#augustaauctions

[professorpski]

Beads & Velvet: Celadon & Cream Evening Gown

This gown from around 1930 indicates the shifts in fashion of that era. The 1920s had seen a lot of short skirts for all times of day, including the evening, on a lot of utterly flat panels of fabric that treated women's bodies as though they were shaped like test tubes. The flat panels were good for lots of decorative beading as the maker barely had to think about shaping the 2 dimensions of fabrics into the 3 dimensionsneeded for clothing. But then all this fell out of favor in the late 1920s. Hemlines dropped down, waistlines re-appeared, and garments drew closer to the curves of a woman's body. Floor-length became an evening time look. You can see this dress as embodying much of that shift, while hanging onto the decorative panel ideas of earlier years.

This is a panne velvet, or flattened velvet, which is actually more practical as silk velvet gets squashed when sat upon. The panels of fabric are fitted to the body and embroidered with metallic and pearl beads plus rhinestones. The skirt's inserts reverse the direction of the velvet, thus making the most of its nap, and allowing the light to catch the pale green color in all directions. You can imagine the lovely play of color as a woman danced or darted up a staircase, a mix of beads and fabric shimmering in the light.

It is for sale at Augusta Auctions, a vintage textiles and fashions auction house, part of their Summer Solstice Treasures auction on June 28th, 2023.

For more info, go here: https://augusta-auction.com/

[historicalgarments1]

Purple silk brocade Victorian dress 1850-1890. "3 piece dress of purple silk w/ purple star blossom on black dot brocade, royal purple velvet jacket & skirt hem band, additional cropped evening bodice". From Augusta Auctions lot 299, 46.17732.299.299. #augustaauctions #historicalgarments #bustledress #costumedesign #historicalfashion #historicalcostuming #bustle #costumehistory #historicalsewing #victorian #sigloxix #fashionhistory #victoriana #polison #historiadelamoda #histoiredumode #19thcenturyfashion #vintagefashion #victorianfashion #modavictoriana

[professorpski]

Peachy Keen: Evening Ensemble by Christian Dior, 1950s

This lovely ensemble is part of an upcoming auction on September 20th, 2023 at Augusta Auctions which specializes in vintage fashion and textiles. The color alone makes me sigh as I am soooo tired of black for evening wear and I am always charmed by the way silks catch the light. This color silk satin will make the woman wearing the cocktail dress and short jacket simply glow.

This is a clever way to pair a strapless dress with a jacket that keeps the neckline bare, but still allows a bit of coverage or of warmth when you want it. It has the clearly marked waistline that was so popular in the 1950s, coupled with the pleated skirt front and back that allowed a woman to worry a bit less about the size or her hips. And the pleats at the front of the bodice, paired with darts, help balance out the hour-glass silhouette then preferred.

The dress has a separate belt made of the same material which closes with a hook and eye. I have come to think that making matching belts for dresses, whether evening or day dresses, is the easiest way to finish them off. It avoids the sometimes fruitless fishing around your belt collection for something that harmonizes or matches. The large bow on the belt was created beforehand--in fact, almost all such bows attached to dresses were created beforehand from what I can tell--which saves the wearer trouble and the fabric wear and tear. This one probably has interfacing within it to keep that nice, large spread. These are practices well worth adopting when you want a decorative bow.

Augusta Auctions tells us that the dress is "lined in silk organza, boned bodice & interior construction typical of Dior couture." Partly this was to create the shape of the dress and partly for the convenience of the wearer. When an evening dress was custom made, the mark of haute couture, a woman did not usually have to search around for the right strapless bra to wear underneath it; the dress itself contained what amounted to a bra. Interestingly, the label tells us this dress was not made in France but in England and then it was sold by a Canadian retailer which tells you how easily Paris fashions crossed the Atlantic at a time when that city was still the center of all western fashion.

You can see this and more of the sale here: https://augusta-auction.com/auction/85

[professorpski]

Party Dress or Hostess Gown? A Lost Style at Augusta Auctions

One of the interesting things about fashion is how some types of garments or accessories fall our of our style vocabulary. See decorative dress clips, fanged and hinged in order to sit on the edge of a neckline or even a sleeve hem, for example. Clips once came in diamonds or in rhinestones, but now we find them only in antique stores and vintage shops.

