Jonathan Logan Dress - 1949

Jonathan Logan designer Dorris Varnum  used rayon taffeta with black velvet flocked dots for this dress in 1949.  Available in tropic blue, vibrant red and jewel green.  Sold for $12.95 in 1949 (about $123 in today's dollar.)

Vintage Cotton Dresses for Summer - 1955

I really enjoy these several page advertising spreads that feature various companies working together to share the costs.  In these 6 pages, Macy's joined with Life Savers candy to present sweet cotton dresses that were "life savers" for summer.  Macy's even worked with these manufacturers to produce the dresses in colors that matched the candy.  What a great gimmick!






Carol Craig drop-waisted dress with a double row of buttons at the front.  Came in Life Savers lime, pineapple, orange,  and wild cherry as well as pink, lilac, black, and gray.  Sold in 1955 for $17.95 (about $148.00 in today's dollar.)

Patricia Fair drop-waisted dress with pintucks and bows.  Came in Life Savers lime, wild cherry and pineapple, as well as black and turquoise.  Sold in 1955 for $17.95 (about $148.00 in today's dollar.)

 Jonathan Logan bateau neck blouse paired with a matching skirt.  Came in Life Savers lime, pineapple and wild cherry as well as black and lilac.  Sold in 1955 for $10.90 (about $90.00 in today's dollar.)

 Henry Rosenfeld puff sleeved blouse paired with a full skirt that has a removable bib top.  Came in Life Savers lime and wild cherry as well as lilac, turquoise, and black.  Sold in 1955 for $10.90 (about $90.00 in today's dollar.)

Jo White sleeveless dress with matching bolero jacket.  Came in Life Savers wild cherry, pineapple, and lime as well as periwinkle blue.  Sold in 1955 for $10.95 (about $90.00 in today's dollar.)

Macy's brand permanent pleated cotton tiered dress.  Came in Life Savers pineapple as well as blue, lilac, black, and pink.  Sold in 1955 for $25.00 (about $206.00 in today's dollar.)

All this talk of Life Savers brings me back to my childhood when a roll cost a nickle and I could make that roll last all week. I remember the shock when they went up to a dime.  My favorite flavor was butterscotch.  What was yours?

Jonathan Logan Dresses - 1955

I've talked about my love of Jonathan Logan dresses in the past. While perusing an August issue of a 1955 fashion magazine geared toward younger women, I found page after page of ads for Jonathan Logan dresses. Each ad was paired with a regional department store, like Goldsmiths, Best Apparel, and Woodward & Lothrop, and included a coupon for ordering the dress. That way, the manufacturer and the department store shared the cost of the ad, and Jonathan Logan dresses got a lot of notice. Smart man, that David Schwartz.

The "Starlight" sleeveless dress came with a matching bolero jacket in blue, pink, or purple faille. Sold for $19.95 in 1955 (about $164 in today's dollar).

Soft corduroy full skirted dress came with a removable dickey at the neckline so the dress could go from day to date with ease. Sold for $14.95 in 1955 (about $123 in today's dollar).

Velveteen dreams in full skirted or slim silhouettes. Full skirt dress came in blue, purple, or black. Slim dress came in purple, red, or black. Sold for $22.95 and $14.95 in 1955 (about $189 and $123 in today's dollar).

Mix-and-match separates that were dyed to match. Wool flannel skirts were matched with a wool jersey top or a cotton puff sleeved blouse. All 4 pieces came in blue, red, or green. Prices ranged from $3.98 to $8.98 in 1955 (about $33 to $74 in today's dollar).

Black wool flannel fashions a polo collar dress with elastic waist or a sleeveless dress that could be worn with a blouse for daytime. Sold for $17.98 and $19.98 in 1955 (about $148 and $164 in today's dollar).

Nubby wool tweed full skirted dress is accented with soft angora at the collar and cuffs. Available in lilac, royal, or gray. Sold for $25.00 in 1955 (about $205 in today's dollar).

Wool check slim cut dress came with a matching boxy jacket in brown, gray, or turquoise. Set sold for $25.00 in 1955 (about $205 in today's dollar).

Mix-and match-separates in corduroy with a black wool jersey blouse. The separate pieces included a full skirt, slim skirt, boxy jacket, and pants. Prices ranged from $5.98 to $8.98 in 1955 (about $50 to $74 in today's dollar).

Don't you love Jonathan Logan too?

All photos from advertisements in a 1955 magazine.

Jonathan Logan

I am always pleased when I find a 1950s dress with the Jonathan Logan label, because I know that denotes a dress that is well made and has stood the test of time. Jonathan Logan dresses are always stylish and, many times, just down-right adorable. It's no wonder they are so popular with my customers!

Founded in 1944 by David Schwartz in New York's Garment District, by 1962, the company's sales had reached $80 million. Schwartz managed that by going against the norm in the garment industry. He employed 60 salesmen who were on the road, visiting stores to take orders and reporting on styles that were selling well. In this way, the company was able to react quickly and pull slow-sellers from the line, while stepping up production on styles that were hot.

Schwartz insisted on staying in the Junior market because, though only 20% of the country's women wore Junior sizes, those women bought 35% of all clothes.

In 1962, the company had 28 manufacturing plants all over the U.S., with a centralized distribution center in New Jersey. It was one of the first to use a Univac computer to sort orders. And it owned a C46 transport aircraft to fly fabrics and finished goods between the manufacturing plants and the distribution center.

Schwartz also owned the Butte Knit, Youth Guild, and Junior Accent labels, and began the Bleeker Street line in 1966 to appeal to the Mod generation.

Please note: Biographical information about Jonathan Logan is copyright of Couture Allure and may not be copied without permission.

1958 Jonathan Logan Dress

Here is another ad from the October 1958 Seventeen magazine. What girl wouldn't want to wear this to all her holiday dances and parties? Jonathan Logan is a favorite label of mine. I find his dresses quite frequently, which leads me to believe that his dresses were considered special enough to save for years.

The ad copy says, "Pure enchantment...in pure silk faille. The demure back-buttoned jacket hides a decolletee dress that swoops out prettily from a tiny waist. Green, blue, black, red. $29.95" The ad also states that the dress was available at Lord & Taylor, so you know this was a high quality label in the 50's. $29.95 in 1958 equates to about $225 today.

The model is wearing a matching bandeaux hat with a green bow on the top of the head. The dress has a matching sash type belt with a large round fabric covered buckle. The waist length bolero jacket has a V notch at the front hem and a Peter Pan collar. It buttons up the back. The model is wearing black patent kitten heels in the original photo. And I'm sure there is a stiff crinoline under that dress, although it is not overly full so the pleats hold their shape.

I think I've sold this dress in black before. I wish I could find it again. But you can get the look with this emerald green party dress available at www.coutureallure.com.