Aristoc

Something of a diversion this week. I recently read this article by Katie Thomas of What Katie Did, about the (possibly terminal) decline of the British hosiery industry. Among other things, it mentioned that Aristoc had gone into receivership. I don't think I've ever bought anything from the Aristoc brand, but I did vaguely remember seeing some of their advertisements in Vogue Pattern Book (Aristoc was always a high-end product, so it made sense that it should advertise in a Vogue publication), and of course I had to investigate. Sure enough, they were one of the very few non sewing-related brands which advertised in there, and did so for a number of years.

Although the pattern book became a standalone publication in 1949, the first Aristoc advert didn't appear until 1952. As this article explains, the company's output had changed dramatically during the war years, so it may have taken some time to return to stocking manufacture. The prime position of the advert, on the outside back cover of the magazine, suggests that Aristoc was willing to spend heavily on advertising. There is minimal information however, just the tagline "the aristocrat of stockings", with no explanation of the different colours of packaging.

June-July 1952 issue

The next advert, a year later, has a similar image, albeit drawn rather than photographed. There is also more copy - including the suggestion that stockings are still in short supply. The text of the logo has changed to white text on a black background, and will remain this way for some time.

June-July 1953

Another year later, and the tagline, logo, and drawing of two hands are still there, but the emphasis is on the male viewpoint.

June-July 1954

This continues in the second advert of this series.

August-September 1954

Unusually, this advert is repeated in the February-March 1955 issue, but on the inside back page. From this point on the adverts are always inside the magazine, but they are always a full page.

Later in the year, a very different approach appears. There is information on some of the different stockings available, along with their prices. There are also stockings "from as little as 8/11d" (107 old pence), but no indication of which ones are this price. For comparison, this issue of Vogue Pattern Book costs 24 old pence, as does a Butterick pattern for a "nightie, brunch coat and lounging outfit", an ordinary Vogue pattern costs 42 old pence, Paris Original patterns cost 102 old pence, and a yard of Marchington printed cotton costs "about" 155 old pence. Despite this hefty price tag, the copy makes reference to young women liking Aristoc stockings.

October-November 1955

I don't know how much research was done into the effectiveness of advertising in the 1950s, but 1956 sees a reversion to the minimalist approach, and the faint suggestion of maturity.

February-March 1956

But later in the year, it's all change again. There's a younger feel, the start of the "fashion looks to" slogan, and both the frame and the font of the logo are less formal. Price information is back, but in line with this being a quality product, it starts with the high price; "16/11 to as little as 6/11".

August-September 1956

The next advert is similar, but has lost the stocking and two hands image which has appeared in some form in all previous versions.

February-March 1957

After this comes a similar look but more formal; a tiara and jewels, but no stocking imagery at all. Its main purpose seems to be imparting the news that Aristoc is now an associate member of the British couture organisation, IncSoc. In line with this, the old logo is back.

October-November 1957

Then, another change of direction. Away from the inside back page, black and white rather than colour, and back to youth and informality. There's a new logo - a black shape over a shadow of the fancy frame, and a very slightly different typeface.

The latters are the same width, but slightly taller

The "fashion looks to" slogan is still there, but also "fully fashioned stockings fit the best!" - presumably a riposte to the arrival of stretch stockings.

August-September 1958

Unusually, the next advert appears in the next issue of the pattern book. This time it's an illustration, but still younger oriented and with the "fully fashioned" slogan. The logo has lost the frame and has a new black shape which reflects the word within it. The pricing now mentions that this is for a pair.

October-November 1958

Two issues later comes a similar advert, but prices are now in ascending order and a smaller range - "8/11, 10/11 and 11/6".

February-March 1959

Then prices disappear, along with most of the copy. The male interest looks rather more raffish than his mid-fifties predecessor - perhaps it's the moustache!

October-November 1959

The cusp of the 1960s sees a simpler image, harking back to earlier adverts. The frame is back in a sketchy form and there is a new slogan "on the heels of fashion".

December-January 1959-60

Frame and slogan are short-lived, as the adverts return to the inside back cover and colour. There's more copy, and prices are back to descending order and October-November 1958 levels. This seems to be aimed at older women again?

April-May 1960

Next comes a softer image, with the logo in a toning colour rather than black.

