Vintage Maternity Fashions

After getting too big for my jeans by about week 10, I've spent a fair bit of time thinking about maternity fashion. Since I wanted to get a bit more into vintage fashion, one thing I looked at was vintage maternity clothing.

I was hoping to find some good outfit posts by vintage fashion bloggers, showing how they adapted a vintage look to maternity wear. There wasn't as much of it as I hoped, but I did find some cute inspirational outfits. I have a Pregnancy Fashion Pinterest Board, it features vintage- and modern-style maternity outfits and some vintage patterns for inspiration.

Today I'd like to share with you some images I found on Trove and Flickr, and talk about how I feel about maternity fashion and the different approaches to it in the past. I won't go into too much detail about maternity wear history, but I do have some links about that to share if you are interested in more information.

From The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser, 20 Feb 1914

The general trend of maternity fashion history is that things look pretty sparse in the early 20th century. Mentions of pregnancy are pretty rare, and hiding it was a primary focus. This illustration comes from an article talking about the Latest Fashion, and only once mentions that this Dressing Jacket is for a maternity outfit.

From The Muswellbrook Chronicle, 3 Sept 1937

This fashion illustration from 1937 shows 3 dresses in a very similar style, but the one on the right is our maternity design (obvious, right?). It is described as follows:

"The style illustrated is a dual-purpose frock. It has been planned to provide comfort and style during maternity, and is suitable at all times for wear by the well-dressed matron who is inclined to fullness.
The cross-over effect, with its single button fastening will be welcomed. The panels bring the necessary slenderising influence."

Many people prefer these styles over later, more voluminous maternity designs. I agree that they look much better, but the problem I have is looking down at my ever-expanding form and then looking at the dress. I can't see my large pregnant self in that dress, let alone looking any good in it. The problem with the photographs and illustrations of the time not showing women who actually are or look pregnant, is that I can't see the dresses as really suited to maternity.
 

State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/44477

I had to share this, as one of the few photos I found of an actually pregnant, everyday woman. This is from 1944, and shows a weigh in during a health check. You can actually get a feel for how the standard dress style of the era looks when worn over a very pregnant belly. Fashion illustrations just don't give you that. And she's wearing a cute hat.

From Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld), 9 Feb 1953

Once we get into the 1950s, maternity wear starts to look like I might actually be able to wear it. Some of it, anyway. Based on this illustration, I would say that some fashion is kind to "Ladies-in-Waiting". I mean, I can tie a dress in, but not at the waist like this! I feel, reading the actual article describe the dresses, that they are much more suited to the growing figure than the illustration suggests. I think fashion illustrators have a lot of trouble sketching in any other way (just a these days it is all long legs and super-skinny frames). The introduction to the article states:

"For years we've complained of the poor style and high price of maternity dresses and at last the manufacturers have woken up to the fact that women want something right in the front line of fashion to wear, during the long months of waiting for Jimmy or Jane! Just knowing that you still look elegantly trim makes the queue at the clinic seem shorter, and your own special D-day not too depressingly far ahead."

She goes on to describe the fashion options in detail, the materials, what occasions to wear them to, and so on. Still, however, much of the time her focus is on how to keep "your happy secret" to yourself.

From The Chronicle (Adelaide, SA), 25 Nov, 1954

"We do not want to go out with our husbands after dark only - like the dog being exercised. We want to look attractive up to the last moment. And it can be done, if we can get the clothes."

The article accompanying this sketch describes a failed search for maternity wear in the UK, and how similar the situation is in Australia. The comparison is made to the styles readily available in America, which are roughly sketched but described in great detail, to inspire "the Australian home dressmaker". The one I've shown above is a tomato red cotton jacket with a white collar and a navy outsize artist's bow. Also described is an outfit that includes green cotton jeans ending in a tie just below the knee, with an expanding waistline, worn under a smock top in pink, white and green printed cotton.

From The Australian Women's Weekly, 25 Sept 1957

By the late fifites, maternity fashions were starting to get their own spreads in the Women's Weekly, with patterns available to order, and some photography that does the fashions justice (although I doubt the models are actually pregnant).  

"Color is a staunch ally to morale in pregancy. Light colors do not necessarily have an enlarging effect; intense reds, blues, clear whites are flattering."

