What did the stylish, trendsetting women of the late Victorian age wear? Take a look back here at antique women’s clothing from 1890, courtesy of the old Bloomingdale’s and H. O’Neill and Company catalogs.
The vintage prairie dress and shirt revival styles of the ’80s offered puffed sleeves, high collars and ruffle fronts and offset buttons in the kind of traditional patterns and colors popular a century earlier.
If you think fashions in the eighties were bad, just wait until you see these ’80s maternity clothes – the often tent-like outfits pregnant women were wearing.
From the last year of the 1860s – just four years after the end of the Civil War – come these dozen fashion plates showing antique walking dresses.
Why were vintage Biba clothes so popular, even among celebrities like Twiggy and Mia Farrow? Part of it was that its mini-clothes could be bought on a mini-budget.
Apparently stuck for a way to make toilet paper – particularly rolls of colored toilet tissue – more attractive to ’50s housewives, advertising executives turned to the world of glamour and fashion for an assist.
Back in the sixties, paper dresses were fashionable, and many thought they’d be the next big thing! Similar fads: paper and aluminum foil dresses, and a dress in a can.
Here’s a look back to the most beautifully stylish vintage 1920s dresses and other clothing for women from the roaring twenties – and how to choose the finest fashions.
From pretty in pink to bold in black, teen girls put a lot of time and money into finding just the perfect now-vintage ’80s prom dress. Here’s a look back!
The 1860s were a time of great conflict and stress, but that didn’t mean that formal Civil War-era dresses were suddenly less extravagant — they were anything but.
Before the Civil War, popular Elegant Victorian dresses were not just several feet wide and many layers think, but there were different dresses for dinner, evening, carriage rides and beyond.
Vintage velveteen dresses were popular in the sixties, and considered THE thing for ‘at-home party wear. ‘Take a look at some of these bright and sassy dresses!
Here’s a look back at some of the greatest examples of fashionable gowns and flapper-style vintage dresses from the roaring twenties that would be at home on the set of a Great Gatsby movie.[/box]
Retro ’60s clothes to make you feel as weightless as a space-walker – culottes, swinging pants, and tent dresses – in a galaxy of designs and colors.
What were women wearing in 1973? See the trendsetting vintage ’70s dresses, miniskirts, maxi skirts, rompers, A-lines, shifts, empire styles and more!
In the sixties and seventies, when it came to vintage mini dresses and miniskirts, the rule was short and sassy! If you want to recreate these retro clothing fashions, here’s where to begin.
This collection of vintage evening gowns is so over-the-top, you don’t have to even like fashion to appreciate the oomph factor of these formal dresses.
Stored away and preserved for fifty years, this lovely heirloom wedding dress of silk satin was easily converted into a modern wedding gown for a new bride.
It’s happened at last — fashion grows up this season. Gone is the little-girl look — the doll dress, cinched waist, and crinolines — it’s the woman who is now the darling of designers.
Planning a wedding with a classic old-fashioned feel? Check out this collection of beautiful vintage wedding dresses from the first decade of the 1900s!
In an age when comparatively few people have room for ball gowns, top French fashion designers live in surroundings which make their most opulent evening dresses look like the natural outfits to wear.
Vintage wedding dresses for brides of 1914 often had a court train and a high neck, while long gloves covered the arms. The decollete was so demure that there is nothing to shock the conventional.
In the 1800s, women had to get dressed up for everything, which is why these Victorian dresses for roller skating even exist. It’s hard to imagine rolling down a hill in a long gown.
One national fashion magazine boldly proclaims 1968 the year of the shirt and skirt. And fashions for casual wear – including dresses – are designed to enhance it.
Look back at ’70s clothes for girls from the 1973 JC Penney catalog! Plaids and dots, florals and stripes, denim and corduroy, gingham and seersucker, ice cream colors, country kitchen colors and more.
What was big in terms of fashion for girls in the 1983 JC Penney catalog? Some styles featured grown-up fashion translated into youthful looks – oversized shirt-dresses, dirndl skirts and drop-waist minidresses. See inside the catalog here!