October-November 1960

I've come to the conclusion that if you spend a lot of time looking at older magazines you will, sooner or later, come across an advert which makes you wonder, "What were they thinking?" The Jaeger tubas were my top example of this - until now. Consider all the Aristoc adverts that have gone before this point. They vary wildly but there is, still, a degree of continuity. But then, we come to this.

February-March 1961

The tagline "the aristocrat of stockings" has gone (although to be fair, there is not much aristocratic about this image). Also, why is model in bright pink to emphasise that shade goes with mint green? And in case you were wondering, the knight in shining armour is not about to start a snowball fight - the round thing he is holding is part of the bridle of his cardboard horse. Obviously.

Someone was clearly so pleased with this image that it appeared again in the next issue. Now with the tagline back and the shadow frame. Not that this improves things much.

April-May 1961

A couple of issues later, everyone has had a lie down and the advertising returns to something like form. Wildest dreams are no longer being fulfilled, instead Aristoc will to "put spice in your life". The tagline and frame are gone again but prices are back, still at "from 12/11 to 6/11 a pair".

August-September 1961

The next advert is very different, but then it is for Christmas. It shows what I assume are packets rather than stockings, and "the aristocrat of stockings" is back. The lowest price has dropped to 5/11, and the reference to pairs has gone.

December-January 1961-2

After this, there is such a long gap that I assumed Aristoc had stopped advertising in the pattern book. But eventually I found this. No longer on the inside back cover, and back to black and white, at first glance it doesn't even look like a stocking advert. It's back to the younger feel, with the slogan "part of your make-up". Possibly there was a tie-in with Elizabeth Arden? The white script on black is now part of the lily of the valley logo, with the main reference being black script on white. There are no price details, and the "aristocrat" reference is part of the copy.

April-May 1964

The next advert is similar, but the tagline is back, the lowest price has dropped even further to 4/11, and the slogan has changed slightly to "Part of your Fashion make-up". Possibly the “girls in pearls” reference is again pointing to the idea that this is a high-end product?

October-November 1964

Elizabeth Arden is replaced by Susan Small in an advert which actually shows stockings. The tagline and white-on-black logo have both gone, but the slogan “part of your fashion make-up” remains. The price range has increased, "from 4/11 to 15/11" - 59 to 191 old pence.

Winter 1965-6

Sadly that seems to have been the end of Aristoc's presence in the pattern book. I looked through issues all the way to 1970, but there were no more adverts. Which is a pity - they took so many different approaches over 14 years that I would have liked to see where they went next.

It was all going so well . . .

Remarkably, I had managed to get through almost five months of the year with only one fabric purchase - and that was made up as soon as it was acquired. Obviously, this was mostly due to circumstances rather than steely self-restraint, but I take my wins where I find them!

Then, I called in to my local fabric shop to look for some material to make a black skirt. I didn't find anything suitable but, perched right at the top of the craft cottons remnant bin and calling to me, was this.

Resistance was futile

I had recently worn my first version of Style 1271 to an event, remembered how much I liked it, and was already thinking about making another. (There is something just not quite right with the second version, and I really need to work out what it is and fix it, as I love the fabric.) And this stripy design, with its (to me) faintly mid-century vibe, seemed ideal for the job.

Nothing whatsoever to do with making a dress, but I was taken with the colour details on the selvedge - so much nicer than just dots.

Charming

I spent a lot of time looking at the colours on the selvedge, because I had the idea of making a jacket from plain fabric, with a collar made in the dress fabric. Of course getting an exact match to the background colour was hugely unlikely but after an extensive trawl of the plain cottons remnant bin I found something close. I don’t know exactly which pattern(s) I will use, but I'm thinking of something like this.

The idea

So, the Stashometer has taken a hit.

It was inevitable, really

I do have a couple of half-done items on the go, and my historical sewing plans will use up some more stash fabric, so there's hope for the right-hand column yet - provided I actually get on with some sewing.

Swatching the shawl

I have tried a few bits of sewing this week, but of course whenever I automatically reach for my phone to take a snap to show Mum, it brings me up short. So it has felt safer to concentrate on knitting for a while. Even then, I don't fully trust my powers of concentration (drying a plate and putting it away - in the fridge - is just one example of why!) so for now I'm sticking to the low stakes effort of swatching a new knitting project. As this is going to require a few samples, it is keeping me occupied for a while.