From The Australian Women's Weekly, 14 Sept, 1960

I had to include these pictures from 1960. What a contrast there is between these outfits! A fun beach suit showing lots of leg and a conservative outfit that includes little white gloves. I'm not sure I'd feel confident in that beach suit (even if my pregnancy wasn't straddling winter) but I do think it is adorable!

Some Links about Vintage Maternity Fashion:

• Building a Vintage Wardrobe: Retro Maternity, at Va-Voom Vintage. Brittany offers a guide to vintage maternity styles and how you might like to include them in your wardrobe.
• Vintage Maternity Clothes History, at Vintage Dancer. A detailed look at the development of maternity fashion from the 1920s to the 1960s, with great photos.
• Pregnancy Body Image and Vintage Maternity Wear, at 3 Hours Past the Edge of the World. A round up of more links and thoughts on how to handle the effect that losing your shape has on your self-esteem and body image.

I have to say that I am happy to be pregnant in a time when it is socially acceptable to show off my bump and let it be obvious that I am in the family way. I do think that some of the vintage styles are fun, however, and intend to draw inspiration from them for some of my maternity dressing.

What are your thoughts on vintage maternity styles? Which era do you like?

Book Review: The Fashion File

I'm embarrassed by how long it took me to join my local library. I talk big about ethical issues, and although I follow through pretty well on some of them, I've been slack on this. I've bought books rather than hunting them down. Now I'm having fun just browsing what's available and reading things I might not otherwise have found. When I think they might interest you, I'll share a review. We start with a vintage-skewed fashion advice book.

"The Fashion File: Advice, Tips and Inspiration from the Costume Designer of Mad Men"
Janie Bryant with Monica Corcoran Harel

There is a lot to like about this book. I've read quite a few books that give advice on finding your style and building a wardrobe, but this one still had a lot of unique approaches to offer. Within each chapter, the advice was broken down into many small separate sections, and there were many bonus facts dotted about the place, but the book still managed to be coherent and keep its focus.

That focus was always on how to immediately apply the lessons to your own life. Each chapter finished with a "checklist" that summarised the actionable advice.

There was a lot of discussion of vintage style, vintage fashion icons and fashion history, but it was all with the aim of incorporating that wisdom into your modern fashionable look. This might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I found it interesting and a fresh perspective compared to other books I've read.

The illustrations are gorgeous, and provided in great enough numbers to make browsing through the book a visually pleasant experience, to say the least.

The sections on style icons (there was one of these each for men and women) described each star's main looks and unique qualities, then honed in on the best style lessons to learn from them.

Similarly, the look at each decade described the trends of the era, then highlighted a particular vintage item to shop for and how to wear it. For example, the 1920s put the spotlight on beaded bags, discussing what to look for when shopping and outfit ideas to pair them with. This was probably my favourite part of the book, and if they had gone into the same detail for a few more key pieces in each decade, it would have been fantastic.

Some other features I liked were the section on promoting and maintaining postive self image, a costume designer's approach to closet arrangement, and advice on "playing dress-ups" at home to prepare looks. The idea of following that last piece of advice makes me feel silly, but the reality is that I never leave myself enough time to get ready, and if I haven't already worked out good pairings from my wardrobe, I end up wearing the same things and generally less daring outfits. I imagine that's true for others too.Maybe I should give it a try.

The main negative for me was the lifestyle blindspot. The author clearly lives a glamorous life in a glamorous world, and has very different wardrobe needs to me. So at times, particularly when talking about 'necessary items' to own, the advice was useless to me. I don't mind that as much, but I think it should be at least acknowledged that not everyone's needs are the same. Advice about work clothes that is suitable only to those in office-type jobs is extremely limited, and I need a lot more outfits for going out to a local restaurant for dinner than to a cocktail party or gala event. The other minor niggle, as a fanatic of ethical fashion, were the occasional moments when the values of the book clashed with mine. Neither of these points seriously detracted from what I enjoyed about the book, but I thought I should mention them.

Overall, I recommend giving this a read. I feel that while not every section or piece of advice would suit everyone, there is so much variety here that you are bound to find something that you enjoy and learn from.

If you've read this book, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it too. Or any other fashion books (vintage or otherwise) that you would recommend.