History repeats itself — in fashions, too! (1972) Fashions Americana There was the prairie dress with the ruffles and bows — its pretty popover pinafore…
Prom gowns are going romantic! Full-length pink taffeta-confections – like those from Gunne Sax — are the hottest-selling dream creation as high school prom season nears. Take a look back!
Opulent enough even for fashionable Linda Gray – Dallas’ superspender Sue Ellen Ewing – she models these high-style silk dresses were stylish in the eighties.
19th century clothes: Fashion’s evolution in one century Shown by Dorothy Tennant The evolution of fashion during the past century was never better illustrated than
Take a look back to the year 1914, and see what clothing fabrics, colors and cuts were the most fashionable for women!
When it comes to 1950s spring fashions for women, there are more straight shoulders than last year. Are skirts shorter? Yes, but not unbecomingly so. Fourteen or fifteen inches from the floor, according to your height. The newest hat is almost shoulder-wide.
Pink is a morning, noon and night color — it can be beguiling or sophisticated. Look for pink accessories as a complement to or to contrast with your favorite summer dress.
6 million teenagers love to sew – this is what they will make this fall Full of enthusiasm, teenagers all over the country will welcome
Toni Owen, the fashion designer of the unusual ’50s eveningwear coordinates shown here, says separates are perfect if you like to dress for evening dates without overdressing.
Casual dresses of the ’50s were pretty on their own, but still the style mavens commanded women, ‘You’ll wear these American-made fashions from now on, wherever the sun shines.’
What to expect before, during and after a wedding From the best man to the most remote acquaintance of the affianced couple, a wedding invitation
Every little girl wants a dress for Christmas Sweet as a sugarplum: A tucked shirtwaist top, a wide, gathered velveteen skirt and a bias-striped sash
CHRISTMAS CLOTHES: FESTIVE LITTLE FROCKS AND SUITS FOR HOLIDAY PARTIES A Gale of Finery It is only a fair tribute to kind Kris Kringle — Low
There’s big news this spring for the home sewer who likes polka dots. Here, in variety, are dotted fabrics in a number of the newest pattern designs.
Long, full sleeves the rule for 1922 Sleeves are going to great lengths these days — and Fullness, with a Capital F, is the thing.
Mme Demorest’s Emporium of Fashions – 473 Broadway, New York We think our lady readers will be both interested and benefited by having their attention called
Here’s a look at a few daywear and sportswear ensembles of the mid-1930s!
by Mrs Osborn, creator of fashions for the fashionable women of America A) Wedding dress with Valenciennes lace & embroidered roses A wedding gown of
The joy of clothing The Qiana Spring at JCPenney Scarfed: A gently-gathered Qiana nylon blouse comes with a little ruffled scarf to flaunt. $18 Softened:
Dame Fashion’s wedding rules Prospective brides ought to be thankful Latest prescribed method of being married in style No more elaborate trousseaux to tire them
Marie Antoinette dress sewing pattern Vintage Victorian directions to make a dress for a little girl from six to eight years old by Emily H
Assorted vintage prints and patterns Cotton prints — chrome mordant colors, slop padded and discharged with oxidizing agents Vertical patterned fabric with dots Cotton printing
Women: Do you have the ideal figure? Here’s what ‘they’ thought in 1950 
How I was saved from the Titanic: A Titanic survivor’s story (1912) 
The real death of a cheerleader story (1985) 
7 classic Hershey’s chocolate cake recipes from the ’70s 
33 vintage TV dinners: Fried chicken, turkey, pot roast & other fab frozen food, retro-style Want to remember to remember? Our weekly newsletter shows you the latest vintage, old-fashioned & historic stuff that we have published or refreshed during the past seven days. Sign up here.
ClickAmericana.com is made with ★ and ♥ by Synchronista LLC | © 2011-2021
Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic. Material on this site is provided for education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis.
Don’t miss out on the latest and greatest vintage stuff!
Sign up for our free weekly newsletter here.
