Owning 50s vintage dresses provide insight into an exciting era for dressmaking. The Great Depression long gone, the various restrictions of WWII were lifted, manufactures were all geared up for mass production of quality products, and women wanted the glamour of Paris. Take all that and stir it together and you have an economy ready to take off.
Most of the 50s vintage dresses were designed and stylized after the Dior’s fashion collection released in Spring-Summer 1947. The two lines, Corolla and Eight, have been famously termed as the ‘New Look’. The shape that marked this New Look was a large bust, small waist and a skirt whose length extended a bit below mid-calf.
Some of the most notable American designers of 50s vintage dresses were Claire McCardell, Mainbocher (Main Rousseau Bocher), and Galanos Originals (James Galanos).
Claire McCardell
A female fashion designer who was highly acclaimed and famous for her effort in sidelining the dominance of French style and bringing the American fashion into popularity. She has been a leader in the development of the comfortable and easy going, ready-to-wear fashion in the US. During the fashionable era of 50s she designed clothes that could be mass-produced and were functional, simple and subtle in look. Last but not least; she is the driving force that was responsible for creating the “American Look”, which was casual, unique and chic.
McCardell received various awards and accomplishments before passing away in 1958. She was presented with Women’s National Press Club Award in 1950. The Frank Perls Gallery presented an art exhibition of her dress designs in 1953. And to top it all off Time magazine placed her on the cover of their May 2, 1955 issue. McCardell has been mentioned numerous times since her passing for her incredible contributions to fashion.
Main Rousseau Bocher
Though Main Rousseau Bocher was an American couturier, inhabitant of Chicago, he opened his first and foremost fashion house in Paris from 1930 to 1939 after serving in the First World War. It was only in 1940 that he moved to New York. As he was the first celebrity in the dominant French fashion world, from the US, he already had gained lot of publicity when he arrived in New York. The Mainbocher design was at its peak quality, by 1950, and along with that the Mainbocher name had a tag of conservative elegance attached to it.
The strapless evening dress combined with the accessories of pearl chokers and short white gloves gained an introduction to the fashion world because of Mainbocher. These kinds of designs stylized by him appeared in the musical Call Me Madam in 1950, Wonderful Town in 1953, the Great Sebastians in 1956, and The Sound of music in 1959.
James Galanos
James Galanos opened Galanos Originals in 1951. The characteristic of Galanos designs included extensive use of silk fabrics and hand beading. His dresses were full and loose and often placed simple sheaths under chiffon coats. He received the Coty Fashion Award in 1954 and 1956 and was inducted into the Coty hall of Fame in 1959.
Jeanna Paquin was a fashion designer in France known for her modern and innovative designs. She was born in Saint-Denis in 1869. Paquin trained as dressmaker in Maisson Rouff and later opened The House of Paquin in 1890. The House during its prime years was one of the most successful fashion designers in Paris. Leaving the House in 1920 she died 16 years later in 1936. The House of Paquin continued operations until 1956 when it closed its doors due to financial problems. 
