Vogue Pattern Book, 1952

The theme of the Vogue Pattern Book for August-September 1952 was "Summer into Autumn", and a seasonable dress in tan and brown tweed illustrates this idea on the cover.

Ironically the sticker on the bottom left hand corner of cover indicates that this particular magazine was for sale in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand - all in the Southern Hemisphere, and all about to experience the transition from Winter into Spring!

Philipsborn, Fall-Winter 1909

... And with more rainclouds looming, it seems appropriate to go back to the beginning of last century and post some pictures of raincoats.  These utilitarian garments are smartly designed, though I suspect they wouldn't have looked quite so elegant in real life.  As for the hats the models are wearing - oh dear!   They appear most impractical as rain wear.  Can you imagine what would happen to those feathers in a downpour?

Lana Lobell, Fall 1967



Once more on the theme of autumn: this simple knit dress from 1967.  It looks like it would have been perfect for those in-between fall days!

Myer Festival of Fashion, 1978

Autumn has officially started in Australia, and outside my window it is wet and miserable with rain, rain and more rain forecast for the weekend.  To cheer myself up I've decided to post a scan of this catalogue cover full of warm Earth tones from Autumn 1978.    It was originally published by Myer - an Australian department store - as a supplement to the Adelaide Advertiser of February the 27th, 1978.   Locals can probably spot that it was shot on location at the Adelaide Festival Centre!

Harper's Bazaar, November 1947

This roomy winter coat adorns the cover of the British edition of Harper's Bazaar, but as the country was still very much in the grip of clothes rationing it is doubtful that many women were able to afford a garment like this.  Life must have been difficult for glossy publications like Harper's Bazaar during the forties: devoted to fashion, frivolity and conspicuous consumption they found themselves in a world very short of all these commodities.  Still, their readership could always dream.   This issue contained lots of fashions in the style of Dior's New Look - glamorous and not-quite obtainable!

Golden Hands, July 1975

Oh, what typically '70s trousers! High-waisted and tight at the top, they flare out until they almost cover the wearer's feet at the bottom.  They are worn with a blouse with a pussy-cat bow - a style that remained a conservative staple for work or daytime formal wear through the 1980s.

Flair, 1956

And here we have the Australian version of Flair. This issue celebrates the Melbourne Olympics of 1956.   By all accounts it was a simpler time: the opening ceremony was less a spectacular than an actual ceremony, and it was much easier to get in to see the events!