Watch your deportment.  Clothes are only about fifty per cent of the battle for smartness.  They way you wear them and good grooming account for the rest."

English Rose, 1955

   "SYNTHETICS.  No opprobium is attached in the smart woman's mind to artificial fibres.  Quite the contrary—for many procure her so much comfort.  Nylon is the revelation of the century.  It has revolutionised the fashion world... especially where holiday, travel, and casual clothes are considered—to say nothing of lingerie.  It makes pretty blouses, smart permanently-pleated skirts, tub frocks, jerkins, bathing-wear.  Terylene is another recent and wonderful development in the fibre range."

   "HELP YOUR FIGURE.  One of the real joys of fashion is that it helps us to conceal physical defects—we all have some!    We may have a flat chest and big hips, a high waist or a low one, be busty, heavy in the stern, but—if we dress correctly—nobody need know."

   "THE FOUNDATION OF THE SILHOUETTE.  No woman can hope to be smart until she has found the right corset.  This isn't something you can afford to be slack about.  Carelessness over foundation garments can ruin your whole appearance."

   "THE VALUE OF EXPERIENCE.  Round about forty a woman has reached an age when dressing should be an unadulterated pleasure...  She knows what suits her and has learnt how to be selective, adventurous, inventive.
   "If she has kept her figure—and she has every assistance in doing this today—she can pick out the latest fashions."

"Les Modes Parisiennes" (in "Peterson's Magazine", March 1862)

The plates in Peterson's Magazine weren't original—they were mostly copied from a French weekly called Les Modes Parisiennes Illustrées.  Peterson's colour plates usually appeared a few months behind the originals, and were often adapted to suit American tastes and social conditions.  (They were also printed on narrower paper, so the images sometimes appear cropped as in the example below.)

FASHIONS FOR MARCH

FIG. 1—WALKING DRESS OF STONE-COLORED WATERED SILK.—There is a quilling of black ribbon down the front of the dress and around the bottom.  Large black silk buttons also ornament the front.  The body is made open a short way down the front, with lappels also trimmed with black ribbon, turned back.  A plaited chemisette and worked collar are worn with this dress.  Sleeves shaped to the arm and trimmed to match the rest of the dress.  Bonnet of stone-colored and white straw, striped, and trimmed with black ribbon and pink flowers.

FIG. 2—HOUSE DRESS OF LILAC DELAINE—The skirt as well as the Zouave jacket are braided in black, and a white cashmere vest is worn under the jacket, with a cashmere collar.  Cape of guipure lace, trimmed with bows of lilac ribbon.

(More on the topic of "Americanizing" fashion plates can be found here: "Americanizing French fashion plates: Godey's and Peterson's cultural and socio-economic translation of Les Modes Parisiennes" / by Karin J. Bohleke, in American Periodicals: A Journal of History and Criticism, Volume 20, Number 2, 2010.)

"Net Blouse" (Stitchcraft, January 1942)

Clothes rationing was introduced in Britain in 1941, but even before that goods in the shops were getting scarcer and more expensive.  As a result women turned to making their own, becoming expert in creating garments from bits and pieces and whatever unrationed materials they could get their hands on.  In January 1942 Stitchcraft published a pattern for this blouse that could be made up of coupon-free net and embroidery wool.

I'm transcribing the instructions below for anybody who wants to try making it!

MATERIALS: 1 yd. of 54-inch wide fine black hexagonal net (or 1½ yds. of 36-inch wide).  20 skiens of White Heather Embroidery Wool:—2 skeins each of turquoise, No. 42; pale pink, No. 280; pink, No. 5406; royal, No. 6430; cyclamen, No. 473; jade, No. 6430; pale blue, No. 5408; yellow-green, No. 5908; mauve, No. 7071.

Diagram 1

CUTTING OUT

To draw up actual size pattern from small draft (diag. 1), rule a piece of paper into 2-inch squares, then draw outlines of pieces in same relation to squares as lines on draft.  Cut out patterns and arrange on net, allowing 1/2-inch turnings and cutting the yokes and collars double. 

Diagram 1a

N.B.—Arrange all pieces exactly as shown on diag. 1 (or 1a) because of direction of mesh.  Join backs up centre to within 5 inches of top and press open seam.

EMBROIDERY

Diagram 2

This is best worked in a small hand frame with something white spread across your lap to show up holes.  Diag. 2 shows how to work one complete motif and arrangement of three rows of colour.  Take care to darn in ends securely and neatly.  Diag. 3 shows spacing of motifs and gives number of holes between each motif on diagonal.  Work motifs all over as shown in diag. 1, varying colour arrangements and direction of colour stripes.  Press very lightly on wrong side under a damp cloth.

