Necklines: The draped neckline

I hope this posting is one of many on the elements of clothing design, as expressed in vintage patterns. :) I'll just jump in and start with necklines.

As the holiday season has begun, the drape neckline is a great element to consider. The drape neckline is exactly as its name implies, featuring soft folds at the neckline. It is not a common neckline, and when I do come across it, the drape neckline invariably seems to be a designer pattern, and one for formal and evening wear.

Vogue Couturier Design 2775 (Valentino)

Advance 7914 (Anne Fogarty)

 

Vogue 5782

Draping can also be applied to collars to beautiful effect. This draped collar from Spadea is a great example.

 Spadea A-2147 (Anthony Blotta)

A Vintage Perspective on "The One Hundred": Animal Print

Nina Garcia includes the animal print as a must-own for the stylish woman, in her fashion book "The One Hundred".

Who would have thought? Finding vintage patterns with animal prints in the illustrations was not easy! And vintage animal toy patterns don't count. :)  But fortunately, I managed to find two in my stash.

This adorable pattern from the early 1950s and McCall's features animal print accessories, including hat, bag, and scarf. This certainly meets the criteria, for Nina states that an animal print accessory is an opportunity to be a little bold.

This is hardly ladies' fashion, but for gratuitous fun, I had to include this pattern from Lovely Lingerie and the early 1970s, which features animal print briefs for men. What a handsome hunk!

Getting to the Point

Dress elements that include an extended point or peak have been popular through the decades, even the centuries. Whether at the waist, drop waist, or high waist, whether sharp or curved, the extended point always adds class.  Here is a short set of examples of the extended point across the decades.

Let's begin with 3 examples from the 1940s. The first dress illustrates the most popular use of the extended point, the basque bodice, here with a short drop waistline. The second dress inverts the point, creating a beautiful mirror to the sweetheart neckline. The third dress narrows the extended point and takes it into the midriff - a delicious design.

 

1950s dresses also made great use of the extended point, as these graceful New Look dresses demonstrate.

These wedding gowns from the 1960s take the upward extended point to the empire waistline, to beautiful effect.

 
These adorable dresses from the 1970s use the same upward extended point starting at high and empire waistline.

 

 

And in the 1980s, formal dresses  such prom dresses and wedding gowns, added a romantic touch with the extended point of the basque bodice.