It was the 1950s, World War II was over and so was rationing. Larger quantities of fabrics were available and designers were taking advantage of this with the designs of dresses featuring intricate gatherings, pleats, and full skirts with excesses of fabric to create a very attractive silhouette. Christian Dior’s New Look, showcased for the first time in Paris in February of 1947, was firmly in place as the height of fashion well into the 1950s and 1960s. This look, it was said, created a figure like the number “8”, emphasizing a well rounded bust, slim, tight waist, and full hips. One can see examples of this style worn by most women of the 1950s, especially celebrities such as Shelley Fabares who played Mary, Donna’s TV daughter on the Donna Reed Show.
As well as Donna Reeds actual daughter, Mary Anne Owen in the photo below
The style of dress was popular in everything from simple, cotton, house dresses, tea dresses, and cocktail dresses.
I, personally, love this style of dress. It is flattering to most body shapes, especially a well rounded plus size body, like mine. Finding actual vintage dresses is very challenging, as I have said in many of my blog posts. To get this look, I have found that keeping an open mind…and open eyes…will help me achieve my goal of dressing like a proper 1950s / 1960s woman!
I hit the jackpot on Amazon with the Grace Karin line of dresses! These dresses come in sizes XS all the way to 24 Plus. They come in all kinds of pretty patterns and colors. If you do not see what you want, in your size, be sure to keep a lookout because they do seem to restock regularly. Please join me on YouTube where I have a video showcasing these lovely dresses and my collection. I have styled a few to help with that kind of thing, too!
This style’s keywords would incluse “fit and flair”, “full circle”, “1950s Tea Dress” and “1950s cocktail dress” to name a few.
This style was very popular in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The style really accentuates all body types. Mrs. Maisel is a very petite woman and it looks as good on her as it does a plus size woman like me 🙂
Betty Draper also looks fabulous in this style. She is shown wearing the tight waist / full skirt quiet often.
Vintage Inspired SHIEN Plus Size Haul and the Pussy Bow Blouse of the 1950s / 1960s
“A lavaliere, also called a pussycat bow, is a style of neckwear often associated with women’s and girls’ blouses and bodices. It takes the form of a bow tied at the neck similar to those sometimes tied around the necks of kittens and cats” from Wikipedia. Well, it just makes sense that I am head over heels for the look of the vintage pussy bows at the moment. After all, I am all about kitty cats!
Have y’all met Dottie? She joined our family back in October!
Our beautiful feline is not the only reason I love this darling style of vintage blouse. I especially love the gorgeous feminine touch it brings to a tailored suit or how it looks so sweet under a cardigan.
Women have been wearing bows around the neck for centuries, however the term “pussy cat bow” did not take hold until the 1950s. Prior to that, the style was coined “lavallière” after Duchess of La Vallière (mistress of Louis XIV). The earlier style was a bit more elaborate like a man’s cravat. The more elaborate style was also worn by the Gibson Girl of the 1890s. This earlier style is not what the theme of this post is about, I just wanted to give you a very brief timeline as a “jumping off” point if you are interested in learning more.
What we are talking about today is the 1950s style of blouse with a bow around the neck, the Pussy Bow Blouse. “The pussy-bow blouse was a perfect mix of masculine and feminine—an impeccable wardrobe choice for women laboring in a man’s world” from Paste Magazine. We saw this style being worn by Peggy Olson and Joan Holloway in Mad Men.
One of a few that Peggy wore on Mad Men.
We did not see Joan in this style often, but she rocked the look when she wore this beautiful blouse.
I was on the hunt for some cute pussy bow blouses to add to my 1950s/1960s inspired wardrobe and found that Shien had quiet a few to offer. Here is a recent haul I made to help inspire you.
Items Mentioned and featured in this haul include:
Plus Bow Front Flared Midi Skirt: This is the black full / a line skirt I am wearing with the first two blouses. It is so versatile.
135CM Plus 3pcs Leopard Print Croc Embossed Belt: These are the true PLUS SIZE skinny belts that are mentioned in so many of my hauls. The black belt I use with the Heart Blouse is part of this trio.
I hope you enjoyed this blog and got some inspiration to help you with your vintage inspired fashion needs. Finding vintage clothing is a fun, yet challenging endeavor. This is especially true for plus size gals, like me. I will continue to share what I find so that we can all feel and look our best in the decade we all so love!!!
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My absolute favorite type of vintage style, or any style, pant is the Capri Pants of the late 1950s / early 1960s. This style of pants made a comeback during the 1980s and 1990s and really never left. They are very popular today at the many different vintage inspired shops like Hell Bunny and VooDooVixen…
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Ramblings from a Housewife 