Diagram 3

TO MAKE UP

Run two gathering threads across fronts (see dotted line on plan) and draw up to fit yokes.  Turn in ½-inch across bottom of double yoke and place gathered edge between; tack and machine.  Join shoulder and side seams with french seams and press, machine a narrow hem around bottom of blouse.  Gather top of sleeves (see dotted line on plan) and join seams.  Set in sleeves and machine round armholes twice.  Turn in outer edges of double collar and tack.  Work 3 lines of different coloured running stitches round edge, remove tackings and press.  Work a similar 3 rows round sleeve bottoms after turning a narrow hem, and also across yokes.  Turn in back opening down left side and crochet through double edge, making loops to fit over tiny beads for buttons, each on covered with a different shade of wool.  Tack collar round neck edge on right side.  Using a length of black silk bias bindings, bind right side of neck opening, then continue binding as a facing for collar; take it down left neck opening, behind crochet to strengthen, turn in facing round neck edge and slip-stitch.  Stitch buttons down back.  Run a length of narrow round black elastic round waist line (see dotted line on plan).

Maxi-Dress (Burda Moden, November 1971)

When I unearthed this from the bottom of my collection I just knew I'd have to feature it in my next post on this blog.  It's not just that I find the bold stripes of this dress appealing—the thing that "makes" this outfit for me are the novelty elephant-shaped clasps on the belt the model is wearing.

The cover illustrates Burda pattern 9957, made up in wool jersey.  The text inside the magazine describes it as "a model for all nice occasions this winter, from candlelit dinner to New Year's eve, from a Christmas party to snow holidays".

Le Petit Echo de la Mode (October 1925)

Following on from my last post, here we have an issue of Le Petit Echo de la Mode published thirty-five years later.  The cover (and some of the internal illustrations) are now printed in colour, but the real changes are in the fashions.  While the fashions of the 1890s expressed the idea that more was definitely more (with beads and braids and embroideries, oh my!) the fashions of 1925 have embraced a pared-down aesthetic.

4 Octobre 1925

Left: Girl's coat in checked cloth with a small hat of the same material.  Centre: Raglan coat for child in mouflon wool with a matching belt.  Right: Young woman's coat, in classically tailored frieze.  Hat to match in felt with velvet band.

The designs of these coats are indeed "classic", and could easily be worn today!

"Le Petit Echo de la Mode" (November-December 1890)

... And so we reach late autumn in our third and final look at Le Petit Echo de la Mode in 1890.  Parisiennes discard their light silk summer dresses for warm wool and velvet coats.  Our fashion columnist for Le Petit Echo de la Mode takes a look at the newest fashionable hats on November the 16th:

16 Novembre 1890

Coats for girls, children and women.  

"Si il reste peu de choses á noter dans les nouveautés en toilettes preparées pour la saison d’automne, en revanche chaque jour voit éclore de ravissantes fantisies concernant la coiffure.  La chapeau est l’object d’une etude sérieuse et d’un effort puissant d’imagination, aussi cet art charmant du chiffonnage est-il poussé á l’extrême sous les doigts habiles de nos modistes.  Ce sont de véritables fées, qui composent ces riens coquets et seyants qui encadrent si  délcieusment le visage d’une jeunne femme, de fantaisies de toutes sortes, les grands chapeaux qui sont le triomphe de la saison. 

"Les formes les plus diverses sont toutes en faveur, et la mode n’a pas de preference, soit que l’on choississe le grand sombrero en feutre pelucheaux ombragé de plumes, soit Louis XI en feutre ras, soyeux comme le chapeaux masculin, avec noeuds et plumes posês devant et en cache-peigne, ou mieux encore le Louis XV brodé á jours de fil d’argent et inondé de plumes d’autruche; sans oublier la petite toque si précieuse en voyage, et qui l’on voit en drap, en fourrure, avec noeuds de velours et tête on ailes d’oiseau couvrant le fond."

[If there is little left to note in the new costumes prepared for the autumn season, on the other hand every day sees the birth of enchanting fantasies concerning the hairstyle.  The hat is the object of a serious study and a powerful effort of imagination, so this charming art of rumpling is pushed to the extreme under the skillful fingers of our milliners.  They are real fairies, who make up these elegant and flattering things that frame the faces of young women so delicately, with all kinds of fantasies and the big hats that are the triumph of the season.

"The most varied forms are all in favor, and fashion has no preference, whether one chooses the large Sombrero in plush felt shaded with feathers, or Louis XI in close-fitting felt, silky like men's hats, with knots and feathers placed in front and on the crown, or better still the Louis XV embroidered in silver and covered with ostrich feathers; not forgetting the little toque so precious in travel, and which we see in cloth, fur, with velvet knots and a bird's winged head covering the brim."]

