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professorpski · 1 year

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The best profit will come from regular customers, because the dressmaker will have learned how to find the styles they like, how to design for them, and how to fit them, and all this knowledge will make it possible for her to produce better garments with less labor.

This advice comes from a 1924 volume, yet it is just as sound today as it was then. I know members of the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals who make the wardrobes of corporate women. Once the customer has worked out a certain cut of pants or jacket as their favorite, they will have more than one made for different seasons, etc. And many women do the same with ready-to-wear: they find one garment that fits perfectly and buy it in multiples or more than one color. As a dressmaker, I have made the same favorite patterns, tweaked to my satisfaction, over and over again.

The Dressmaker and Tailor Shop is one of the Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences correspondence course booklets on a complete course on sewing, all of which were first written by Mary Brooks Picken. She was the first woman to write a dictionary, The Language of Fashion, which is still in print and very useful for vintage terms, and co-founder of the Costume Institute which is now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

You can find the ASDP here in case you are searching for custom clothing, or certification as a professional: https://sewingprofessionals.com/

#dressmaking #historyofdressmaking #costumehistory #dresshistory #fashionhistory #womansinstituteofdomesticartsandsciences #professionaldressmaking #sewinginstruction #thelanguageoffashion #metropolitanmuseumofart #costumeinstitute #sewinginstructions #making #makers #marybrookspicken

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mpoze · 6 years

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••MPÓZE STYLES • • CLIENT SHOOT @rocioreymusic •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Apparel: Lost Dreams Midi Dress @litboutique || Shoes-Thrift|| Turquoise & Pink Tassle&Turquoise & Amber Necklace-Arteshama @arteshana || • • • Art Director/ Stylist: @mpozefashion @_munoz_s || Assistant Stylist: @sasaaaboo ||MakeUp Artist: @ffacesbyjo || Hair Stylist: @cut_bypedro ||photographer @klvnnn.24mm || Studio: @faroutfoto_boston || Set Design: @mpozefashion ✨✨✨✨✨✨ #EvolutionOfLove#Romance #blueskindalove #look5 #dangerouswoman #musicianlife #TheWomanOfToday #empower #womanpower #womanempowerment #thelanguageoffashion #photoshoot #loveinspired #artdirector #fashionislife #fashioninspo #stylist #stylelife #mpozestyles #mpozefashion #BeBOLD #BeGREAT #BeINSPIRED (at Boston, Massachusetts)

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jeffybruce · 6 years

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#Repost @jeffreyfelner2 (@get_repost) ・・・ Don Cunningham #wakinguptofashion #photographer #image #fashion #style #fantasist #flowerpower #orchid #millinerextraordinaire @philiptreacy #potted #petals #headdress #imagination #brilliance #catwalkdarling #oneofakind #isittoomuch #philiptreacy #signature #inyourface #whaddyathink #anythingispossible #drama #visionary #impact #thelanguageoffashion #holdstill #click

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karlskaleidoscope · 7 years

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And that's a wrap for Day 2 of the #NCCSeason12 National Finals! Thank you again @plainsandprints for my super girly and fresh outfit for today's All Girl Cheer Competition! Can't wait to wear tomorrow's outfit. How triply does my shadow look btw? 🌸 . . #TakeItHigher #PlainsandPrintsExperience #TheLanguageOfFashion (at SM Mall of Asia)

#thelanguageoffashion #plainsandprintsexperience #takeithigher #nccseason12

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professorpski · 1 year

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Party Dress or Hostess Gown? A Lost Style at Augusta Auctions

One of the interesting things about fashion is how some types of garments or accessories fall our of our style vocabulary. See decorative dress clips, fanged and hinged in order to sit on the edge of a neckline or even a sleeve hem, for example. Clips once came in diamonds or in rhinestones, but now we find them only in antique stores and vintage shops.

Then. there is the hostess gown. Mary Brooks Picken defines in her The Language of Fashion dictionary from 1939 as “usually, formalized negligee simulating a dress” or less usually “formal lounging pajamas.“ These items were worn only at home, but when guests were present. Obviously, these were intimate friends, yet the occasion was more formal, such an a special brunch, or a quiet evening party.

Now, it is easy to see how the peach crepe dress with a standing shawl collar and interesting pleats below the shoulder line qualifies as a hostess gown. The coloring, the short sleeves, and the softness of the garment seem to say negligee, while the rhinestone buckle seems to say “party!”

