Ladies suits

[jamespowers]

Nice handmade buttonholes.

I was so pleased when I saw it.
I figured she deserved it after the birth of my son. That and it fits easily.

Regards,

J

 

[Grace]

Nice handmade buttonholes.

You just don't find the quality and attention to details like you do in vintage. On another thread, someone posted about contemporary womens suits being made of a hideous black synthetic material. Ick! There is no fine tailoring, or beautiful finishing details (that is, unless you're willing to drop a few grand on a Chanel).

I wish I could tell you about Paulette Gross, but that label is not in any of my resources.

Oh, how could I forget this suit! Again, one of my favorites. Now this suit is CURVY. It has a metal side zipper on the skirt, which is hidden in the pocket. Genius! Though you can't see in the pictures, it has bright green and white pinstripes. It's from about 49-51. Talk about nice lines!

 

[jamespowers]

Interesting. My wife has one like it in black but the "X" pattern stands out from the suit. Too bad it doesn't fit her. It never did---my faulty buying habits. [huh]

Regards,

J

 

[Marc Chevalier]

'40s ... suits are softer and more feminine, even the ones with harder, geometric-y lines.

Unless worn by Joan Crawford, the undisputed empress of tailored 'ballcrushers'.


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[Marc Chevalier]

Has anyone mentioned 'Lilli Ann', the San Francisco designer of incredible '40s and '50s women's suits? You can't go wrong with anything made by Lilli Ann in the '40s -- it's all good. (And it's always been pricey; even in the '80s, vintage clothing stores sold '40s Lilli Ann suits for high prices.)


Some info and (sadly few) photos here: http://www.jennyhaniver.com/lilliann/history.html



Look for the label:

 

[Grace]

I adore Lilli Ann! I've never seen a 40s Lilli Ann that I didn't like. A few years ago I sold a lovely 40s number from 'Lilli Annette' (petites lines). It had a nicely tailored and very fitted jacket with a huge, dramatic fur collar. I wish now that I had kept it, because it fit me.

 

[Sunny]

I have a Lilli Ann! It was my first vintage purchase ever, made exactly two years ago. I won it off ebay; my winning bid was twenty-something dollars.

It's plain black wool crepe, with cuffed sleeves, turned-back lapels (no separate collar), and three big black glass buttons that start under-bust. Very nipped-in waist. Oh, and bound buttonholes, if anyone's interested. The skirt is a pencil, quite long (high calf for me, and I'm 5'9"), and the back walkng slit is at least 18".

The only problem is that it's entirely without shoulder pads. I want to replace them (obviously); what would be an appropriate thickness? I've never seen an original with shoulder pads, and I'm afraid to guess for fear of Linebacker Shoulders. This is a slightly unrealistic fear, since my shoulders are both narrow and sloping, but I'd still rather know than guess.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I have a Lilli Ann! It was my first vintage purchase ever, made exactly two years ago. I won it off ebay; my winning bid was twenty-something dollars.

:eusa_clap Fantastic! Great price. Is it from the '50s or '60s? The really expensive Lilli Ann suits are from the '40s. You can still get some really fine '50s and '60s ones for good values. (For some reason, women's suits from those decades -- unless they're couture -- are less sought after in the vintage market. A pity, because they can be quite fine-looking.)

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[Sunny]

I looked at it this morning. The label says, specifically, "Adolph Schuman by Lilli Ann." There is one moth hole. I'm no suit expert, but I'd definitely put it in late 1940s or early 1950s. It's absolutely not the boxy shorter jacket of the late 1950s. The jacket is very curvy. When did pencil skirts come in?

I'd put up a picture, but I'm afraid it'll look funny without shoulder pads. Maybe I can stick some in temporarily.

 

[Grace]

Adolph Schuman is Lilli Ann's husband. (her actual name was 'Lillian') The 'Adolph Schuman for Lilli Ann' Label is from the 70s. After Schumans death in 85, his heirs continued the business, which then closed down in 2000.

