Suits Illustrated - 1963

Department stores often used illustrations instead of photographs in high fashion magazines and newspapers as it was less expensive to hire an artist than it was to hire a fashion photographer, a model and a studio.  Some illustrators were on staff at the stores, come worked for the advertising agency, and some were self employed with contracts to provide drawings for the store. Only well known artists were allowed to add their signature to the drawing.  These illustrations are all from one magazine in August of 1963. 

I. Magnin & Co.  "A look of elegance, a look of opulence...three-piece costume of Anglo's lacy-textured wool tweed with natural Canadian lynx 300.00...from our Manor-Bourne Collection designed exclusively for I. Magnin".  (about $2221.00 in today's dollar.)

Bonwit Teller, illustration by Kenneth Paul Block.  "From Ben Barrack, magnum houndstooth checks in a costume of brushed mohair and wool.  Unexpected tour de force: the opulent peau de soie bodice.  Pink, amber or white-checked with black, bodice and scarf in black.  $145.00."  (About $1074.00 in today's dollar.)

Best & Co.  "Bardley blends the perfect ensemble....of imported wools.  Well-bred wools are a Bardley byword and as you can see here they know just how to mix texture and color and line ot a connoisseur's taste.  Both in cranberry, pebble beige, loden green or French blue.  Coat with set-away collar of thick, airy, silky wool tweed.  $125.00.  Suit of needlepoint wool.  $90.00."  (About $925 and $665 in today's dollar.)

Saks Fifth Avenue  "Our own Sophie's town suit prophecy in French wool tweed - the attenuated jacket jersey-framed at the neckline to match the shell beneath, $395.00."  (About $2924.00 in today's dollar.)
 

Lord & Taylor, illustration by Dorothy Hood.  "High casual - new turnabout of suit with buttons up the back, scarf all around - the easy mood of Monte-Sano and Pruzan, in black and white windowpane wool from France.  $290.00."  ($2147.00 in today's dollar.)

Paris Fashion for Daytime - 1935

Today, let's continue our look at Paris fashions of the 1930s by checking out some daytime wear from 1935. Which is your favorite?  Look!  I found one photo in color!  The garments above are all from Marcel Rochas. 

I don't know if you can see the detail, but this jacket by Phillipe et Gaston is made from black wool braid that is set on it's side and sewn together in swirls to make the "fabric".  It is trimmed in black Persian lamb fur.

 Lucille Manguin camel wool day dress and short coat.  Note that the coat is completely lined in fur.  I'm not sure if that is seal, mouton, or sheared beaver.

Callot Soeurs offered this gray wool day dress trimmed in sheared lamb fur at the bodice and sleeves.

This Anny Blatt gray and white wool suit was completely knitted by hand by women in the Swiss Alps.  It is trimmed with blue wool felt.

Paris Coats and Suits - 1933

Chanel camel striped velvet suit worn with a hat and blouse in sky blue linen embroidered with black.

 Lucien Lelong red angora/wool coat with silver fox collar.

 Marcel Rochas pink with black check wool suit.

 Bernard et Cie navy wool crepe coat with white embroidered scarf.

Martial et Armand suit in beige, yellow and brown crepe.

Which is your favorite?

Suits for Travel - 1956

On Friday, I asked my Facebook fans what they'd like to see on the blog this week. Eleanor requested a post about vintage spring and summer suits for travel. They were so elegant! I'm with you Eleanor. I like to people-watch in airports and I'm always pleasantly surprised when I see a woman traveling in a suit. She looks so much more sophisticated than the majority who are wearing sweats and flip-flops. For your inspiration today, suits for travel from 1956.

Above, Handmacher gray flannel sheath dress with matching bolero jacket accented with a white linen collar. Sold for $70 in 1956 (about $570 in today's dollar.) Hat by Emme.

Davidow wool and mohair tweed suit with matching tasseled scarf. The jacket is belted. Sold for $150 in 1956 (about $1,220 in today's dollar.) Saddlebag styled purse by MacArthur.

