1950's
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Props, Scenery, Costumes and Makeup
Forum Discription: For how-to's and where-can-I-find
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3043
Printed Date: 5/15/25 at 11:17am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: 1950's
Posted By: bbpchick
Subject: 1950's
Date Posted: 3/14/08 at 10:47pm
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Ok. I just took over directing "The White Sheep of the Family" for our spring production. It is a very cute farce set in the 1950's, however, I'm having a hell of a time finding affordable women's costumes. Affordable for us is $30 and under, because we are broke. I'm already going to have to make a 50's evening gown, and I'm really trying to avoid having to sew 2 cocktail/party dresses as well. I'm heading out to thrift stores this weekend, but they are such hit and misses, that I really need a backup plan. Does anyone know of any affordable websites out there that I can look at that may have period style
dresses that don't cost $80+.
Thank you ahead of time for any ideas you can throw my way.
Kendra ------------- Kendra http://www.murphysblackbartplayer.com - www.murphysblackbartplayers.com You are NEVER too old to dress up! |
Replies:
Posted By: musicmom1212
Date Posted: 3/15/08 at 12:01am
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Try eBay. I bought my daughter a vintage dress for Music Man for $17.00 including shipping. I then bought her vintage shoes that come to the ankle. It was perfect.
The "vintage" dress was actually a Gunne Sax from the 70's. The style was very 20's. I also bought several "prom" dresses from eBay for the dance scene in Grease. The price range was $15-$30, including shipping. You do have to keep an open mind when looking at used and vintage clothing. Some can be made to look like several diferent periods. Like the next post said, I do bring photos of clothing with when I'm searching. ------------- Cathy |
Posted By: Linda S
Date Posted: 3/15/08 at 8:01am
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Hi Kendra, There is a lot that you can do from the thrift store. My first suggestion is to get some pictures of what you are looking for. When you get to the thrift store, don't look at the dress for the time period that it was made in, but look at the silhouette. If you can get the right shape, by subtracting some of the frills and adding accessories you can get a great look. I will often research sewing patterns from the time period. McCall and Simplicity have lots of vintage patterns on line. The drawings are simple, and really show the silhouette. They also give great ideas for accessories or how to change up a look. My usual cost, per costume, for a show from 1930 and up is under $20. You will also find that it will be hard to find vintage clothing that will actually fit today's modern woman. People were a lot smaller, shorter and had very tiny feet. Also, most vintage clothing wouldn't hold up to a a full run of a show. Lots of the fabrics are pretty fragile, and they don't launder as easily either. I use my vintage pieces very sparingly. Good luck with your show. It sounds like fun.
Linda
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Posted By: SherrieAnne
Date Posted: 3/15/08 at 3:11pm
You know, I thought this too, until I started researching vintage clothing (read, 1860s) for Civil War reenacting. While the AVERAGE size might have been smaller (IIRC, average male height was 5'8" or 5'9") the RANGE of sizes was almost as wide as we have today. (Anorexia wasn't a problem back then, so some of the ladies on the smaller end might have trouble finding clothing.) The 14" waist is a myth. (That's approximately the size of a roll of toilet paper.) As for shoes, I've found that the average woman's foot (remember, they spent a LOT more time on them than we do!) in the 1860s appears to have been about a size 7 (American) - but I've found several pairs of provenanced shoes that would not only fit my size 9 feet, but some were actually too big. And from the 1940s or '50s til now, the change hasn't been anywhere near great enough to make a difference.
When you do look at vintage clothes, though - especially from the 20th century - be careful of sizes. Your size 6 (2008) actress may be insulted that you've bought her a 1950s size 12 - but the clothing companies have pandered to the numbers game, especially in recent years, to size everything down to "vanity sizes". (Size zero, anyone?) ------------- There's a little bit of diva in all of us. Some just have a larger helping than others. |
Posted By: Linda S
Date Posted: 3/15/08 at 3:58pm
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I don't have any expertise on clothing before 1900. I have some turn of the century pieces but nothing before that. Most of my collection is from the 30s and up. I only have a couple pieces over a current size 14 most of what I have from the 30s and 40s would be modern size 4, from the 50s and 60s it is more like an 6-8. My experience, especially with skirts and dresses, is that the waist doesn't fit. That is funny about the shoes. I have a hard time finding size 9s in a vintage shoe. When I do it is usually too narrow. That is true about the vanity sizing. I have lovely 1950's size 12 cocktail dress that fit my size 6 actress perfectly.
