Comments and Tags
Be the first to comment on this item!
Clothing and Accessories
Women's Clothing ➔ Dress
Identifier:
1983.54.6Description:
This green party dress is made of nylon and is flared in the front by widening princess seams. The fullness in the back is controlled by a series of knife pleats and it has a surplice neckline. The short sleeves are cuffed and feature bows. There is a metal Talon zipper down the center back of the dress and an interior label that reads "Jonny Herbery Original". This dress also has pleats on the back of the skirt as well as a pocket on the proper right side of the waist. This dress was photographed with petticoat number 130761. Features that are indicative of the 1950s are the New Look silhouette, the cinched waist, and the surplice neckline.This style of dress was known as the New Look which was created by Christian Dior in 1947. The New Look featured cinched waists, full skirts, and emphasized the bust and hips. Dior often lined his skirts with taffeta or percale to help it retain its full shape. This style of dress remained popular throughout the 1950’s and was a turning point in women’s fashion. During World War II fabrics were rationed and women’s style allowed for very few embellishments. Restrictions were put on the number of seams allowed in a garment, the number of buttons that could be used, and how many pleats were allowed. Women had to provide coupons when buying fabric and ready-to-wear clothing had to meet government standards. When the New Look was introduced after the war, women were lining up to purchase the style which promoted femininity and curves.
Date:
circa 1950Materials:
NylonCurrent Location Status:
In StorageCollection Tier:
Tier 2Source:
Gift Of Mrs. Theodore BenderRelated Entities:
Jonny Herbert (creator)Johnny Herbert was opened by John Buffa and Herbert Aptel in 1950 as a division on Sealove-Becker, Inc. By 1954 the company expanded into the Midwest with a sales office in Chicago. Aptel later left the company but Buffa managed it until his death in 1973. Marion Gavett Bender (donor)
Alternate names: Mrs. Theodore K. Bender
Marion Gavett Bender was born in 1905 to Blaine and Josephine Gavett. She was married to Theodore K. Bender and together they had two children, Charles II in 1929 and Virginia in 1932. She passed away in 1999 and is buried in Oakhill Cemetary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Talon International, Incorporated (is related to)
Alternate names: Talon, Talon Zipper, Universal Fastener Company
Talon International, Inc., sometimes referred to as Talon Zipper was founded in Chicago in 1893 as the Universal Fastener Company. The company moved to Meadville, Pennsylvania and thrived in the zipper business, due to being the first zipper manufacturing company. In 1968 the company was acquired by Textron and faced many difficulties. The Japanese company YKK was also producing quality zippers but for less money which caused the company's market share to fall to 35% by 1981. In 1981, the company was sold to Nucor Holdings. Production was moved to Mexico but the company still suffered. In 1996 the Universal Fastener Company was acquired by Tag-It-Pacific. Production moved to Asia and in 2007 the company name was changed to Talon International, Incorporated.
