Vintage Designer Gowns in the Fine Print

When flipping through vintage magazines, you often see the most spectacular evening gowns in ads for other products. If you stop and take a moment to look beyond the product being offered, you'll see some incredible pieces, and the designer's name is often featured in the tiny print at the bottom or along the sides of the ad. Here are some examples from November of 1958.

This ad for Revlon Touch and Glow foundation shows a gown by Ceil Chapman.

This ad for Revlon "Fifth Avenue Red" lipstick and nail polish was a two page spread and featured this gown by Arnold Scaasi.

Cadillac worked with high-end fashion designers in the 1950s to produce expensive and exclusive garments to feature in their car ads. This one says, "Mother daugher ensemble designed expressly for Cadillac by Ines da Roma."

This ad for Intimate perfume shows a romantic image of a gown by Philip Hulitar.

Another Philip Hulitar garment, this voluminous blue satin evening coat was featured in an ad for Trifari jewelry.


The ads that frustrate me, though, are those for Modess feminine products. They featured a new and amazing evening gown every month, but the ads did not give attribution to the designers. Don't you wonder who was the genius that made this gold brocade gown with mink fur cuffs?