Shop Update: Another 7 Hats

My hat-a-day rate has slowed, but I have added 7 more hats to my online shop, so I thought I'd show them off again.

First up, two more hats from my exploration of 1960s faux fur hats. I love the look of the fun cheetah spots, and this grey faux fur is so soft and such a rich colour.

My first exploration into sinamay is finally in the shop now too. This one makes me think of eucalyptus leaves, despite the flower, because of the rich dark green and a pale silvery green together.

Nothing subtle about this one mini top hat. I was obsessed with carousel animals at the time, and this is my "Carousel Rooster". I love it, but it is quite a bold statement!

After mini top hats, one of the other fabric-covered hat shapes I had fun exploring was miniature tricornes. I only finished these two off late last year. This one in red, black and silver, is called "Lady Maria."

And this one is "Countess Charlotte." Mostly black and cream, with highlights of gold and dark green. She has a gathered facing, which is one of my favourite finishes for underneath brims.

To finish, we have a simple and understated 1920s cloche. No trims, just hand-shaped folds in the felt. I do love this one!

Shop updates will be thin for a while as I work on a custom project and getting some hats ready to put into a local shop in just a couple of weeks. It's going to be a busy time!

Maternity Style with a Hat: 17 weeks

This post makes me happy, as the intersection of such a lot of directions I've been wanting to pursue. Wearing more hats myself, putting more effort into my outfits, chronicling my pregnancy, and refashioning old items into new hats.

As a maker of hats, I've been pushing myself to wear them more, but much of what I make is not casual everyday wear suited to my regular life. I've started wearing berets a lot, and with winter weather settling in here in the Blue Mountains, I'm happy that I have finally made myself one. In fact, I'm on a quest to make myself the perfect beret. This is just round one!

I've combined taking photos of the beret with my first set of maternity photos. The bump looks a lot bigger from up there than it does through the camera lens.

Building a maternity wardrobe has been an exciting exercise. Having to adapt to a new silhouette and different styles than I am used to forces me to think differently about clothes. I also had an excuse to buy a lot of new (to me) clothes at once, and I did the most focused shoppping I've ever done! I actually did some of the activities that are always recommended for building an organised and coordinated wardrobe, like creating a Pinterest board of looks you like, and looking for gaps in your existing wardrobe.

Having said that, this dress I actually bought pre-pregnancy, thinking it might suit a 1960s hat photoshoot. It won't last me for much longer, because it has no stretch, and the extra room it has is close to running out. But I love the cute polka-dots and I love pairing it with red accessories.

I had a guiltily-joyful time doing trigonometry to translate the proportions I wanted for my beret into pattern pieces. I drafted the same basic shape in a six-panel and eight-panel pattern, so I will be testing the eight-panel next. I like the overall shape, but I definitely want to tweak it further to be perfectly happy.

The fabric is a bright red 100% wool fabric that used to be the sleeves of my favourite coat. I feel that in refashion projects, you need to show a truly tragic before photo, so that your final result looks even more impressive. In this case, however, my coat was always lovely. It was just almost worn through at the elbows and starting to thin out in other places too.

I wore my red coat almost every cold day for about 6 years, often wearing it all day while teaching in the cold school building! One of my students called me "Miss-with-the-red-coat".

Here is my unusually-positive before photo, one of my favourites, from a trip about 4 years ago to the Hunter Valley Gardens. Coincidentally I'm wearing one of my not-made-by-me berets that inspired me to start on my own.

One thing I love about refashions is using bits of existing structure to make features on the new item, like using one of the coat buttons to top off this beret. And, of course, that a piece of clothing I loved so much and wore for so long, gets to stay a part of my wardrobe.

By making this just from the sleeves, I have all the rest of the coat to play with! You can probably expect to see more red hats in the future.

Shop Update - 7 hats in 7 days (and counting)

With my productivity decreased lately, due to my being "in the family way", I seem to have compensated by having plenty of energy for planning and for buying. It is easier to consume than create.

In all my constant browsing of Lovely Things That I Might Like To Buy, I was very tempted by a large lot of vintage hats in need of repair.

While I didn't originally have any intention of selling actual vintage hats, as I immerse myself in research, I've come to admire and covet them more than ever, and my work on rescuing and restoring the sad unloved hats of the world has come to mean more to me. Expanding that mission appeals to me.

