The excellent History section of Wolsey’s website makes next to no mention of the company having made lingerie and there is no reference at all to any partnership with Vanity Fair. All we know is that a formal link was established between the two companies and, every now and again, one or two lovely pieces come to the surface bearing labels saying Wolsey Vanity Fair. Usually made from Bri-Nylon and that might be significant: Courtaulds, who made Bri-Nylon, acquired Wolsey in 1966. The label looks like it was made by Vanity Fair and, for all we know, the entire garment might have been made in America from British fabric and marketed as British. Someone living in Kimberley, near Nottingham, could tell us. Significant snippets of social history are missing and, as the years pass, we are less and less likely to fill in the gaps. This Bri-Nylon is a soft yellow, and 57 inches from a hanger, all the way down to a picot lace-trimmed hemline that dances up and down because it’s prettily scallop-edged. The 38” bodice is a feast of lovely floral lace, backed by tricot fabric – not the babyfine mesh from which the straps are made. Three inches wide straps of double thickness chiffon with little loops in the ends so they can intertwine with the straps in the back. Made at a time when England was getting into its stride to be the coolest place on earth, this gown was not intended for any of the young trendies . . . more, one suspects, for their mothers. There’s something about the full length being just that little bit fuller, and something about a luxurious sweep of 114 inches, that suggests the lady who wore this would be the sort who only steps out onto the dance floor at her daughter’s wedding, for a twirl to Strangers In The Night. She’d remain firmly in her chair when the Stones or Spencer Davis were played.
Our vintage clothing and nightwear comes to you specially selected from the most respected American manufacturers. Regrettably, we are no longer allowed to tell you who they are (even though most of them ceased trading long ago), while our lords and masters can tell you all about half a dozen mobile phone companies . . . that they don’t sell. Such is life. Unless stated as New with or without tags (NWT or NWOT), all are sold as being in excellent used condition: free of damage, holes, tears and stains, except where specifically stated otherwise.
The Dream Merchants II
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