Weekend Eye Candy - Omar Kiam for Ben Reig

This brilliant red cocktail dress dates to the first half of the 1950s and is by Omar Kiam for Ben Reig.  Kiam is known for using a single dramatic detail on his evening dresses and here he adds a giant hand-painted silk poppy on the shoulder.

In Your 1950s Easter Bonnet

Sunday is Easter, a day when traditionally a woman would unveil her new spring hat with much fanfare. It's going to be a week of few words as we look at hats through the years. Use your imagination and make up your own story about the women who wore these hats, or about yourself having the experience of wearing one of them. Share your story in the comments if you like. Today, the 1950s.

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Why Can't I Find a 50s Dress That Will Fit Me?

James Galanos, 1955

That's the#1 question I get in my inbox. Other versions are, "Why are the waist sizes on all your 50s dresses so tiny?" or "My measurements are 36-30-37 (or 42-37-44, or 39-33-38). Do you have a 50s dress that will fit me?" In fact, I get this question so often, I am going to address it here for all of you who have been frustrated in your search for an authentic vintage dress.

The fact of the matter is, the industry standard for measurements in the 1950s was a 10" difference between the bust and waist. That means if you find a dress with a 36" bust measurement, 9 times out of 10, that dress will have a waist that measures 26". If you don't have a waist that is 10" smaller than your bust (and believe me, most of us modern women don't), that explains why you're having a difficult time in your search.

So what's a gal to do? Here are some suggestions to help you overcome the obstacles.

#1 - Consider foundation garments.

Yes, a girdle. In the 1950s, every woman wore one nearly every day starting in her teens. If you'd been wearing a girdle from the age of 15 or so, you'd likely have a tiny waist too, as it would have been trained into shape! I've talked about the importance of wearing foundation garments with your vintage dresses before. If your waist is only 1"-2" larger than what it needs to be to fit into that dress, wearing a strong girdle or waist cincher may be just what you need to get that dress to fit. I'm not talking about Spanx or shapewear. They just won't give enough support. Here are some suggestions for finding the correct modern foundation garment for you.

#2 - Consider separates.

If you can't find a dress that will work, consider separates. Look for a vintage skirt that will fit your waist and pair it with a blouse, a knit top, or a jacket that fits your bust. Voila!

#3 - Consider a dress from the 60s instead.

Pierre Cardin, 1966

By the mid-to-late 60s, women were moving away from wearing a girdle at all times, and styles moved to a more relaxed waistline. If there is a 6" or less difference between your bust and waist measurements, your body type may be more suited to a shift or empire waisted style from the 1960s. Try it!

#4 - Have a dress altered to fit you.

Many vintage dresses were made with the understanding that the new owner would have the garment altered for a custom fit. As such, they are often made with sufficient seam allowances to let a dress out at the waist by 1"-2" or more. You can also consider letting out the back darts in the bodice to gain more room, although this sometimes leaves visible needle marks in the fabric. A talented seamstress can add narrow panels into the side seams to let out the waist even more. While an alteration like this is not invisible, it is a workable option if you need to let out a dress more than 3". Before buying, ask the seller how deep the seam allowances are or if there is sufficient fabric in the hem to cut narrow bands for those extra panels.

#5 - Sew your own or have a dress custom made.

Vogue Pattern 1172

Most of the major pattern companies now offer modern reissues of vintage styles. And vintage patterns abound on the web. If you can sew and know how to alter a pattern to fit, making your own dress is a great option. If you are going to use a vintage pattern, you'll likely have to know how to grade the pattern up or down to fit your size. If you can't sew, find a good custom dressmaker in your area to do the job for you.

I hope these suggestions help you in your search! If you have another to add, please post it in the comments!

Vintage Coats - 1950s

Today, I continue my look at coat styles through the years with the 1950s. As Dior's New Look emerged in the late 1940s, coats began to increase in width and volume to cover the new full skirted fashions. Full skirts did not trickle down to regular fashion until about 1950, which is when we start to see the same volume in coats worn by the everyday woman.

From 1950, here you see a coat with a fitted bodice that flares out with deep pleats in the skirt in the style we now call a princess coat. Notice the wide sleeves and huge collar.

Another popular style to wear with full skirts was a coat with huge volume that flares out from the shoulders. Today, we call this a swing coat. This coat dates to 1951. Note that the sleeves are now at 3/4 length with deep cuffs.

By 1955, a more modified princess style started to emerge with a fitted bodice and a flare that is not quite as wide in the skirt.

By the mid 1950s, the clutch coat becomes very popular. While very impractical, clutch coats were made with no buttons or closures of any kind. Women would wrap the coat closed and hold it in place with one arm clutched across the waist.

Here, you see another popular trend, the pushed up sleeve. When combined with a clutch style, I can imagine this woman constantly having to fuss with her coat!

Also, while full coats were still popular, we begin to see simpler, straighter cuts. This coat, from 1955, has sleeves that can be worn full length or pushed up.

In 1956, we see styles that are straight cut in front but with a bit of sack like fullness across the back. Those push up sleeves and clutch styles are still popular.

By 1958, sleeves are back to hanging straight. Slim Chesterfield style coats are popular for day...

...while for evening, the full cocoon style emerges. These coats were made of exotic fabrics and had unusual cuts with most of the sleeve cut as part of the body of the coat. This style will continue to emerge in the early 1960s, which we'll look at next week!

The Cloche Hat - Through the Years

From Fairchild's Dictionary of Fashion:

Cloche (klohsh) Deep-crowned hat with very narrow brim or brimless, fitting head closely, almost concealing all of the hair. Worn pulled down almost to eyebrows.



The cloche hat first became popular in the 1920's. Although cloches are most often linked with flappers, they actually started appearing in high fashion as early as 1917. Coco Chanel started her career as a milliner and is said to have invented the cloche style in the teens, although that distinction has also been given to milliners Reboux and Lucie Hamar. Cloches complimented the bobbed hairstyles of the 20's.

During the 1950's, cloches again made a brief appearance as cocktail hats. Most often made of satin with sparkling decorations, they also fit closely to the head and were soft in construction.

Cloches made another appearance in the late 1960's and early 70's, although they now most often had a small brim.

How do you tell if the cloche you're looking at is from the 20's or 60's? Almost all cloches from the 20's will be fully lined in lightweight silk.

Later hats will have no lining and an inner hatband of grosgrain ribbon.

If you see a cloche hat advertised as 1920's or flapper and it isn't lined or has an inner grosgrain hatband, be careful! You could be buying a 60's hat!