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Anne Fogarty Style
When legendary dress designer Anne Fogarty (1919-1980) was a little girl she wanted to dress like a princess. She also liked to experiment with “forbidden” color combinations like pink and red (much to the horror of her Dear Mother). So, is it any wonder than when young Anne grew up, she designed dresses that made women feel like princesses all the time, in nifty fabrics and colors which added some zip to a young lady’s wardrobe? This she did, Dear Reader!
Anne wanted to be an actress, and studied the subject and the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), in her hometown of Pittsburgh. (Honore’s adopted hometown!) After graduation, she went to New York, like so many struggling actors, and paid her way by modeling. (In those days, Dear Reader, modeling wasn’t like it is now…one didn’t have to be a twig, and chic department stores hired models to show beautiful dresses to their customers!) Anne had a curious mind, and while modeling, she learned a great deal about fabric and cut and tailoring – the things that go into making A Great Dress.
Designer Harry Berin, in whose atelier she worked, noticed her interest, and encouraged her to return to school to learn how to draw, as well as offering a practicum in his own studio. What an opportunity! By now, Anne realized that she had found her True Calling, and acting was all but forgotten. (Except for the sense of drama she would later bring to her own designs.)
Anne had a curious mind, and she wanted to sharpen all her skills – anything which might help her in her chosen field. She organized a broad curriculum for herself, and took jobs such as writing copy, and as a stylist for an ad company.
While working for the ad company, Anne was offered a job working for the Youth Guild, a house which designed clothes for teen-agers. She had her own workroom and staff, and soon, her full-skirted ballet-inspired dresses were featured by Harper’s Bazaar. She caught the eye of The-Powers-That-Be at chic department store Lord & Taylor, who asked her to design a juniors line for their store. She soon expanded from dresses, and her name graced everything from lingerie (specifically suited to wear under her dresses, of course – especially neat-o nylon horsehair crinolines that were easy to care for, and which could be folded flat, and still be able to pop back into shape), to hats, to jewelry.
In 1950, peril befell the Youth Guild when its head became ill, and the house was in danger of closing. Anne was offered a position at Margot Dresses, a division of the house of Louis Kallish. Here she continued her juniors line and pretty princess (aka “paper doll”) dresses. Anne felt that full skirts helped a woman to move gracefully because they themselves have movement, “almost a feeling of the dance,” she said.
In 1957 Anne designed a line for Saks Fifth Avenue, and in 1962, opened her own boutique.
Anne didn’t think that her dresses were meant only for the young – nay, if a woman took care of herself, her figure, her carriage, her grooming, her “young” designs would look graceful on women of all ages – truly making her designs fashion classics. Although she is perhaps best remembered for those glorious full skirts, it should be noted that Anne also took an occasional foray into the fitted dress – but she was a woman of extremes – either very full, or very fitted – no room for middle-of-the-road frumpiness!
Anne wasn’t inspired by other designers, but rather, by the things around her – museums; churches; architecture; art; the theatre, people and the way they live – different cultures, for example. (a very EG-ish attitude!) One season, Anne designed a “tea cozy dress,” inspired by Ireland, and another, wrap bodices inspired by Japanese obis.
Although to our jaded post-post modern eyes, Anne’s dresses make look frivolous, she actually had a very practical, sensible outlook – she felt every dress should have a specific purpose. She said, “When I’m gardening, I like to wear clothes that were meant for gardening.” (Advice I think we all should take to heart, Dear Reader! For instance, pajamas were meant to sleep in, not to attend college seminars in!) Further, she didn’t believe in waste: “It’s ridiculous, for example, to own a whole closetful of dresses unless each is useful and useable – unless every dress is one you actually wear.”
Lastly, some words of wisdom from Mrs. Fogarty about her profession which, I think, apply to all of us. More important than any formal training, she thought, is a well-rounded education, an awareness of the world around us, and an appreciation of new sights and experiences.
Chic-ology
(Anne’s Guide to Chic-ness)
CHIC begins with good taste.
CHIC is organization plus inspiration
CHIC is a statement of who you are and what you stand for.
CHIC is a picture of you that says more than a thousand words.
CHIC is bearing – the way you walk and move and sit.
CHIC is the image you convey to others.
CHIC is doing something for clothes rather than expecting them to do something for you.
CHIC is appreciation of fabrics, textures, colors.
CHIC is attention to the smallest detail.
CHIC is selectivity and the understanding that what may be great for someone else is not necessarily for you.
CHIC is not blind acceptance of fashion fad.
CHIC does not depend on money.
CHIC is classical styling with personal embellishments.
CHIC may be looking different from everyone else or looking the same as everyone else.
CHIC is a personal mood.
CHIC is personal identity, immediately distinguishable.
CHIC is a comprehension of clothes, atmosphere, and surroundings.
CHIC is a custom-made look concocted from the assembly line of fashion.
CHIC is Instinct plus Impulse plus Individuality.
Below find a few examples of Fogarty dresses from Honore’s Private Collection (which she wears with pride!)…more to follow as she catalogues and photographs her museum-like collection!
A 1950s example of one of Fogarty's "paper doll" dresses in red faille (a sort of very finely ribbed dressy fabric) Now, you know, Dear Reader, I'm Not At All Fond of Red Dresses, as I think they tend to be A Wee Bit Flashy, but sometimes, one can pull them off, especially at Christmas-time. Note the simplicity, almost severity, of this dress. When wearing a dramatic color, don't get too fussy -- keep it as plain and simple as possible. Shown with a black and white satin wrap and black peau de soie pumps. One of Anne's slinky dresses from the early '60s. Black taffeta is overlaid with black sequins sewn in a diamond pattern on a sheer fabric. Again, less is more. The sequins are decoration enough; I wouldn't wear any jewelry with this dress, as it would not only detract from the sequins, but would be Overly Sparkly. Again, plain peau de soie (a kind of silk) pumps are puuuur-fect! Anne also designed dress patterns, which are not only as affordable way to acquire vintage designer clothes, but also a way tailor them specifically to you! Don't sew? Take them to a seamstress! (More affordable than you might think!) However, be forwarned: while, as a general rule, patterns tend to run larger than off-the-rack clothes, vintage sizes are very different than modern ones. For instance, the shirtwaist dress below is marked a size 14, with measurements of 34-26-36. Anyway, Here are some of my patterns:
Further Reading
Forgarty, Anne. Wife Dressing: The Fine Art of Being a Well Dressed Wife. Julian Messner, Inc.: New York. 1959.
(Published in Great Britain as The Art of Being a Well Dressed Wife)
Don't let the title fool you, Dear Reader! It's really about being a Well-Dressed Anybody!
Williams, Beryl. Young Faces in Fashion. J. B Lippincott Company: Philadelphia. 1956.
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