Vintage fabulous...

Inspired by Guilty Secret's posts on vintage wedding style, I revisited my very favourite dress site, The Frock. The Frock sells the most exquisite vintage dresses from Edwardian times right up to the 1980s and also sells a few more recent designer pieces.

I love all of these dresses and some of them are exactly what I dreamt of wearing when we started planning our wedding. Unfortunately there isn't a single one that isn't at least double my dress budget!

But I thought I would share them anyway as they are the most wonderful inspiration and just utterly gorgeous. Also, once I posted some dresses from The Frock on a wedding board and a very brave girlie bought one of the three I shared. She sent me pictures and damn, she looked fabulous! So if anyone decides to buy any of these I would love to know. Unless it's the Dior. Keep quiet if you buy the Dior. Unless you thought it would make a nice gift for a certain blogger with expensive taste, I don't want to know.



Here they are, gowns of distinction from c1910 to 1980....

Silk satin and lace gown, circa 1910. $2600.

I love Edwardian style, it's so dignified and elegant. I nearly bought an Edwardian wedding dress very similar to this on ebay. But I was too frightened to press the button. The draping on this dress is so beautiful, unusual and modern. It reminds me of Vivianne Westwood's draped dresses which I adore. I also love the sleeves. Sleeves are so rare in a wedding dress these days, especially ones not made from skin tight lace.



Champagne silk satin dress, Circa 1930 $2600

The perfect combination of detail and simplicity. The plain bodice with the jewelled detail and the skirt made from many pieces of satin sewn together in a V shape that evens out as it goes down the skirt.

Could the 1930s have been any more stylish?


Damask silk dress, circa 1935. $1350

The fabric of this dress is so very regal, but the neckline and the trim of ruffled tulle brings a really young and innocent feeling to it.




Lace dress, circa 1935. $2100

Lace, ruffles and a train to drown in. Exquisite. So elegant and tasteful. It's hard to find a 1930's dress that isn't tasteful. When did our fashion lose that?

Peach ruffled Satin, circa 1935. $1700

Stunning stunning ruffles! Using ruffles without adding volume to a dress is a subtle art.



White silk satin gown, circa 1940. $2600

I adore this. The neckline, the straps, the detailing and the way the fabric falls are all heavenly. Doesn't it look just like a Jenny Packham gown of now? For a pretty similar price I would much rather have this unique little number though.



Sally Milgrim dress, circa 1945. $3400

Another perfectly modern and perfectly stylish dress. So very Greek Goddess. I have always been a silver girl but recently I have been falling for gold. I love this. Although it looks like it was made for a shorter woman than me.



Christian Dior lace and tulle dress, circa 1950. $3600

Oh sweet dress, beautiful dress, perfect dress. How I love thee. How I wish to dance in your pretty layers and rest my hands on the tiny little waist you would give me. How I wish, how I wish....




Adolfo Sardiña lace and chiffon gown, circa 1975. $3600

Subtle, feminine, romantic, modern. Pink. Don't forget pink.




Oscar de la Renta, circa 1980.

Ok, this is couldn't be less my style but I thought the butt bow was hilarious! This dress could have been designed last week, it's the spitting image of quite a few dresses that made me raise my eyebrows in that way that tells whoever I'm with that I'm horrified without having to say a word. Put to perfect use in bridal shops when scary women are trying to dress you like a cream puff. Mr de la Renta has clearly improved with age. Although in the context of eighties wedding dresses this is actually rather tasteful.




All images from The Frock.