The fuschia crepe may be a hostess gown, although there is something so military about the beadwork which shows up as epaulets that one cannot imagine it as a negligee. True, there is softness in the gathers below the bust, at the waistline of the skirt and in the gathered bishop sleeves. But there is something about those beads marching along the shoulders as well as along the V-neckline, and the cuffs, and the edges of the fake pockets that makes me see it more as a party dress. Europe had been at war since 1939, and had been militarizing before then, so features borrowed from men’s military grab, like epaulets were borrowed for women’s fashion. The 1940s always saw tailored suits and dresses with large shoulder pads, again borrowed from men, but there always remained some draped looks for women through the war years.

These are part of a sale taking place on-line at Augusta Auctions on February 15th, 2023. To learn more, go here: https://augusta-auction.com/auction/79

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professorpski · 11 months

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«Frazzle—colloquial term meaning to wear or ravel away; fray. Also a frayed end. One who looks frazzled is shabby or untidy.”

Many words that started as technical terms for describing yarns, threads, or fabrics, end up working their way into our vocabulary as metaphors of various kinds. I have heard or read of people saying they were frazzled, and they did not mean they were untidy, but that they felt like they were coming apart emotionally. So the meaning has changed since Mary Brooks Picken wrote this definition in The Language of Fashion in 1939.

So the word started with fabric, was applied to general appearance and has worked its way into describing one’s emotional state. The one element that survived is the reference to something or someone who is not doing all that well. If you have ever made a garment, loved wearing it, only to have the fabric itself finally give out on you, you know the feeling.

#frayed #textiles #historyoftextiles #etymology #costumehistory #dresshistory #fashionhistory #marybrookspicken #thelanguageoffashion #meaningofwords #wordorigins

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professorpski · 1 year

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The Evening Cape, A Lost Look: McCalls 5362, 5350.

The highlight of the red evening cape 5350 of this pair is clearly the back. McCalls Magazine from August 1928 called it “a butterfly” evening cape because of the draped piece which flows from a center gather down over the shoulders to a point at the bottom. The front was only featured in the small sketch and it shut only with a little at the top, leaving the wearer to clutch the side closed.

The recommended “rayon transparent velvet” which was a lightweight velvet with a silk or rayon back and a rayon or acetate pile according to The Language of Fashion dictionary by Mary Brooks Picken. It draped particularly well, hence its use here. They also recommended “crepe satin” by which they must hae meant what Picken’s called crepe-back satin, as in crepe on one side, satin on the other. In silk or rayon, again it would have good drape.

5362, the cape on the left is brocade for the center pieces and then the “wings” as they call them of are velvet or satin. “The graceful effect,” they claimed, “was of two capes” which sounds kind of silly to me, but I can see the pleasure of harmonizing the patterned brocade with a solid fabric. You can see that they used several rows shirring around the back neck to narrow the fabric there. Long, wide, ties come down the front; they do not show them tied, but you can imagine a woman would tie them as otherwise this cape must be clutched to the body.

So these evening capes did not opt for the most practical ways of closing a garment, and the most interesting features were not near the face as the Dress Doctors liked. But, Oooooo! Such a striking pair of garments all the same, and a pleasure to cope with when you are feeling in a dramatic and celebratory mood.

Although I could live without the dropped-waist dresses these were shown with, the evening cape is one of those lost looks that I think we ought to revive and add back into our design vocabulary.

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mpoze · 6 years

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••MPÓZE STYLES • • CLIENT SHOOT @rocioreymusic •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Apparel: Black Bondage Dress-Thrift Shoes-Thrift Choker-Thrift Howlite Tassel-Arteshama @arteshana || • • • Art Director/ Stylist: @mpozefashion @_munoz_s || Assistant Stylist: @sasaaaboo ||MakeUp Artist: @ffacesbyjo || Hair Stylist: @cut_bypedro ||photographer @klvnnn.24mm || Studio: @faroutfoto_boston || Set Design: @mpozefashion ✨✨✨✨✨✨ #EvolutionOfLove#Romance #blueskindalove #look5 #dangerouswoman #musicianlife #TheWomanOfToday #empower #womanpower #womanempowerment #thelanguageoffashion #photoshoot #loveinspired #artdirector #fashionislife #fashioninspo #stylist #stylelife #mpozestyles #mpozefashion #BeBOLD #BeGREAT #BeINSPIRED (at Boston, Massachusetts)