(Incidentally, fashion journalism must be one of the few branches of reporting where one is expected to be upbeat and and find nice things to say!  Everything is "elegant" and "beautiful"—one seldom, if ever, hears a new fashion described as "ugly" or "unflattering"!)

30 Novembre, 1890

Left: Large cloth coat.  Right: Dress in cobalt blue cloth. 

"Nous pouvons, sans craindre de trop nous hâter , prédire un succés longument assuré aux robes de drap pendant la saison hivernale.  Rien en effect, dans tous les lainages qui font nouveaté, ne peut attendre la perfection d’un costume fait ave cette souple et si élastique étoffe qui se drape et s’ajuste sur le buste en en faisant valoir la perfection. 

"Avec le drap, citons encore les gros lainages bourrus et poilus qui sont de haute fantaisie et nous habillent aussi á merveille, tells que le poil de chévre, le tissue zibeline, le thibet mélangé , les neigeuses et les pékins velours et laine brochés de pois, de losanges, de grands ovales sur fond camalieu ou sombre; beaucoup de dessins en ce genre, mais peu de fleurs."

["We can, without fear of being too hasty, predict a long-lasting success in the cloth dresses during the winter season.  In fact all the new woollens are expected to perfect a costume made with this supple and so elastic fabric that drapes and adjusts itself to the bust emphasising its excellence.

"With cloth, we can still mention the big and hairy woolens that are fantastic and also dress wonderfully, such as goat's hair, sable fabric, mixed thibet, snowy and Pekin velvet and wool.  They are embroidered with dots, rhombuses, large ovals on a monochrome or dark background; a lot of designs like this, but few flowers.]

7 Decembre, 1890

Left: Costume in vicuna and tartan.  Right: Visiting dress in black Siberian. 

In December the haut monde starts returning from the country for the Paris winter social season.  Le Petit Echo de la Mode describes the fashions suitable for dinner parties:

"... La toilette de dîner, n’est plus maintenant une toilette á part.  On s’habille avec elégancé mais simplement pour un dîner  sans cérémonie.  Ce qu’il faut, ce que la robe en soie, en crèpe de Chine ou en dentelle, soft du plus pur style, et que la fantaisie qui dirige la mode y soit mêlée.  Les gracieuses formes Anne d’Autriche et Louis XIII ont un succés réel dans le moment.  La ruché qui encadre le cou et rehausse les épaulettes  a un cachet d’une grande distinction. 

"Les grands dîners réclament les toilettes du bal.  Nous avons vu ainsi plusieurs robes d’une élégance extrême, et le gout qui ont présid leur exécution.  Une entre autre, en brocart rose de Bengale, semblait sortir de main des fées : le tablier, recouvert de tulle, était brodé de jais rose ainsi que corsage, du plus pur Louis XIV."

["... The dinner dress is no longer a separate costume.  We dress with elegance but simply for a dinner without ceremony.  What is needed is a silk dress, in crepe de Chine or lace, soft and in the purest style, and that the whimsy that directs the fashion is mixed.  The graceful forms of Anne of Austria and Louis XIII have a real success at the moment.  The ruche that frames the neck and enhances the shoulder pads has the stamp of great distinction.

"The big dinners require ball dress.  We have seen so many dresses of extreme elegance and taste in execution.  One among others, in pink brocade of Bengal, seemed to come from the hands of fairies: the apron, covered with tulle, was embroidered with pink jet as well as the bodice, in the purest Louis XIV style. "]

Le Petit Echo de la Mode (May-June 1890)

Here we have reached spring-summer 1890, or as Le Petit Echo de la Mode puts it:

"Le beau temps nous est revenue, et malgré quelques nuages inquiétants et le vent qui soufflé encore, personne ne s’occupe de ces intermittences; et petits et grands fêtent les printemps."

["The good weather has returned to us, despite some disturbing clouds and the winds that still blow.  No one cares about them; and young and old celebrate the spring."] 

Anyway, on to the fashion!

18 Mai, 1890

Left: Silk house dress in old rose, adorned with black velvet.  Right: Light tan costume in swanskin and darker silk.

"Mais cette jupe à plis langoureux s’ouvre sur un panneau qui n’est qu’une jonchée de fleurs brodées.  On veit des jacinthes roses sur crêpe de Chine mousse; les grélots du muguet font merveille sur crêpe de Chine bleu acier, et les lilas de Perse s’harmonise avec la jolie teinte Ophélie ou dahlia.  Il y a ainsi une foule de combinasons de nuances des plus heureuses, et nous ne pouvons qu’applaudir au gout qu régit la mode, toujours plus fin, plus adorable à chaque nouvelle saison.

