Vintage Milestones: Emma Domb, Alfred Shaheen, and FUZZY SWEATERS

Emma Domb Dress Label
Emma Domb Dress label.

I’m at this really transitional point, bodywise. I’ve been too small for most dedicated plus lines for years, and yet, I’m only just now finding awesome designer vintage that really fits me ( at 42-32-48″). Luckily, I managed to find two beautiful late ’50s/early ’60s designer pieces that fit me perfectly!

First is a gorgeous coral lace Emma Domb gown, vintage size 16. It’s floor-length with a crossover bodice.

Most people are familiar with Emma Domb’s famous mid century prom dresses and elegant evening wear, but I was a little surprised to learn that the Domb label came out of San Francisco, which essentially makes this dress local to me!

Emma Domb Dress
Emma Domb dress.

Next is pretty much my holy grail: an Alfred Shaheen sundress in perfect condition…IN MY SIZE.

Alfred Shaheen Dress
Alfred Shaheen dress. Photo by MTVintageClothing.

I’ve always admired Shaheen’s Asian- and Polynesian-inspired fabrics and mid century “Aloha” style fashions, but could never find any of the cute pre-mid ’60s stuff to fit me.

This one’s pretty much my dream dress, from the turquoise and silver print to the twisty draped bodice and the full-skirted styling. Apparently, another dress in this exact style (different fabric) appeared in the big Alfred Shaheen exhibit at the Arab-American National Museum in Michigan a few years ago.

The dressform photo comes from the seller, MTVintageclothing. You can see me wearing the dress in the picture below.

I’ll wrap up with a cute pink vintage sweater, hand-knitted out of what looks like mohair. I’ve been looking for just the right fluffy ’60s cardigan for a while now, but it wasn’t until I walked into Fringe in Sacramento that I found exactly the right one! On the same visit, I picked up a cropped, beaded Hong Kong cardigan with a unique scalloped waist detail. It was missing some buttons, but it’s a problem easily solved. The owner knocked a few dollars of the price for the trouble. Sweet!

Alfred Shaheen Dress
Alfred Shaheen dress!
Pink Vintage Sweater
Pink vintage sweater.
Vintage Beaded Sweater
Hong Kong vintage beaded cardigan.

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