I have picked up my historical knitting project, a shawl from this 1915 booklet.

Shawl and booklet

It is described as having a border of plain knitting and a centre "worked in a simple vest pattern". I have no idea what a vest pattern might be, but it is definitely simple - only four rows long, and worked in alternating blocks of three knit or purl stitches. What there is not, however, is any indication of tension. It's knitted on size 8 needles, which equate to 4mm/U. S. size 6, and was to be knitted in 'Capstan' wool.

4mm needles suggest DK yarn, and I found this 100% Blue Faced Leicester in my local wool shop, in a shade which seemed suitable for a teens era shawl.

Emu Gold in shade Slate Fell

Supplies were very limited, so I bought a skein in a different shade for swatching experiments. First, I knitted a stocking stitch swatch, just to check the gauge. It came out a little bit large once blocked, but that's not a problem for a shawl.

First swatch - almost no concentration required

Next, I knitted a sample using the stitches for the actual shawl - a plain border and a patterned centre. It soon became obvious that when I changed from knit to purl stitches, there was a gap.

Laddering to the left of the knit blocks

I found this article on how to fix the problem by knitting the first purl stitch with the yarn passed opposite way round the needle than normal.

Examples

It fixed the laddering, but seemed to transfer the problem from the first purl stitch to the last knit stitch instead, so I'm not sure if it's worth pursuing.

Wonky knit stitches instead of laddering

The stitches did even out a bit when blocked. I wasn't aiming for a specific size, I just stretched it what seemed a reasonable amount but not excessive.

This is the only shot which shows the wool colour accurately

The vest pattern is the same on both sides, just the columns are reversed.

Both sides of the swatch

The finished piece feels quite thick, especially when folded double like the illustration of the shawl. The yarn also feels thicker than any DK I have used previously, but that might be because it is wool rather than synthetic or mixed fibres. I couldn't find any information about Capstan yarn as far back as 1915, but it does seem to have been an Aran weight yarn from at least the 1960s. Certainly the name suggests sturdy knitwear for seafarers! Aran yarn on 4mm needles would surely have produced a very dense knit.

Having drawn a blank on 1915 yarn, I turned to Ravelry to see how other people are using my own yarn choice. There are currently three shawls knitted in Emu Gold on there, one knitted on 4mm needles and two knitted on 4.5mm. So my next step is to knit another patterned sample, but this time on 4.5mm needles. I can also try to improve my vest pattern knitting while I’m knitting it. Thank goodness I bought that extra skein!

Mum

Readers who are kind enough to visit this blog regularly (thank you) will know that my mum has been unwell for some time. She defied expectations by surviving the double pneumonia she developed in February, but it left her very frail and she had to move into a nursing home in April. Sadly, she died last week. I had visited her during the day, and she was weak but able to chat a little. It seems to have been very quick.

Mum, aged 21

Mum made the dress she is wearing above, and it was clearly a firm favourite - it appears in lots of photos in the family albums. That this blog exists at all is down to her. I would say that she taught me to sew but, apart from how to thread her (now my) Singer 99, I don't recall her ever sitting me down and teaching me something. Mum making clothes for herself or me was just part of my childhood, and I seem to have simply absorbed her skills by being around her as she sewed. There are no photos of Mum sewing, but this image which I found online brought back happy memories.

This will be familiar to anyone who had a mum who sewed

My interest in vintage dressmaking began with one of her old patterns, and her knowledge was invaluable when I was first navigating the world of unprinted tissue pieces and terrifyingly scant instructions.

My first vintage sewing project, many years ago

Mum always took an interest in what I was working on, and more than once I threw a troublesome project onto the back seat of my car and drove over to ask her advice. It always helped. Even when she was in the home, she was still asking about my sewing plans. It seems odd that my 1915 ensemble will be last project that I was able to discuss with her.

She did knit a few things for me when I was very small, but she wasn't really a knitter. However she absolutely loved the cardigan that I made for her, and wore it almost all the time. It’s good to know that I was able to pay her back even a tiny amount for everything she gave to me.

With Mum in (clockwise from top left) 1986, 1991, 2020 and 2024

Mum was 95 when she died, lived independently until last summer, drove until she was 93, was happily married for 66 years, travelled extensively, and remained interested in life and the world pretty much to the end. It was a good life, well lived, and I was hugely lucky to have her in mine for so long. I shall miss her enormously.

