While I mostly sell vintage sewing patterns on eBay, I am also a collector, largely of 1950s evening gowns and bridal wear.  While I absolutely treasure my collection and would likely never sell, I do feel they are too good to be locked away and will use my blog to share them with you.

The pattern pictured above is one of my favorite Givenchy patterns from the 1950s ... VERY Audrey Hepburn!  This is a short evening dress which has a bateau neckline in front that becomes two wide shoulder straps in back.  Bodice is very fitted with a very full skirt.  A separate panel of fabric is gathered and attached to the back of the dress at the base of the shoulder blades forming a short train.   The dress fastens at the back with buttons, all of which are hidden beneath the train which is itself topped by a decorative bow.  The suggested fabrics for this little number are Satin, Peau do Soie, Taffetta, Polished Cotton, Silk and Cotton. 

This pattern is copyright 1956 and consists of 9 pattern pieces.  The panels of the dress/skirt are cut in one ... no waistline seam.  I just love the simple elegance of this dress ... so very French!  I've included a picture of the envelope back below which gives you a better view of the completed garment.

Keep checking back for more vintage lovelies!

I was VERY fortunate to be in my hometown of London, England while this fabulous exhibition was on at the Victoria & Albert Musuem in Knightsbridge.  "The Golden Age of Couture" exhibit was a dream come true for me as I just love the fashions from the period covered ... 1947 through 1957.  Not only did I get to see some beautiful gowns and learn more about the fashion houses from the time, but dolls from the "Theatre de la Mode" were also on display!!  Amazing to actually see the famous dolls I've read so much about and learn more about the designers who created them under such dire conditions!

The exhibit celebrated the changes in fashion that came about after the hardships (and utilitarian clothing!) of WWII, most importantly the "New Look" created by Christian Dior.  Fabulous day and evening wear was on display with many items being donated by their rich and famous wearers.  For example, the gown Princess Margaret wore to Queen Elizabeth II's coronation was on display ... absolutely beautiful ...

... AND TINY!  Let me just say ladies that some things don't change.   When it comes to dress size, I think the girls back in the 50s had it tougher than we do today.  The waist sizes on some of those dresses looked smaller than my 10-year-old daughter's waist!  I did watch a video of a 1950s model getting into her underpinnings which was painful to witness.  Corsets which pushed the ribs up and cinched the waist in, extra padding on the hips and shoulders to emphasize the smallness of the waist ... I must say their bodies looked malformed by the time they were finished.  But add a Givenchy evening gown and WOW!  Fabulous!!

I left the exhibit feeling vastly overweight (which I'm not by today's standards!) but also fortunate that I can breathe freely in anything I wear!  To cheer myself up, I headed to the regular fashion exhibits on display at the V&A.  This is my favorite museum in London, with dresses on display that date back to the 1800s and go all through the ages right up to today.   It's amazing these garments have been so well preserved.  In the 1800s, your wedding dress wasn't boxed up and put away forever as we do with them today ... it was worn over and over again to social functions, and altered when possible to reflect changes in fashion ... you begin to understand why those girls got so excited about new ribbons!  Clothes were incredibly expensive and you didn't just hit the mall to buy a new one 'cause you were bored and had nothing to wear!  These days our fads and trends last about 5 minutes making it impossible to keep up.  But it does make me wonder ... will future generations really be looking at Ugg boots in glass cases?

The Golden Age of Couture Exhibit at the V&A ends in the first week of January 2008; I'm not sure if it is travelling to other cities, but if it is anywhere near you I highly recommend making a trip to see it.  If you're ever in London, the V&A has an excellent fashion and textiles exhibit, and, best of all, admission to the regular exhibits is FREE!

The website for the Golden Age of Couture is http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1486_couture/.  I don't know if they will take the site off once the exhibit is over, but give it a go.  The regular V&A website is http://www.vam.ac.uk/.