Next Stop: Petticoat Junction

Full skirts demand full slips - and if you're into vintage clothing, you know we mean *full* slips. Whether they're called petticoats, crinolines or can-cans, these puffy flared under-layers were at the height of popularity in the mid-late 1950s.


Popular again due to nostalgic fashions on TV shows such as Mad Men, the vintage aficionado who dresses the part needs not only the right frock, but the right undergarments. For those who lived through the look, I've been told that petticoats were often worn in quantities under one dress. And sometimes starched! One friend (who was a teenager in the 1950s) used to dip her crinolines in starch & water, and dry them in the arid climate of her attic. There she had room to stand them out as full as possible.



Skirts this full had not been seen since the Victorian era, when ladies crowded rooms with their hemline circumferences. It's not a coincidence, either. Many 1950s designs borrowed from Victorian fashion, seen not only in full skirts but also in corset-like bodices and antique-inspired trims such as ruching and soutache. '50s petticoats likewise gave a nod to the Victorian with accents of satin ribbon woven through eyelet, fanciful scalloped hems and nosegays of faux flowers.

When you purchase a petticoat, be sure to consider what you'll wear with it. The length of the crinoline must be the same as the skirt length, or just a hint shorter. Too long, and it'll peek out so much you'll (literally) feel your slip is showing. Too short, and the skirt's line will break before the hem, always a sad sight to the vintage fashionista. Also remember these slips are meant for the fullest of skirts, either circle skirts or a design deeply pleated or gathered to the waist.


One last tip - Some petticoats are so well-finished and opaque, they are easily worn as skirts themselves today. These have a fitted waistband (as opposed to exposed elastic) and dress fabrics like cotton chintz or sateen. Fabulous for ladylike street wear!

Check out our current selection of petticoats & crinolines and enjoy the "ooh-la-la" of a vintage crinoline!

Sources -

Victorian image - The History of Underclothes by C. Willett and Phillis Cunnington p.164

When A Pillbox Is More Than A Pillbox

I've always associated the pillbox hat with Jackie Kennedy, as so many of us do. There's nothing quite so iconic from the 1960s as this classic millinery design. An article recently caught my eye regarding the pink pillbox Mrs. Kennedy wore on the day of the President's assassination.

In summary, that hat is lost. And no one who might have it is willing to talk about it.

So next time you spot a vintage pillbox hat, if it's pink, remember this post. It could be a nation's missing piece of history.

Eye Candy: Kay Windsor

Most seasoned vintage clothing collectors don't equate Kay Windsor with eye candy, but one has to look past many pastel polyester dresses meant for the blue-haired set in order to find the glamorous looks Kay Windsor was once known for. Scroll on for a trio of beauties from a 1950s in-store promotion of Kay Windsor frocks:





These wonderful photos sent me digging into Kay Windsor's background, and an interesting one it is. The company Kay Windsor Frocks, Inc began in 1939 by now 97-year-old Carl Shapiro and his father. It was a Boston company specializing in "a nationally-advertised line of medium-priced dresses and suit-dresses for women and girls of all ages and sizes".

Shapiro's father was a Polish immigrant and pattern maker, and the two began a challenging marketing campaign - to elevate the dowdy cotton house dress to a charming, chic status. Their dresses were accessible in price (from $8.95 to 14.95) as well as stylish and comfortable. The Shapiros were shrewd businessmen. By 1959 the business had 22 factories throughout New England, all manufacturing primarily cotton day dresses, and Kay Windsor was a national success story.

The slogan most often seen in a Kay Windsor dress is "The Look You Love", though earlier collections focused on secretary themes. "Private Secretary" and "Secretary of the Month" are labels occasionally found from the 1940s and 50s. Because the dresses were moderately-priced and every stitch cost, the labels themselves were sewn only along the top and are often quite frayed to the sides from washings.

Like so many ready-to-wear companies, Kay Windsor designs followed fashion reliably but its chic image faded as the years passed. By the time Kay Windsor's last designs were made in 1982, those attracted to the label had aged along with it. Ironically, the final few years of the label produced mostly synthetic and dowdy designs, quite different than these glossy cotton-clad vixens from Kay Windsor's heyday.

Sources -

Lizzie Bramlett's post:
http://vintagefashionguild.org/label-resource/windsor-kay/

SEC Digest:
http://www.sec.gov/news/digest/1961/dig092961.pdf

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