// Buyer’s Guide
which are both rare and keenly sought by collectors and will cost well in excess of four figures, especially pieces from leading fashion houses.
MID CENTURY STYLE…
There is a wide range of 1940’s styles on the market, as dealers often travel to the US to buy pieces. American womenswear was more colourful and glamorous than British fashion, which was restricted by wartime rationing, so it’s possible to find some stunning imported outfits. Wool skirt suits with tailored jackets and smart pencil skirts can be found for around £200, while a day dress can cost from as little as £40.
Look out for dresses bearing the Horrockses label. During the 1950s, this Preston-based firm produced floral print dresses that are timelessly stylish and of the best quality. If you’re lucky, you can find one for less than £100 although really classic examples can fetch into the hundreds of pounds.
Unattributed Fifties day dresses can be found for the low tens of pounds and be both wearable and collectable in equal measure. Evening dresses of the period though are becoming keen favourites, as the shape and style are so wearable. A classic 1950s evening dress will start at a couple of hundred pounds, however the top end collectors are keen to find pieces by the man who created the look of the decade, Christian Dior! Evening dresses from Dior, with their classic silhouette, start from around £400 or £500, however a piece
of Dior couture can carry an eye-watering price ticket!
FASHION GOES POP WITH THE 1960S The 1960s saw a huge change in fashion, with bold colours and simple lines in both day and evening wear. Modern, manmade fabrics in blocks of colour such as red, orange and pink still look up-to-date while applied crystals and coloured glass add a shot of sparkle and glamour.
Fashion from the 1960s is largely undervalued, perhaps because it requires an adventurous wearer and unattributed 1960s styles can be found for under £50. Key Sixties pieces include colourful, cropped jackets, collarless coats and sleeveless dresses. For investment, keep an eye out for key movers and shakers of the period whose designs dramatically changed fashion for decades to come. Key names are Emilio Pucci, Jean Muir and Pierre Cardin. Examples from the leading names can be bought for less than a £100, however rare or key pieces will again easily run into four figures.
With so much choice, you’ve almost got to think twice about buying something new these days. If you look, you can get a better-made original, with quality fabric, for less money than you’d pay for new. Next time you have a special occasion to attend, why not take the vintage option, knowing that the contents of your wardrobe are gaining value rather than being destined for the charity shop after a few months!
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