VA Vintage Couture Dress

Thought I would post this, originally taken from the Victoria and Albert Museum's website, but no longer available there. A beautiful dress pattern.



Couture Inspired Dress Pattern
This is an original pattern, created for the V&A Golden Age of Couture
exhibition website.
It is based on a 1950’s ready to wear dress from the V&A collection and has
been sized for modern day UK sizes 10, 12 and 14.
The dress is close fitting with a waist seam, flared skirt and pockets. It is fitted
above the waist with band detail and lined top body.
Body Measurements (in cm)
The pattern has been made for modern day UK sizes 10, 12 (sizes are given
in cm):
Size 10 12 14
Bust 84 88 92
Waist 64 68 72
Hips 89 93 97
Shoulder 12 12.25 12.5
Nape to waist 39.5 40 40.5
Waist to knee 58 58.5 59


Horrockses’ cotton dresses, with their brightly coloured prints and full gathered skirts, were a fashion success story in the period after the Second World War. Horrockses was a large cotton manufacturing firm, founded in Preston, Lancashire, in 1791, known for weaving high quality household cottons. In 1946 they launched Horrockses Fashions Limited, a subsidiary company making ready-to-wear dresses, housecoats and beachwear, with headquarters in London's Hanover Square. The success of the firm was due to the quality of the design of the printed cottons, often commissioned from artists, combined with advanced production methods, which preserved the crispness of the cotton while allowing for frequent washing.

Dresses from Horrockses Fashions appealed to women of different ages and social backgrounds as the perfect summer dress. They were relatively expensive and were popular with members of the Royal Family - but working women would save up to buy one, often as a honeymoon outfit.

[img]http://media.vam.ac.uk/media/thira/collection_images/2007BP/2007BP5986_jpg_ds.jpg[/img]