But I was strict with myself. It's one thing to say you are too tired to create, but it is another to excuse the fact that I have DOZENS of hats that are made but not listed in my shop. So I set myself a target. To list one hat in my online shop each day for the next week. And I am rather pleased with myself, because I have achieved it!

Let me introduce you to some of the new and not-so-new hats I've listed this week. (Because I was making as an aimless hobby for a while without having the shop, some of these are from last year or even earlier.)

Both of these featured on the blog last year. The purple twirls was one of two hats I made while re-exploring jinsin, and the straw hat I began making in England when I did a day of tutoring with Bobbi Heath.

These two I showed earlier this year, for my weekend of 1920s fun., but I only just got around to taking some more photos and putting them into the shop.

Photography by Carys Arnold

Miniature top hats were the very first type of hat I made properly. I was pretty happy with how they turned out, and all the fun different looks you could achieve with different fabrics and trims, so I made a lot of them! This one is called "Winterwood" (after a Don McLean song) and I couldn't resist editing one of the photos a lot to suit the theme of the hat.

Another of my mini top hats. This one went in a vampiresque direction, possibly on purpose, possibly just because I wanted to use red veiling.

And this one I only did a few months ago. It actually started with the intention of a sixties direction with that little "visor" at the front, but when worn, it was looking much closer to the 1920s, so I changed path and added the diamond shapes at the sides.

Having achieved my goal, I'm still cautious about whether to claim my "prize" of allowing myself to indulge in the vintage hat purchase. I realised, however, that I have at least 20 more hats made and waiting to be photographed and listed, so I'll keep working away at it, and see how I feel! I'm thinking of celebrating the completion of this task with a giveaway, which will be my first. I'm quite excited by the idea.

What do you think about adding restored vintage hats to my shop, alongside my own creations?

2014's Major Creative Project (due for release in November)

2014: my big year to throw myself heart and soul into my business. It got off to a good start. I set goals. I worked towards them. I worked hard. I was loving it. I was making and making at a rapid rate, having photoshoots regularly and sharing my love of hats through the blog, where I kept to my publishing schedule most of the time.

Then one week, I just started to struggle with getting up and going in the morning. Was I just being lazy, or had I burnt myself out a bit? Or was I just getting sick? Friday morning came, and I felt like I really really couldn't actually get up. Then I remembered a few other things I had been feeling and the answer came to me. And I was right.

Portrait of Mrs Gertrude Steindl and baby, State Library of Queensland. The good news is that when she's done with that hat she can use it to pretend to be pregnant again.

So things are going to change around here. It's only natural. I spent my first trimester almost literally doing nothing except eating and sleeping, but my energy is starting to return (although I still need a lot of sleep to avoid nausea). Hat making is on its way back into my life. Projects took a break for a while, but I'm restless and ready to get back into them, while I still can!

Mother and children walking in bush 1910-1920, State Library of Queensland

However, much of the creative energy I have is busy creating life and a skeleton and so on, so my hat-making will happen at a slower pace. You can expect more inspiration and research posts, since I find it a lot easier to manage that kind of work. Plus I've been reading a fair bit lately (and it's not all about what's happening to me) so there will be book reviews too. And posts about maternity fashion. And possibly adorable baby-sized fedoras. Who can say for sure?

Australian wives of US Servicemen in a park in Melbourne with their children, Australian War Memorial Collection. My advice: keep an eye on that swan.

I can tell you one thing for sure. I will be making for hats for myself, because I really can't be bothered to straighten my hair most mornings and it's no longer being coloured!

Millinery Fashions at the Start of the 1950s

As I explored the first era of my "Hats of the Past" series, the 1960s, I found a fabulous article from 1960 talking about the current state of the millinery industry and expectations for what the sixties would bring. I haven't found such a convenient summary for the 1950s, but today I'm going to share a number of images and quotes from 1950 and 1951 about hat fashion trends.

The above illustrations come from Mary Horden's "Paris Notes" in The Australian Women's Weekly, July 25 1951. The article's caption tells us that "Veils and flowers are back, and ribbon, too, is important as a feminine accent."

