Vintage Tea Dresses
The tea dress is a staple in any vintage lovers wardrobe and has become a favourite among celebrities too. It started out in the early part of the century as something to wear for informal gatherings at the house for afternoon tea. Up until the 1940\'s when World War 2 broke they were cut between the knee and calf and had long sleeves. The material was very floaty and womanly but this had to change when rationing came into use in the 40\'s. Due to the shortage of materials tea dresses became shorter to just on the knee and were now short sleeved. Gone were the luxe materials and instead they were replaced with boxy, masculine shapes. The tops of the dresses now resembled shirts and had lapel collars and turned up sleeves with very little pleating on the skirt. Adornments such as buttons, frills and lace were very rarely seen and designers made them in a military style to show support for the war effort. The last bit of femininity on the dresses was on the pattern. Florals were very popular in the 40\'s and the new material of Rayon made printing onto them very easy.
Tea dresses are the most reproduced of any vintage clothing item as they are so simple and easy to wear but always look great. Popular colours that were incorporated into the 40\'s tea dress prints were cadet blue, flag red, army tan and white which again made the wearer feel like they were helping the war effort. These colours are still a popular choice today and can be worn from season to season.
This type of dress is perfect for summer days worn with a matching coloured vintage cardigan, wedges and a cute parasol. For spring and summer a light jacket over the dress will keep off any chill and a patterned scarf will add a modern touch. In the winter months it can be layered up with tights, loafers and a vintage jumper will add extra warmth but is still a nod to the 1940\'s. A long coat over the top will keep out the cold and for evenings a quick change of shoes and jewellery will turn the simple tea dress into glamourous evening wear. If your vintage dress has a shirt collar this looks great poking out from a vintage jumper with some classic pearls and a belt around the waist to tie everything together to give you a cute 40\'s housewife look.
Rebecca Jane Taylor is the vintage expert and writer at Brag Vintage, an online clothing store based in the UK. It stocks everything from vintage dresses to vintage denim. For more information check out the blog.
Article Source: ArticleRich.com
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