In Search of Style - 50s Evening and Afternoon Dress

A dress in an Bergdorf Goodman ad from New York caught the eye of a seamstress in 1956 but its hefty price tag of $25 (!) clearly motivated the seamstress to look for a good match in the patterns of the day. It is easy to see why this dress attracted her attention, appealing to "country and casual" city style in the rather formal colors of black, navy, mint, and blue.

She found it in Advance 8079, which matches nicely the scoop neckline, short French sleeves, fitted bodice, and full skirt of the dress in the ad. There are some differences - the Advance version has a full circle skirt and back zipper closing, while the advertisement clearly shows a full skirt with soft cluster pleats, and shirtwaist front button closing. But the Advance pattern shows lots of variations that surely inspired the seamstress back in 1956. :) We will never know if she could have come closer, or if she simply found the perfect pattern for her.