 

[Sunny]

Well, whaddya know! I guess that would put it in the '80s! Never would have guessed. Metal zipper, glass buttons, and everything!

 

[Honey Doll]

Here's a suit I recently made

It's from a Hollywood Pattern from the 40s. I also picked up 2 lovely vintage suits last week, I'll get some pics on.

Honey Doll

 

[manton]

HD: can you tell me a little about the coat's "guts"? Shoulder pads? Canvas? Intercollar? Etc.

Thanks!

(It looks great, BTW.)

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Honey Doll, that is such a great suit. I just love the style.

I have a Lili Ann suit too, unfortunately I bought it in my smaller days, so I don't get to wear it anymore. Someday soon, I hope. Anyway, it was one of my first vintage suits I ever purchased, and got it for a song. It has a short nipped waist jacket with a fur (I think it's rabbit, but who knows) collar. It has three black pearlized buttons with little silver flowers on each button and a rhinestone in the center of each flower. The skirt is a line, just to the knee. It is in a light teal tweed, just the prettiest shade of blue green. It is in excellent condition, and am glad that I got a lot of use out of it last fall and winter.
I also just received a black Lily Ann with a double breasted blazer, very interesting hard to describe collar and a straight skirt with two rows of buttons down the front that line up nice and neatly with the buttons on the jacket. The jacket is nipped at the waist, which is my favorite style of jacket. I'm short, and find that a shorter nipped waist jacket not only shows of my waist but makes my legs look a little longer than they actually are.

Honey Doll, again, that is a great suit. I really like the color. I'm definitely always on the hunt for thirties and fourties style suits. The quality of most of them, and the design just can't be beat. I was looking in a local department store a few days ago and saw two suits with pencil skirts and nip waist/peplum jackets. I was pleasantly surprised by the style of the suits, but upon further inspection, was really not happy with the quality. It seems like to get a good quality suit that is well made you either must make it yourself, go to a professional suit maker, or go to one of those really high end stores that sell very expensive brands (and even those aren't nearly as nice as what can be found from the thirties). It seems like there is an over all lack of finishing touches to these modern suits. The buttons are never sewn on tightly, the lining is often just thrown in and doesn't lay flat, flimsy little shoulder pads, if there are even any. Give me a vintage suit any day!

 

[Honey Doll]

Not too much "guts"

HD: can you tell me a little about the coat's "guts"? Shoulder pads? Canvas? Intercollar? Etc.

Thanks!

(It looks great, BTW.)

I have a few vintage ladies suits patterns, this one, unfortunately came without its directions and a couple of pieces.

It has shoulder pads-- 6 inch square of batting sandwiched betw 6 inch suares of wool, folded into a triangle and zig zagged secure. It also has interfacing in the collar. Lined in brown silk and faced in the same wool.

Honey Doll

 

[manton]

So no front canvas in the coat at all? Is the cloth very heavy?

 

[Honey Doll]

No canvas

So no front canvas in the coat at all? Is the cloth very heavy?

Its a mid weight wool. The pic isn't the clearest, but it gathers into a belted waistline, so it's not too heavy or structured, but still has a nice tailored feel.

Honey Doll

 

[manton]

Hmmm. I'm gathering from this thread that the typical vintage ladies suit had shoulder pads, but no front canvas. This was, to my knowledge, NEVER true of men's suits, and still is not. A unconstructed front was strictly for casual wear. I gather that cloth for ladies' suits had to be a good deal heavier for this to work. I wear 16 ounce worsteds (heaveist stuff still made today, and there's precious litte of it available) and even that needs a linen front, at least.

 

[Lauren]

Lovely job, Honeydoll! The suit is lovely!

 

[Polka Dot]

color?

What a great suit, Honeydoll! What is the color of the wool? I can't tell exactly from the picture.

One of these days I'm going to attempt a suit...