1955 Couture Design - Dior Dress and Stole-Jacket

Dior's pale beige cheviot two-piece dress (sketch, below) from 1955 has a high turtle neck and wonderful big stole-jacket that closes with a double row of buttons.

And here it is to in the American adaptation, looking pretty darn similar. I'm not sure what to make of the stole-jacket. What do you think?

Sew It Yourself - Junior Skirt and Shawl

In my recent post of high school back-to-school fashion from the late 1940s was this lovely skirt and matching shawl or stole.

While you can't travel back in time to purchase this, you can sew this fashion trend of the late '40s using this pattern from Junior Vogue and 1948, which is currently in my shop:

Junior Vogue Pattern 3248

I love the plaid version - now if only I were a junior size.... ;)

Back to School: High School Fashion from 1949

In an earlier post, we got to see a vintage collection back-to-school fashion from 1949 and Woman's Day magazine. From that same source, today we get to look at the high school back-to-school fashion!

I am totally in love with this ensemble - love the blouse with its pin tucks and long bishop sleeves. And that skirt with the high waist - wow! 

Here it looks all together - tea length skirt with midriff-high waist, bolero, and blouse.

This is a one-piece dress that combines the skirt and blouse, short puff sleeved version.

Here is a "date dress" in corduroy: Jumper with midriff, blouse with puff sleeves. Do her bangs look too short to you?

 

And here is my favorite position - relaxed and reading a book! She looks so studious. :) This plaid wool skirt and matching stole is perfect with a sweater. Love it!

1950s Refashion - Fur Coat Remodeled into a Cape-Stole

While real fur coats are a current fashion heresy, nonetheless, they were definitely a sign of wealth and high fashion in the 1940s and 1950s (well, and in a lot of decades). In this 1950 refashion, a worn out fur coat from the 1940s or older (it's hard to tell) is remodeled into this chic cape-stole, using a Woman's Day 3269 sewing pattern. The pattern was especially designed for real fur and actually included a real furrier's needle (not easily available in those days).

Here is the "before", a short coat of caracul fur. The caracul is an Asian sheep with a dark, curled fleece when young. The coat is old and very worn, with not much good fur left. The cape-stole is the perfect pattern for using small amounts of short-haired fur worth saving.

I love the cape-stole result, whether made of real fur or faux. The tie closing is a lovely touch.

1950s Refashion - Slacks Convert to a Sporty Stole!

A nifty stole with pockets in the end and a belt to keep it close - this is perhaps the easiest refashion to make, requiring no purchased pattern.

To make, begin by ripping apart a pair of worn of outdated slacks, using the side with little to no wear (in this case, the back side). Cut each leg on an angle, and then sew along the cutting lines (rounding off the point). New fabric was used to line the stole. Two patch pockets were cut from scraps and sewn to the ends of the stole to cover wear marks. The slacks waistband was re-stitched along the open side to create a belt that fits your waistline, and fastens with hooks-and-eyes.

This could be a fun item - you could play with the lining, using different colors and textures in the fabric. And the belt and pockets could be optional.