Linda
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Posted By: SherrieAnne
Date Posted: 3/15/08 at 7:46pm
The proportions do tend to be different - because we wear different undergarments than were originally worn with them. Even in the 1960s (back when I was young!  ) the undergarments were different than they are today. Not many actresses today would put up with wearing the types of girdles they wore then! ------------- There's a little bit of diva in all of us. Some just have a larger helping than others. |
Posted By: bbpchick
Date Posted: 3/20/08 at 3:45pm
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Thanks guys for your suggestions. Tried e-bay. Unfortunately, most of the stuff on there was for women with 27" waists or smaller, and none of us girls in this show are that small, and anything that was big enough was WAAAAAAAAAAAY too expensive. But I'll definately keep an eye on e-bay in the future for other shows. There was a lot of cute stuff on there.
Went thrift store shopping over the last couple days, and was able to get a couple costumes and a ton of props. YAY!
Now I get to go and get waist cinchers and undergarmets and such. Luckily they don't need to be 1950's style lol.
Thank you again for your suggestions.
Kendra ------------- Kendra http://www.murphysblackbartplayer.com - www.murphysblackbartplayers.com You are NEVER too old to dress up! |
Posted By: Nanette
Date Posted: 3/21/08 at 10:22am
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Do these "waist cinchers" and "undergarments" actually have to SHOW, or are they just for foundation?! If they're just for foundation, make the actors supply their own. ------------- In a world of margarine, be butter! |
Posted By: bbpchick
Date Posted: 3/24/08 at 3:41pm
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Sorry I didn't mean to imply that we would be supplying undergarmets for the cast, I was talking about myself as far as undergarmets go. I need to learn to write more clearly lol. ------------- Kendra http://www.murphysblackbartplayer.com - www.murphysblackbartplayers.com You are NEVER too old to dress up! |
Posted By: gaftpres
Date Posted: 3/26/08 at 10:09am
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TRy to contact theatres in your surrounding area, many will rent them cheap to you or even allow you to borrow them as long as you return them dry cleaned. Our CT uses several theatres to borrow specific items.
Good Luck. ------------- Old volunteers never die, they just get recycled! |
Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 3/26/08 at 8:48pm
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We have found by using Charity & thrift shops, for nearly all our costumingprops. A cheaper easier way to atire a show, also we donate them back afterwards, which saves having to store them & only hang on to good character pieces.
Most of the cast or membership, tend to have clothing styles upto 20 years or more, hanging in thier wardrobes at home.
so we can't see any piont of hanging on to them.
also i have found lately nearly all these charity shops, don't wash or clean the clothing, because it becomes too costly these days. So it is better if they are washed or whatever, berfore your cast wear them. ------------- [western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!} |
Posted By: galliactors
Date Posted: 4/14/08 at 11:19am
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www.curvygirlclothing.com sells some vintage recreations for plus sizes. More plus size clothing at Hollywood diva (an ebay store). Sometimes with ebay you have to change your search options. Agreeing that women were smaller back in those days a search for plus size 50's would bring up dresses from size 10 and up. Also, word choice.. "Rockabilly " "swing" "vintage" can be used for 1950's searches because some sellers don't know the difference in periods and you might actually get a better deal. Same goes for renaissance clothing.. searching on ebay with key words such as SCA, medieval, even colonial, Amish, peasant, bring up clothes that can be used for shows set in the renaissance era. Weird? Yes, but it works. FYI holyclothing.com has some period looking clothing that can be used in various shows and is a plus size clothing store. These are not costumes but for the price from the stage who will know? |
Posted By: spikesgirl
Date Posted: 4/15/08 at 9:26am
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Kendra - in the future, think about contacting us(SCT). We don't have a huge number of costumes, but we have a fair amount. I know we had gowns from that era because I saw them when I was helping to run cat 5 cable two weekends ago.
Cheers!
Charlie
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