I'm not much of a follower of modern fashion these days (I never was too much, but sometimes I tried). One thing I find entertaning is the need to be able to report on new trends. The need for there to be trends. It seems like we are being constantly told that something is "in" or "back" when I never knew it was out! Or when it has been "out" for only six months.

What I didn't know, was how much this was already the case in the 1950s! While you do see clear changes in trends as the decades roll on, the changes don't seem to happen very quickly (to me, looking back on it) and yet the papers and magazines have to have trends to show, have to have the expertise to make us need them. It just seems strange to me. I see the shapes change significantly, and the angles that hats are worn, but it seems to me like millinery trims stay the same most of the time. When was ribbon (all ribbon?) out? That doesn't seem very convenient! Oh well.

Back to Women's Weekly, this time from December 16 1950, which featured the above and below hats, suggesting that "If Santa Claus should prove a very understanding husband and slip a gift of money in your Christmas stocking to spend on "something just for you", a hat like one of these would find place of honor in your hatbox."

I can't disagree with you there, Women's Weekly.

In an article titled  "Foremost Fashion Item in Paris is a New Hat", from Betty Wilson, Paris correspondent for Tasmania's Mercury (October 12, 1950), we are told that "The first item in any Parisian's wardrobe is a new Spring hat. Trimmed with crazy straw flowers, and straw feathers, too, they put a brave face on the dreariest day in early Spring."

Betty reports that the currently popular colours are gold, natural straws, and amber tones, and that checked, plaid and striped taffeta ribbons are common.

"Height, rather than width, is the Paris Spring trend. The forward-tilted, or "prow" line is important."

She mentions hat pins made with rosebud heads, in silk for spring/summer and velvet or tiny feathers for winter, which sounds like something fun to try. I've been keen to learn some jewellery making to make some hat pins, but haven't found the time, so this might be an easier way to start!

I'm very interested in this idea too: "In line with the new Paris craze for transformation dresses Paris modistes presented transformation hats too. The most popular has been Maud et Nano's amusing reversible bonnet, which, made of natural straw on one side and fine black straw on the other, can be turned inside out and worn to fit the day and the mood."

She mentions that "Gilbert Ocel's most successful spring hat was probably his "flying saucer" model - a flattish beret, which was worn straight and forward, so that it jutted out in the visor effect." This hat gets another mention in an article in the Sydney Morning Herald on May 18th 1950 about Mrs. Selwyn Waddell, the managing director of Moray Millinery Pty. Ltd. returning from a world fashion tour.

"Mrs. Selwyn Waddell wore a "flying saucer" hat from Paris and a plunge-neckline suit from Jaques Fath".  She brought home thirty hats, some for herself and some to copy for her own spring collection, but said that "Everything was so expensive that I had to come home about a month sooner than I had planned."

The above picture accompanies a small hat fashion update in the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners Advocate, 25 October 1951. "The latest trick of style in the hat fashion world is an accentuated side dip, effectively displayed in this draped fur felt model. The hat is in geranium red with a gilt clasp."

The Australian Women's Weekly from June 20 1951 tells us these trends:

"Hats are on the move, a forward move."

and:

"Hats for Spring are small and chic."

On November 21, 1951, the new update from AWW is that "A veil is the newest and most glamorous trim in millinery fashions." (Because no one was keen on veils before?) I do love the tiny bandeau veil in this picture.

Some final words from AWW, 22 August 1951. In the advice column "Dress Sense" by Betty Kemp, she is asked about the latest shapes and colors for spring and summer hats. As far as I can tell from Betty's response, practically everything is in.

"Neat, uncluttered sailor hats, hairline-revealing hats with wide sweeping brims; high, pointed caps, flat, coolie shapes; chignon caps, floral hats and caps, and an old-fashioned mushroom shape are all well represented in new millinery collections. Veils are in vogue. Some just cover the eyes, others the entire face, and in some case are jewelled or sequin-trimmed. Most liked colours are yellow, soft pink, lilac, and, as always, navy, black, and white. White looks newest with a colored veil."

My takeaway lesson from all of this is that it was just as confusing to keep up with fashion trends in the 1950s as it is now! At least when it comes to hats.

Still, I don't think a very understanding Santa could go wrong with any of these beauties. Any of these you'd like to see me make?