Sunday 24 December 2017

Ghosts of Christmasses past

Despite Vintage Gal's words of encouragement, I'm not a lot further on with Style 4649. So instead for this week's post I decided to just go for pretty pictures, and look at Christmas outfits in some of the Winter/December-January issues of Vogue Pattern Book that I have.

Warning: Readers of a sensitive disposition may want to stop before they reach the 1970s!

Beginning in December 1952, all is poise and pearls and fabulous hats.

Black jersey fabric from McCulloch and Wallis [sic]

The editorial a year later suggests that the reader will have made outfits for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve and a post-Christmas event in January. And party dresses for the children, and presents. Phew.

Lots to do in 1953

December 1957 is back to poise and elegance, but no hats.

Dresses with back details

The 1958 edition suggests that at a mere £5 each (approximately £81/$108 in today's money), the reader could make every one of the 10 dresses in the article for the party season!

Bargain frocks!

What I can only describe as 'mad hair' dominated the 1966 issue. I couldn't decide which photograph to use, so here are two of them.

Vogue 6922

Vogue 1652

Four years later, even though it's only the start of the 1970s, it's a very different look.

Vogue 7644

1973, and it's all about lurex knits and wide trousers.

So shiny! So brown!

The 1970s are sometimes described as 'the decade that style forgot'. And sometimes with good reason.

1975. There are no words

Moving swiftly on (but not necessarily for the better), I hadn't realised that what we now think of as 'Eighties style' had actually begun by December 1979.

Bill Blass for Vogue, 2286 and 2304

Two years later, and while I don't particularly like the dress, it is nice to see an older woman feature in the Vogue Pattern Book, long after the demise of Mrs Exeter.

Vogue 8182

Finally, an image is from 30 years ago, December 1987. I made a number of items in the 1980s which I wouldn't necessarily want to admit to now, but at least I can say that I never made a bubble skirt!

Vogue 1992, Bellville Sassoon

Merry Christmas!

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