Donald Brooks - 1956

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Did you guess correctly? Many of you were close, and many of you thought this was a modern image.   The photo was taken in 1956.  The dress is by Donald Brooks, the sandals by Bernardo. The sleeves are likely full or 3/4 length and have been rolled to the elbow.  The addition of a wide sash instead of the self fabric belt that probably came with the dress is another stylish touch. I chose this photo to show that if you wear vintage, you can still look very modern. 

Before he started his own company, Donald Brooks started his career working for the junior sportswear company Darbury.  This classic cotton check shirt dress by Brooks for Darbury is very different from what he would later design for his own label.  He was likely working within the guidelines of what Darbury wanted for its customers and this was very early in his career.  But the dress is so classic that it could have been made last month and still look in-style and of-the-moment.  Do you have a classic shirtwaist dress in your closet?  Do you wear it over and over?  If not, perhaps you should consider it!

Photo by Francesco Scavullo for Harper's Bazaar, 1956.