David Crystal pale gray glen plaid suit in a rayon/Dacron blend. Dacron? That's polyester. This suit would resist wrinkling and be perfect for those long train trips. Sold for $40 in 1956 (about $325 in today's dollar.) Handbag by Josef.

Mr. Mort lightweight wool sheath dress in buttercup yellow paired with a plaid bolero jacket. Sold for $50 in 1956 (about $407 in today's dollar.) Bag by Maxwell Schill (me want!)

Swansdown wool suit with a bloused-back jacket for more ease during long trips. Sold for $60 in 1956 (about $488 in today's dollar.)

How do you dress for travel? Do you go for chic or do you prefer comfort?

Suits for Spring - 1962

Suits were an important part of every woman's wardrobe back in the day. Women would often buy a new suit for Easter and then wear it for years and years. These incredible feats of tailoring are from 1962. Do you wear suits?

Christian Dior

Lanvin-Castillo

Pierre Cardin

Pierre Balmain

Yves St. Laurent, from his first collection for his own label.

Vintage Suits - 1946

If you follow this blog, you know I am a sucker for vintage suits. My customers love them too. These images from February, 1946 show just how big the shoulder line became following WWII. I think the strong shoulders were one way a woman could show she was still capable after all the men returned from the service. And after years of austerity and fabric restriction, fashion went a little overboard!

Milgrim Original wool gabardine suit with lots of buttons.

Weiner Original worsted suit with matching coat. Notice the interesting juxtaposition of the ultra-feminine hat with the briefcase. Three pieces sold for $110 in 1946 (about $1234 in today's dollar.)

Jaunty Junior worsted suit with button detail and a tie waist. Sold for $55 in 1946 (about $617 in today's dollar.)

Jablow Original wool suit with a braid tie belt and collarless jacket. Sold for $80 in 1946 (about $898 in today's dollar.)

Halle Bros wool doeskin suit. The belted jacket has yoked shoulders and full blouse-like sleeves with button cuffs.

Who Doesn't Love Lilli Ann?

Really, how can you not love suits and coats from Lilli Ann? The company, owned by Adolph Schuman, was best known for it's dramatic suits and coats, especially those produced in the 1950s. Those same coats and suits still command high prices today, and are highly prized by both collectors and vintage fashion wearers. Here are a few ads for Lilli Ann that I'm sure will convince you:

1954 suit in a fabric called "Bamboo", a blend of silk chiffon, mohair, and worsted wool. The suit came in blue, cognac, fawn, green, and violet and had big rhinestone adornments at the sleeves. Sold in 1954 for $100.00 (about $817.00 in today's dollar).

Also from 1954, this princess coat was fashioned of a blend of wool and Alaskan seal, with velvet accents. Came in black, red, cognac, natural, and purple. Sold in 1954 for $100.00 (about $817.00 in today's dollar).

From 1956, an extravagant swing coat with a huge sweep, fashioned of black and white tweed accented with black velvet. Sold in 1956 for $100.00 (about $808.00 in today's dollar).

From 1958, a beige linen suit with a detachable fox fur stole. Sold in 1958 for $100.00 (about $760.00 in today's dollar).

Finally, from 1959, a wool crepe suit with dramatic ruffle detail and a large jeweled button. Available in pink, pale blue, coral, turquioise, beige, navy, and white. Sold in 1959 for $70.00 (about $529.00 in today's dollar).

The History of Handmacher Suits

Alvin Handmacher was the president of the largest maker of womens suits in the US. If you love vintage suits, you're probably familiar with the Handmacher name and you know what a high quality garment a suit with this label is.

1953

Alvin Handmacher was born in Chicago into the suit business. His father started a ladies suit company in Chicago in the 1880s. Handmacher graduated from the University of Chicago. In 1939, he moved to New York and opened Handmacher-Vogel with his partner, Irving Vogel. The company's offices were located on 7th Avenue in New York.

