1970s Ultrasuede Ensemble

Description

Tan Ultrasuede skirt and vest. Blue and tan polyester blouse. All items hand sewn by donor. Skirt and vest: Vogue patterns. Blouse: Butterick Pattern Ultrasuede skirt is wrap-style with A-line, set on waist band with front wrap and button closure. Vest has princess seams and three button center front closure. Garment is made using flat-construction techniques in which the Ultrasuede is overlapped at the seams and top-stitched in place. Hem is faced and top-stitched to finish. Special techniques used throughout are designed for use with Ultrasuede fabric. Garment made in 1976. Blouse is polyester with stand collar with long ties extending at center front to form bow. Yoke at shoulders with soft gathers eased to yoke at front. Center back zipper approximately 7 long with floating snap closure at neck. Long set-in sleeves with 2" cuffs and self fabric covered buttons. French seams used in blouse side seams.

Source

HCT.2009.12.3

Date

1976

Provenance

This ensemble was sewn and worn by Dr. Joyce Smith. Dr. Smith was born in New Jersey in 1944. She received her BS in Home Economics Education from the University of Vermont in 1966, her MS in Textiles and Clothing from Iowa State University in 1971 and her PhD in Extension Education from the Ohio State University in 1992. She worked as an Extension Apparel and Clothing Specialist/Assistant Professor for OSU from 1978-2002. While Joyce was working as a county extension home economist in Onondaga County (Syracuse), New York in 1976, Ultrasuede was starting to enter the scene in high-end ready-to-wear garments. A local department store with a home sewing department, as was often customary at the time, approached Joyce to present several session, in-store, on Sewing with Ultrasuede. They gave Joyce a yard and a half of fabric to experiment with and make up a skirt to wear during the presentations. The fabric cost $35/yard and Joyce had enough fabric to make several cards of sample techniques, a wrap skirt and a vest.