I don't think you can find anything more unique and more sexy than a vintage suit from the late 1940s through the 1950s. Suits from this era are fitted to the body, exquisitely tailored, and they always have unique design details. They were made with great attention to fine construction. You'll usually find bound buttonholes, high quality fabrics, interfacings and linings, and wide seam allowances to allow for individual alterations.
Just look at the Paul Parnes suit from 1949 shown above. It closes with buckles instead of buttons, the white lapel and cuffs are probably removable for a different look, and the pockets and peplum are top-stitched. This suit sold for $125.00 in 1949 (about $1155.oo in today's dollar).
The fact is, a suit from the 1940s or 50s will always be of higher quality than anything you can buy today, unless you're shopping couture. That makes a vintage suit a fabulous bargain as well.
The suit above, by Philip Mangone for Bonwit Teller has bands of ruching at the lapels, cuffs, and at the hem edges of the jacket and skirt. Mangone was one of the premier suit makers at the time, and his suits are highly sought after today.
In the 1940s and 50s, most women had at least one suit in their closet to wear to meetings, to dinner, to go shopping in the city, for travel, or to wear to appointments with professionals such as doctors, attorneys, or teachers. Because suits were so well made, a woman could expect one to last for years.
This suit by Zuckerman and Kraus has three rows of buttons at the front. It's the center row of buttons that is used to close the suit. The rounded pocket edges mimic the hem of the jacket.
One suit to last for years? Yes, that was the expectation and the norm. A bride would usually purchase a good suit as part of her trousseau. She would wear it as her going-away outfit, and then continue to wear it for years to come. Women changed the look by changing their accessories, just as we do today, but they had the added options of hats and gloves in addition to handbags, jewelry, scarves, and coats.
Another beauty by Philip Mangone. Here the plaid lapels stand out against black wool. The pockets are decorated with plaid cording and the suit came with a matching plaid coat. The set sold for $395.00 in 1949 (about $3646.00 in today's dollar).
Why not try a vintage suit on for style? I know you'll be glad you did! We've got a great selection for you at
Couture Allure.
This Cymonette Original suit was available in black, navy, or pale gray wool. Lines of trapunto accent the shoulders and the pocket edges have the same shape. Sold for $60.00 in 1949 (about $554.00 in today's dollar).Photo #1 by Harold Halma, #2 by Radkai. All 5 photos are from advertisements in a 1949 magazine.
Christian Dior New York ribbed silk dress with a large bow draped across the bodice.
Omar Kaim for Ben Reig silk organza and satin evening gown with a large bow at the side.
Christian Dior Couture brown wool suit.
Jo Copeland brown tulle over taffeta dress with low decollete.
Christian Dior Couture silk dress with fly-away skirt panel at the back.
Could you just die? This stunning ensemble was designed by Omar Kiam for Ben Reig in the spring of 1949. The floral fabric is an Onondaga silk styled by Philip A. Vogelman. The little capelet jacket slips on over a sheer white blouse with pearl buttons. The pearls are echoed in a triple strand choker at the neck. Can you see the ingenious draping of the skirt? Click on the picture for a larger view if you like.
Staying warm in a Christian Dior red wool coat with black fox fur at the sleeves, 1949.
If you live in Boston, you remember Filene's, the city's venerable old department store in Downtown Crossing. Founded in 1881 by William Filene, the store was best known for the famous Filene's Basement where surplus and closeout bargains were housed. But if you left the chaos and hubbub of the basement and made your way upstairs to the Third Floor, you would find the elegant French Shops. Started in the 1920s and lasting into at least the 1960s, this is where Filene's offered exclusive and expensive clothing from the best known designers of the day. While it may have started out offering only French clothing, by the 1940s the French Shops carried garments by the elite of American designers as well. Below are images from a two page advertisement in Harper's Bazaar from 1949.
"Filene's French Shops present Adrian's Baroque Memories, a commanding dinner costume with dramatic long-paneled stole."
"Filene's French Shops present Nettie Rosenstein's Petal Chemise, billowing lace over a sheath of pure silk taffeta."
Dear friends, I am headed off to the West Coast to visit family for a few days. The website will be closed, and there will be no shipping until October 12. But the blog will still be active, with fresh new posts every day while I am away.
While I have no desire to take 6 suitcases with me, I do wish I had this sweet little jacket from 1949. The original was designed by Jacques Fath and was copied in the US by Jaunty Junior in suede. Sold in 1949 for $55 (about $508 in today's dollar).
I love these ideas from 1949 for wearing just a touch of mink. At a time when most women wore stoles of the entire mink pelt, including the heads, feet, and tails, these fur scarves are a refreshing change of pace.
If you have a damaged fur coat or stole and don't know what to do with it, making a scarf like this can preserve at least some of the pelts. If you prefer not to wear real fur, there are lots of high quality faux fur fabrics on the market.
Even the narrowest length of fur can be tied in a jaunty bow at the neck. Fun!
I don't think you can find anything more unique and more sexy than a vintage suit from the late 1940s through the 1950s. Suits from this era are fitted to the body, exquisitely tailored, and they always have unique design details. They were made with great attention to fine construction. You'll usually find bound buttonholes, high quality fabrics, interfacings and linings, and wide seam allowances to allow for individual alterations.
The fact is, a suit from the 1940s or 50s will always be of higher quality than anything you can buy today, unless you're shopping couture. That makes a vintage suit a fabulous bargain as well.
In the 1940s and 50s, most women had at least one suit in their closet to wear to meetings, to dinner, to go shopping in the city, for travel, or to wear to appointments with professionals such as doctors, attorneys, or teachers. Because suits were so well made, a woman could expect one to last for years.
One suit to last for years? Yes, that was the expectation and the norm. A bride would usually purchase a good suit as part of her trousseau. She would wear it as her going-away outfit, and then continue to wear it for years to come. Women changed the look by changing their accessories, just as we do today, but they had the added options of hats and gloves in addition to handbags, jewelry, scarves, and coats.
Why not try a vintage suit on for style? I know you'll be glad you did! We've got a great selection for you at Couture Allure.