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mpoze · 6 years

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••MPÓZE STYLES • • CLIENT SHOOT @rocioreymusic •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Apparel: Black Bondage Dress-Thrift Shoes-Thrift Choker-Thrift Howlite Tassel-Arteshama @arteshana || • • • Art Director/ Stylist: @mpozefashion @_munoz_s || Assistant Stylist: @sasaaaboo ||MakeUp Artist: @ffacesbyjo || Hair Stylist: @cut_bypedro ||photographer @klvnnn.24mm || Studio: @faroutfoto_boston || Set Design: @mpozefashion ✨✨✨✨✨✨ #EvolutionOfLove#Romance #blueskindalove #look5 #dangerouswoman #musicianlife #TheWomanOfToday #empower #womanpower #womanempowerment #thelanguageoffashion #photoshoot #loveinspired #artdirector #fashionislife #fashioninspo #stylist #stylelife #mpozestyles #mpozefashion #BeBOLD #BeGREAT #BeINSPIRED (at Boston, Massachusetts)

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mpoze · 6 years

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••MPÓZE STYLES • • CLIENT SHOOT @rocioreymusic •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Apparel: Black Bondage Dress-Thrift Shoes-Thrift Choker-Thrift Howlite Tassel-Arteshama @arteshana || • • • Art Director/ Stylist: @mpozefashion @_munoz_s || Assistant Stylist: @sasaaaboo ||MakeUp Artist: @ffacesbyjo || Hair Stylist: @cut_bypedro ||photographer @klvnnn.24mm || Studio: @faroutfoto_boston || Set Design: @mpozefashion ✨✨✨✨✨✨ #EvolutionOfLove#Romance #blueskindalove #look5 #dangerouswoman #musicianlife #TheWomanOfToday #empower #womanpower #womanempowerment #thelanguageoffashion #photoshoot #loveinspired #artdirector #fashionislife #fashioninspo #stylist #stylelife #mpozestyles #mpozefashion #BeBOLD #BeGREAT #BeINSPIRED (at Boston, Massachusetts)

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mpoze · 6 years

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••MPÓZE STYLES • • CLIENT SHOOT @rocioreymusic •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Apparel: Sanctum Playsuit @litboutique || Shoes Olivia|| Earrings Blue Ombré post- @arteshana || • • • Art Director/ Stylist: @mpozefashion @_munoz_s || Assistant Stylist: @sasaaaboo ||MakeUp Artist: @ffacesbyjo || Hair Stylist: @cut_bypedro ||photographer @klvnnn.24mm || Studio: @faroutfoto_boston || Set Design: @mpozefashion ✨✨✨✨✨✨ #EvolutionOfLove#Romance #blueskindalove #look4 #musicianlife #TheWomanOfToday #empower #womanpower #womanempowerment #thelanguageoffashion #photoshoot #loveinspired #artdirector #fashionislife #fashioninspo #stylist #stylelife #mpozestyles #mpozefashion #BeBOLD #BeGREAT #BeINSPIRED (at Boston, Massachusetts)

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mpoze · 6 years

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••MPÓZE STYLES • • CLIENT SHOOT @rocioreymusic •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Apparel: Shiloh Tassel Slip Dress @litboutique || Vero Tassel Necklace @litboutique || Yellow Suede Strappy Sandal Heels @boohoo @boohoousa || Earrings-Thrift Earrings/Bracelete-Thrift || Jewlery -Thrift || • • • Art Director/ Stylist: @mpozefashion @_munoz_s || Assistant Stylist: @sasaaaboo ||MakeUp Artist: @ffacesbyjo || Hair Stylist: @cut_bypedro ||photographer @klvnnn.24mm || Studio: @faroutfoto_boston || Set Design: @mpozefashion ✨✨✨✨✨✨ #EvolutionOfLove#Happy #joyful #look3 #AFROLATINA #musicianlife #TheWomanOfToday #empower #womanpower #womanempowerment #thelanguageoffashion #photoshoot #loveinspired #artdirector #fashionislife #fashioninspo #stylist #stylelife #mpozestyles #mpozefashion #BeBOLD #BeGREAT #BeINSPIRED (at Boston, Massachusetts)

