Edelweiss Patterns 1950s Dresses for Fall and Winter
~ Here are some lovely 1950s Fall Fashion Plates I’d like to share from my collection…
As the air turns colder and the days get shorter, everyone’s thoughts turn toward staying warm in the upcoming season. But for women, staying warm and staying fashionable can sometimes be tricky to accomplish at the same time! Since I always like to wear dressy outfits when the need arises, I also continue to thin nylons and open-toed high heels throughout the winter months for feet and legs that feel like icicles. But back in the 1950s, ladies were at least as conscientious as we are today about looking “smart” no matter the weather, and probably much much more so!
In this fall fashion article (taken from a 1953 magazine in my collection) the editor Kathryn Day discusses popular fashions for the cold weather months, along with suggested high heels to coordinate with these outfits. And look at the prices of those shoes! The description reads, “Under $12”, which must have meant that clothing and shoes cost an awful lot more than they do today (now you can buy a pair of high heels for $12 at the outlet mall!). Of course back then everything was made in America, which could have had something to do with the expensive price and the difference in the economy…
In the dress advertisements above we see a few gorgeous 1950s styles suitable for parties or dressier occasions. The two black dresses have dainty embellished trimming towards the neckline, one of them with pearls and bugle beads. Is it my imagination or did they try to make the red-haired lady resemble Lucille Ball? “I Love Lucy” was in it’s heyday at the time, and in fact this very same magazine issue had a full two-page story about Lucille & Desi Arnaz along with wonderful color photographs. Something about the way the lady’s lipstick and eyebrows are done remind me of “Lucy” very strongly, and the sidewise glance up at the top is quite a lot like those ridiculous wide-eyed looks Lucille was famous for.
Those shapes and shoes are all in fashion again.
These look quite similar http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/wide-fit-shoes-and-boots/studded-leather-loafer_225693218?productFind=search to the red ones.
Wow, you are right! Those are really very similar to the vintage 1950s high heels! It seems that with both clothing and shoes, any style has been used at some point in time, so even our “new” fashions were probably in vogue a few decades or centuries ago.
Thanks for sharing!
Katrina
As a fellow fashion enthusiast, I have to say that this article is great to read and was well worth the read. I’ll be subscribing/following and waiting for more articles similar to this one for sure. This blog has a great author and I hope they continue to write!