"On revient aux dentelles, et comme toujours c’est avec furie qu’on les emploie..."

["But this skirt with languid folds opens on a panel that is littered with embroidered flowers.  We've seen pink hyacinths on crepe de chine moss; the bells of the lily of the valley are wonderful on steel blue crepe de chine, and the Persian lilac harmonizes with the pretty hue of Ophelia or dahlia. There is thus a multitude of combinations of the happiest shades, and we can only applaud the taste that governs the fashion, always finer, more adorable in every new season. 

We return to lace, and as always, it is with passion that we use it..."]

June 8, 1890

Left: Young girl's jacket in light beige.  Centre: Young girl's costume in dove and dark blue fabric, with grey braid.  Right: Costume in myrtle wool and darker velvet.

"On voit des quantités de chapeaux oùla note verte domine, des robes avec des manches aux formes exentriques et couvertes de broderies.  L’or, l’argent, ruissellent sur les vêtments et les costumes; puis, sans raison autre que la fantaisie la scène change, c’est une autre nuance que l’on adopte, un disposition de garniture qui fait fureur.  L’uni est remplacépar l’ecossais, et vite chacun s’empresse de suivre cette idée nouvelle.  Costumes, vêtements, ombrelles, noeuds, arborent les coleurs écossaises.  Dans le moment tout est à la Walter-Scott.  C’est une orgie de nuances charmantes, mais que l’on doit surtout laisser aux enfants. 

"La faveur est aux soies molles.  Cette souplesse dans le tissu fait merveille pour les draperies du corsage et le plissé éventail qui termine la jupe.  Nous avons vu ainsi une robe de pongé écrue.  La jupe, drapée légèrement devant, était plate sur les hanches.  Derrière, elle s’ouvrait sur un èventail aux plis fins et réguliers, donant ainsi une ampleur trés grande au costume."

["You can see the amount of hats where the green note dominates, dresses with sleeves with eccentric shapes and covered with embroidery.  Gold, silver, dripping on apparel and costumes; then, for no reason other than fantasy the scene changes.  One adopts another shade, another arrangement of trimmings that is all the rage.  Plain fabric is replaced by tartan, and everyone hastens to follow this new idea.  Costumes, clothes, sunshades, knots, display the tartan colours.  In a moment everything is à la Walter Scott.  It's a charming profusion of colours, but it must be left to the children. 

"Soft silks are in favour.  This flexibility in the fabric is perfect for the bodice draperies and the pleated fan that finishes the skirt.  So we saw a laid-out ponge dress.  The skirt, draped slightly in front, was flat on the hips. Behind it, it opened on a range of fine and regular folds, thus giving a very large scale to the costume."]

Somehow I suspect the ladies "dripping" in gold and silver embroidery, then suddenly throwing their entire wardrobes out to replace them with fashionable tartan were not the average readers of Le Petit Echo de la Mode!

22 Juin, 1890

Left: Dress in ivory peau de soie.  Right: Siberian dress in old rose and cream barege.

"L’éclectisme étant le maitre cette saison, on porte toutes les couleurs possible, du bleu, du jaunne, du mauve, des tons feu, vert ou brique.  Impossible de renseigner mieux nos aimables lectrices sur les nuances à la mode, et nous leur conseillons, pour être admirablement mises, d’étudier avec une couturiére habile ce qui ira mieux à leur taille et au genre de leur beauté.  C’est ainsi qu’agit la femme élégante, et l’on peut être assure que cette maniere de faire est celle qui réussit le mieux. 

"Il semble qu’on n’ait jamais vu tant de fleurs; et on se demande somment de frêles jeunes femmes peuvent porter une moisson pareille sur leurs têtes.  Les grands bords des chapeaux en sont charges.  On fait de belles et larges fleurs et d’immenses feuilles en velours de plusieurs tons de vert."

["Eclecticism being the master this season, we wear all possible colours, blue, yellowish, mauve, fire tones, green or brick.  We could not better inform our kind readers about the fashionable shades, and we advise them, to be well-dressed, to study with a skillful dressmaker what will be best in their size and their kind of beauty.  This is how the elegant woman acts, and one can be assured that this way of doing is the one that succeeds the best. 

"It seems that we have never seen so many flowers; and we wonder how fragile young women can carry such a harvest on their heads.  The brims of the hats are loaded.  We make beautiful large flowers and huge velvet leaves of several shades of green."]