I’m at this really transitional point, bodywise. I’ve been too small for most dedicated plus lines for years, and yet, I’m only just now finding awesome designer vintage that really fits me ( at 42-32-48″). Luckily, I managed to find two beautiful late ’50s/early ’60s designer pieces that fit me perfectly!
First is a gorgeous coral lace Emma Domb gown, vintage size 16. It’s floor-length with a crossover bodice.
Most people are familiar with Emma Domb’s famous mid century prom dresses and elegant evening wear, but I was a little surprised to learn that the Domb label came out of San Francisco, which essentially makes this dress local to me!
Next is pretty much my holy grail: an Alfred Shaheen sundress in perfect condition…IN MY SIZE.
I’ve always admired Shaheen’s Asian- and Polynesian-inspired fabrics and mid century “Aloha” style fashions, but could never find any of the cute pre-mid ’60s stuff to fit me.
This one’s pretty much my dream dress, from the turquoise and silver print to the twisty draped bodice and the full-skirted styling. Apparently, another dress in this exact style (different fabric) appeared in the big Alfred Shaheen exhibit at the Arab-American National Museum in Michigan a few years ago.
The dressform photo comes from the seller, MTVintageclothing. You can see me wearing the dress in the picture below.
I’ll wrap up with a cute pink vintage sweater, hand-knitted out of what looks like mohair. I’ve been looking for just the right fluffy ’60s cardigan for a while now, but it wasn’t until I walked into Fringe in Sacramento that I found exactly the right one! On the same visit, I picked up a cropped, beaded Hong Kong cardigan with a unique scalloped waist detail. It was missing some buttons, but it’s a problem easily solved. The owner knocked a few dollars of the price for the trouble. Sweet!