Remodelling

Much as I like my 1986 dress, I don't like it enough to need two of it. It was a complex pattern, and I had to regrade it by several sizes, so I made a mock-up before I started on the real thing. This turned out to fit reasonably well, and just binning it goes against what I’m trying to do with my sewing. Instead, I've decided to lean into the existing 1940s-ish elements of the design, and tweak it to make it even more retro.

Because it was only ever tacked together, it's easy to unpick where needed. The first change I want to make is simple, in fact I've already done it; replace the right-sides-together waist seams with a forties overlaid seam.

The new waist seam

Next is the waist fasten. The wide, elaborate, half belt at the back is a striking feature, but not remotely right.

Eighties yes, forties no

1940s dresses often had self-fabric tie belts.

Self fabric belts

Or ties attached in the side seams, like Simplicity 4463.

Just visible on view 2

Because the dress has its mini-eiderdown centre front panel, this is the style I'm going to use.

The area which needs most work is the sleeves and shoulders. Yes, 1940s dresses had defined shoulders, but not this defined.

You could rest a teacup on those shoulders

The only forties pattern I have with anything like such an extreme line is this one.

Sleeve flanges ahoy!

1930s and 40s sleeve heads sometimes had small darts.

The darts are visible on the plain version

But whether darted or not the effect was nearly always a smooth sleeve head, again like Simplicity 4463.

Not a gather in sight

The sleeves themselves were narrower as well.

A selection of sleeves on 1940 Vogue patterns

The new version will take some working out, but the sleeves of Butterick 3794 are so large that I should have plenty of fabric to play with.

Mrs Exeter's sewing plans

I'm still not in a position to do much dressmaking, so instead I'm living vicariously through Mrs Exeter's plans for her 1952 spring/summer wardrobe.

The April/May 1952 issue

Mrs Exeter was clearly quite a selling point for the magazine at the time; not only is she mentioned on the cover, but this is also the lead article.

Before even new Couturier or Paris Original patterns

It is written in the first person, with Mrs Exeter stating that she has been "filled with a new enthusiasm: to make more of my own clothes". She follows the regular advice of the pattern book, which is to begin by buying her undergarments. Her choices, which look quite formidable, are illustrated.

A long brassière, and a girdle

The first item she wants to make is a coat-dress, Vogue 7624. "So many women of my age and measurements feel they can't wear a wide skirt, but I think - as long as the hips are smooth - they're wonderful for making waists look a bit smaller."

'Mrs Exeter' photographed by Norman Parkinson

She does, however, choose the long-sleeved version because she hates showing her elbows.

Vogue 7624

For her coat, she thriftily chooses a fabric which will work for both day and evening - grosgrain - and a design which she will also make up in a thicker fabric for later in the year.

Vogue Special Design 4291

It also appears in the "7 Wardrobe Bases" feature

The pattern

Mrs Exeter's second day dress choice is "a slender wool one - the sort that is quite indispensable for an English summer - with a white collar and cuffs (I shall have at least two sets)".

Vogue Couturier 678, on the right

This too appears twice in the issue, the second time as a suggestion to make in linen.

It is this pattern.

Showing the separate collar and cuffs

Which I immediately recognised as this reissue.

With the usual slight, unnecessary, tweaks to the artwork

Mrs Exeter is particular in her choice of suit pattern; it must be "uncluttered and classic", as her figure "demands long lines". She also intends to make a blouse to wear with it.

Special Design 4282 and Vogue 7607

To round off her spring/summer wardrobe, Mrs Exeter requires two more dresses. One is a dinner/evening dress in a style which she calls a "hostess gown" - Special Design 4292, shown with the suit and blouse above. The other is a "good, all-purpose print dress". For this, she intends to make what she calls a "long-standing favourite of my generation", a redingote with a matching slip.

Vogue 7615

Sadly, I couldn't find any other illustrations of this pattern online, so I'm unable to compare it to Vogue's idea of a redingote as a coat.

So in total, her plan is - four dresses, one suit, one blouse, and a coat. If I tried to make all of this, starting in April/May, I would be lucky to have it done by Christmas. Clearly, Mrs Exeter was a very speedy seamstress!