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mpoze · 6 years

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••MPÓZE STYLES • • CLIENT SHOOT @rocioreymusic •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Apparel: Shiloh Tassel Slip Dress @litboutique || Vero Tassel Necklace @litboutique || Yellow Suede Strappy Sandal Heels @boohoo @boohoousa || Earrings-Thrift Earrings/Bracelete-Thrift || Jewlery -Thrift || • • • Art Director/ Stylist: @mpozefashion @_munoz_s || Assistant Stylist: @sasaaaboo ||MakeUp Artist: @ffacesbyjo || Hair Stylist: @cut_bypedro ||photographer @klvnnn.24mm || Studio: @faroutfoto_boston || Set Design: @mpozefashion ✨✨✨✨✨✨ #EvolutionOfLove#Happy #joyful #look3 #AFROLATINA #musicianlife #TheWomanOfToday #empower #womanpower #womanempowerment #thelanguageoffashion #photoshoot #loveinspired #artdirector #fashionislife #fashioninspo #stylist #stylelife #mpozestyles #mpozefashion #BeBOLD #BeGREAT #BeINSPIRED (at Boston, Massachusetts)

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mpoze · 6 years

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••MPÓZE STYLES • • CLIENT SHOOT @rocioreymusic •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Apparel: Author Crop Top-Lit Boutique Liar Liar Pants: @litboutique Vero Tsl Nk- @litboutique || Jewlery -Thrift || • • • Art Director/ Stylist: @mpozefashion @_munoz_s || Assistant Stylist: @sasaaaboo ||MakeUp Artist: @ffacesbyjo || Hair Stylist: @cut_bypedro ||photographer @klvnnn.24mm || Studio: @faroutfoto_boston || Set Design: @mpozefashion ✨✨✨✨✨✨ #EvolutionOfLove#Happy #joyful #look2 #musicianlife #TheWomanOfToday #empower #womanpower #womanempowerment #thelanguageoffashion #photoshoot #loveinspired #artdirector #fashionislife #fashioninspo #stylist #stylelife #mpozestyles #mpozefashion #BeBOLD #BeGREAT #BeINSPIRED (at Boston, Massachusetts)

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mpoze · 6 years

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••MPÓZE STYLES • • CLIENT SHOOT @rocioreymusic •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Apparel: Author Crop Top-Lit Boutique Liar Liar Pants: @litboutique Vero Tsl Nk- @litboutique || Jewlery -Thrift || • • • Art Director/ Stylist: @mpozefashion @_munoz_s || Assistant Stylist: @sasaaaboo ||MakeUp Artist: @ffacesbyjo || Hair Stylist: @cut_bypedro ||photographer @klvnnn.24mm || Studio: @faroutfoto_boston || Set Design: @mpozefashion ✨✨✨✨✨✨ #EvolutionOfLove#Happy #joyful #look2 #musicianlife #TheWomanOfToday #empower #womanpower #womanempowerment #thelanguageoffashion #photoshoot #loveinspired #artdirector #fashionislife #fashioninspo #stylist #stylelife #mpozestyles #mpozefashion #BeBOLD #BeGREAT #BeINSPIRED (at Boston, Massachusetts)

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mpoze · 6 years

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MPÓZE STYLES • • CLIENT SHOOT @maddy_dabaddie •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Apparel: Zoe Twist Front Flared Sleeve Crop Top @boohoo @boohoousa || Black Love Opening Leggings @fashionnova || accessories vintage || • • • Art Director/ Stylist: @mpozefashion @thugnificent_sm Assistant Stylist: @sassaboo_ ||MakeUp Artist: @ffacesbyjo || photographer @dresaydesigns || Studio: @faroutfoto_boston || Set Design: @mpozefashion ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ #CHERINSPO #CHER #JIMMYHENDRIXINSPO #fauxfur #70’sInspo #musicianlife #The70'sWomanOfToday #empower #womanpower #womanempowerment #thelanguageoffashion #photoshoot #70'sInspired #artdirector #fashionislife #fashioninspo #stylist #stylelife #mpozestyles #mpozefashion #BeBOLD #BeGREAT #BeINSPIRED (at Boston, Massachusetts)

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