Then. there is the hostess gown. Mary Brooks Picken defines in her The Language of Fashion dictionary from 1939 as “usually, formalized negligee simulating a dress” or less usually “formal lounging pajamas.“ These items were worn only at home, but when guests were present. Obviously, these were intimate friends, yet the occasion was more formal, such an a special brunch, or a quiet evening party.

Now, it is easy to see how the peach crepe dress with a standing shawl collar and interesting pleats below the shoulder line qualifies as a hostess gown. The coloring, the short sleeves, and the softness of the garment seem to say negligee, while the rhinestone buckle seems to say “party!”

The fuschia crepe may be a hostess gown, although there is something so military about the beadwork which shows up as epaulets that one cannot imagine it as a negligee. True, there is softness in the gathers below the bust, at the waistline of the skirt and in the gathered bishop sleeves. But there is something about those beads marching along the shoulders as well as along the V-neckline, and the cuffs, and the edges of the fake pockets that makes me see it more as a party dress. Europe had been at war since 1939, and had been militarizing before then, so features borrowed from men’s military grab, like epaulets were borrowed for women’s fashion. The 1940s always saw tailored suits and dresses with large shoulder pads, again borrowed from men, but there always remained some draped looks for women through the war years.

These are part of a sale taking place on-line at Augusta Auctions on February 15th, 2023. To learn more, go here: https://augusta-auction.com/auction/79

[professorpski]

Pucci Print Swimsuits from 1969 at August Auctions

Emilio Pucci became famous for his sportswear which makes sense as he was an athlete himself. He had been on the Italian ski team for the Olympics in 1932 and designed ski wear for himself and then was commissioned to create some for women by Harper’s Bazaar magazine. He then specialized in sportswear and casual wear through the 1950s and 1960s. It was a period of post-war prosperity and Americans especially had more leisure time and money than they had had in decades.

Pucci always enjoyed color in clothing and his colorful geometric prints became his hallmark (and their styles were copied by garment manufacturers). These playful looks fit well with sportswear especially at a time when looking youthful and energetic was a fashion in itself. Notice that these women’s suits cover more of the body than many suits would in later decades, and were thus easier to wear and move in. Pucci worked with ready-to-wear companies to produce these two suits under the label "Created by Emilio Pucci for Formfit Rogers" and one suit bragged “Printed in Italy Made in USA" to make it clear that this was a genuine Pucci print.

Interestingly, Augusta Auctions tell us that the bikini top fabric is made of silk satin while the briefs are made of spandex. I suspect these choices were made in order to allow the structure aimed for in supporting the breasts with a pieced design, while the briefs needed mostly stretch to allow the legs freer movement.

These swimsuits are part of an online auction February 15th, 2023 at Augusta Auctions. Go here for more info: https://augusta-auction.com/

[professorpski]

SILK & LACE SUMMER EVENING COAT, c. 1927

Silk lace in faux fillet pattern over pink silk crepe w/ free open front into draped tie at CB, lined in silk crepe, CH 44", L 40", (tearing

Evening coats are largely a lost garment for many of us. I think some people would think such items a luxurious indulgence, but the Dress Doctors urge even the college woman on a budget to make herself a simple cape to wear for evenings only.

This one has the tubular 1920s shape, which is not my favorite silhouette, but it also has an intriguing technique and one while worth borrowing: elaborate lace over solid-colored silk, and the solid silk is then the inside of the collar and shows up as a tie as well. Think of all the different color harmonies and contrasts, and your mind will be humming.

This was part of a sale at Augusta Auctions, a house which specializes in vintage fashion and textiles.

[augustaauctions]

Another exciting sale from our NYC auction was this  1870s Black Mourning dress for $3,300. #vintage #auction #augustaauctions #1800s #vintagedress

[augustaauctions]

One of the most exciting surprises from our auction last week was the sale of this gorgeous Paisley handwoven shawl, early 19th century, for $37,200! #vintage #auction #1900s #fashion #augustaauctions