1956

Handmacher was the first to use assembly line production methods in the garment industry, an innovation that allowed him to produce huge quantities of high quality suits at reasonable prices. The sewers were trained to become experts in one facet of the suit's construction, whether that be sewing a dart, setting in a sleeve, or adding a waistband. Each sewer had a specific job, and that is what they did day in and day out.

1956

There were 6 Handmacher factories across the US, and each was precisely in tune with the other. Patterns were cut with rigid controls and tension was minutely calibrated on all sewing machines so that a size 10 suit made in New York was exactly the same as a size 10 suit made in Tennessee.

1961

Jane Derby was the designer for Handmacher, as well as for her own couture business. Derby interpreted, but never copied, European fashion trends from year to year. Handmacher suits were available in a wide range of sizing in both women's and junior's, as well as plus sizes.

1961

Handmacher suits were sold through one exclusive store in each city. In 1952, the suits were sold in over 600 stores across the US. 25 store buyers formed a judging panel. They were shown prototypes of new designs each season. Through this process, Handmacher chose only the most popular styles to put into production, thereby insuring a high sell through of product. By 1965, sales of Handmacher suits topped $19 million.

1963

Handmacher also manufactured a lower priced suit called "The Weathervane". These suits were manufactured of Celanese acetate, a less expensive fabric that held up well with use and wear.

Alvin Handmacher died on April 16, 1966 at age 60. The company continued in business until around 1990, but was never as successful as it was during the years when it was run by Alvin Handmacher.

Please note: Biographical information about Alvin Handmacher is copyright of Couture Allure and may not be copied without permission.

Handelsman and Raiffe

Handelsman and Raiffe was another of the high-end coat and suit manufacturers in New York. I can find very little information about this company, but judging by the few ads I've located, they made gorgeous and expensive garments. Harry Raiffe was the designer, and the company's label was Rafi, New York.

Above, front and back views of a Rafi princess coat from 1954. Fashioned of a wool/rabbit hair blend, the coat was available in gray, black, navy, red, and ivory. Sold in 1954 for $135 (about $1,103 in today's dollar).


From 1952, a glorious full skirted Rafi suit in Forstmann wool with a little lace collar. The skirt was lined in Pellon for added body. Sold in 1952 for $130 (about $1,078 in today's dollar).

From 1957, a Rafi apricot silk suit trimmed in lynx fur. Sold in 1957 for $185 (about $1,446 in today's dollar).


From 1958, a Rafi blue wool suit with a dramatic portrait collar. The jacket is lined in the same floral silk that fashions the chemise blouse. Sold in 1958 for $125 (about $953 in today's dollar).

From 1959, a Rafi reversible double-faced wool coat was noted as being light weight and perfect for travel. Sold in 1959 for $110 (about $830 in today's dollar).

Tweeds and Woolens - 1963

Fall is on the horizon and many of you are dreaming about the change of season and the resulting change in your wardrobe that will soon take place. In 1963, the fashion forward woman was adding a suit or two to her closet. Tailored to perfection, these suits were fashioned of wool tweeds that were woven with chunky threads in a myriad of colors and textures, or of heavy solid wools that held their shape. The suits were made to last, and they are far superior to anything you can buy today. A suit like this was an investment, and women would often wear them for several seasons.

This Monte-Sano and Pruzan mohair tweed 3 piece suit was available at Bergdorf Goodman. Their in-house milliner, Adolfo, made the matching tweed tam.

Ben Barrack houndstooth check suit in brushed mohair and wool. Came with a black silk peau de soie top and scarf. Sold for $145.00 in 1963 (about $1041.00 in today's dollar).

Monte-Sano and Pruzan black and white wool tweed suit. The jacket buttons up the back and has an attached scarf. Sold for $290.00 in 1963 (about $2082.00 in today's dollar).

Bardley suit in chunky wool was matched with a tweed coat with a stand-away collar. Set sold in 1963 for $215.00 (about $1544.00 in today's dollar).

Handmacher wool melton suit with coordinating cape. Note how the jacket is styled like a polo with a button placket. It pulls on over the head. Set sold in 1963 for $130.00 (about $933.00 in today's dollar).