Vintage Dresses

Every decade had its own idea of a dress, and our vintage dresses cover six of them, from the dropped waist of the 1920s to the maxi dress of the 1970s. They are vintage style dresses rather than originals: reproductions of period garments, photographs and patterns, designed in-house and cut for the modern figure, with many made in our own Yorkshire factory. You get the true shape of the era in a new dress that is made to be worn.

Vintage dress styles by decade

Old-fashioned dresses had a different name in every decade:

• 1920s, the flapper dress: drop-waisted and asymmetric dresses in satin and georgette, kimono layers and an evening gown set inspired by 1929. See 1920s dresses.
• 1930s, the bias-cut dress: cut on the diagonal so the fabric skims the body, in midi dresses, flutter-skirted day dresses, tea dresses and gowns. See 1930s dresses.
• 1940s, the tea dress: tea dresses and shirt-waisters for every day, the day-to-night Stanwyck dress, and cocktail dresses and evening gowns for later. See 1940s dresses and tea dresses.
• 1950s, the wiggle dress: close-fitting wiggle dresses in stretch bengaline, and full-skirted styles such as the Bella and the Grace wrap circle dress. See 1950s dresses and wiggle dresses.
• 1960s, the cocktail dress: the Manhattan cocktail dress, the Jackie O and Coco suit sets and the Carnaby Mod mini. See 1960s dresses.
• 1970s, the maxi dress: maxi, midi and wrap dresses with plunge and keyhole necklines, and disco gowns, in the spirit of Ossie Clark and Biba. See 1970s dresses.

Which vintage dress for which occasion?

• Every day and tea parties: the 1940s tea dress, a shirt-waister or a 1930s tea dress.
• Parties and cocktails: vintage party and cocktail dresses.
• Black tie and balls: vintage evening dresses and gowns.
• Weddings: vintage wedding guest outfits, or vintage wedding dresses and bridesmaids dresses.
• Goodwood Revival: Goodwood Revival outfits and dresses.

The 1930s and 1940s make up most of our range. Sizes start at a UK 8; most dresses go up to an 18 and many to a 24. For plus size vintage dresses, start with extended sizes, and use the size guide to check your measurements.

New to a decade? The vintage style guides tell its story, and our posts on the 1940s tea dress and the 1940s shirtwaister dress cover two of the classics.