Volume 18: Women's wear, 1954 - 1956

Item — folio: 18

Scope and Contents

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Volume 18 includes coverage of three of Mainbocher's biannual collections. For Fall 1954 he emphasized a lower waistline and a longer/slimmer silhouette. The Spring 1955 collection was marked by jackets, the absence of black, navy blue suits and silhouettes that had the lowered waistline as well as the natural one. For Fall 1955 the collection was all about simplicity and the ensemble costructed from balanced proportions. Articles continuously reiterate that his clothes were never revolutionary. Throughout his career he made style changes but Main's deviations were never radical, which would often frustrate many fashion journalists who were looking for a "newsworthy" element to their stories.

Loose items in folders include a typed contents page and a large color program from the Fete de Versailles, October 28, 1954. Also in this volume are articles from German newspapers; style tips from Mainbocher that reflect his "points on dressing beautifully;" a couple of color spreads in Woman's Home Companion in which Mainbocher's stage designs for Mary Martin are featured; and miscellaneous newspaper photographs of his designs for wealthy socialites like Mrs. Winston F.C. Guest.

Description by Ashley-Paige Frankel

Dates

Creation: 1954 - 1956

Language of Materials

From the Collection:

The language of the scrapbook contents is primarily English, however, articles in Spanish, Dutch and Hebrew appear in several of the volumes.

Conditions Governing Access

Access is open to researchers by appointment at the Fashion Institute of Technology Library, Department of Special Collections and FIT Archive. If you wish to schedule an appointment to view this material or have any questions, visit our website.

NOTE: Photocopied reproductions of the scrapbooks should be provided for research instead of originals for preservation reasons.