Burda Style For people who sew

Hello! I’m going to sew clothes suitable for a (not completely formal) business woman in 1968-1969. Problem is, I’m a few decades too young to have lived through that. Of course I have been looking at photos and old patterns and trying to put my mind to it, but I’d very much appreciate your thoughts on the matter, born in the “right time” or not… :)

I was thinking of maybe making a suit like this one and wear it with heels, or a shift dress like this one (only colourful) and wear it with white boots.

What do you think, would that work for the era? If not, what are your suggestions on a suitable silhuette? Thank you!

Oct 22, 2012, 05.00 PM by Emma Matilda

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  Oct 22, 2012, 05.10 PMby Emma Matilda

  Or maybe this one but a bit shorter and with boots… argh, this is hard. So many pretty Burda-pieces to choose from, and yet I don’t know if I pick the “right” ones.
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  Oct 22, 2012, 06.25 PMby katexxxxxx

  The Channel type suit. Not the dresses. In the late 60’s any woman who wanted to be taken seriously in a professional workplace, such as a legal secretary or doctor, for example, would wear a suit.

  Anywhere a man would wear a suit, so would a woman. Someone like a secretary working in the offices of a professional person would get away with a suit-like skirt, blouse, and classic cardigan or ‘twinset and pearls’ type outfit.

  For work in such an environment, skirts would be just above the knee. Even at the height of the Twiggy era, no professional woman would wear a skirt more than 2" above the mid knee for work. Miniskirts were ‘going out’ clothing unless you worked in a MUCH more casual environment.

  The dresses are pretty, but much more suited to working in a fashionable boutique rather than in a professional capacity.

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    Oct 22, 2012, 07.30 PMby Emma Matilda

    Wow! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for such a detailed answer! :’) I take it suits like these ones might work then? Boxy suit jacket and straight skirt to the knees worn with a pair of discreete black heels. It does look elegant and expensive.

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  Oct 22, 2012, 11.51 PMby katexxxxxx

  Yes. Make it in something like a navy boucle wool, or a simple clerical grey. For work the pretty pink wool of this suit wouldn’t be right: http://logandegroff.com/bctreasuretrove/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Vintage-1960s-2-PcLinen-and-Wool-Sleeveless-Dress-with-Matching-Jacket-M.jpg

  Aim for this sort of thing:

  http://www.vam.ac.uk/users/sites/default/files/album_images/t104_1976_jacket.jpg?0

  http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38918000/jpg/_38918877_october-1962-203-300.jpg

  http://www.rubylane.com/item/147152-SU-004/Vintage-1960s-Black-Cropped-Jacket