June goes dancing
I made this dress in 1949 for the Nottingham Arts Ball. The year before I had to borrow a dress — a horrid green bridesmaid dress. My red sandals were painted red by my dad — a tack was sticking out and laddered my stockings! No one asked me to dance and I had a lousy time! But the year after when I wore this pink dress (I had just enough money to buy some material by then) I had a great evening. I had a partner for every dance and one of them became my boyfriend for about six months. he was in the air force and his home was in Glasgow. He was a heavy drinker and only wanted one thing (which he didn’t get!) so I was not unhappy to end the relationship
Young June in her home-made ballet dress
Evening-dress 1949 June Armstrong design!
1949 Outfit by June Armstrong — Awakening Love
Awakening Love – June Armstrong nightdress design 1949
Thinking of getting a trailer video for Awakening Love. I found some designs I did in 1949 — exactly right (to the year) for my book. I found an old photo about right for June (lead character) and tried my hand at sketching June in her home-made ballet dress (witnessing her trying it on sparks off Arthur’s desire for her).
These designs were done on black paper with a fine brush and paint. In those days it was the fashion to have a nippy waist (my waist refused to be nippy!) This dress is the one I made for myself.
Dressing gown
Slip
The whole trilogy — Awakening Love,
Seduction, and Checkmate —
now to be published by Turquoise Morning Press
Tags: 1949 Britain, 1949 dress design sketches, Arts Ball, authentic setting, Awakening Love, Dior influence, Factory life 1949, fashion 1949, Gladys Hobson, Nottingham setting, post-war Britain, working class family 1948
Wrinkly Writers 
March 21, 2009 at 8:10 pm |
You were a bombshell Gladys! Little wonder you had a partner for every dance at the Nottingham Arts Ball.
March 31, 2009 at 1:58 pm |
1949! So you are an experienced person… Experienced that anyone whom I can see right now… Glad to be at your place…
So how about telling your days as a child to me(or may be ‘us’) when world war was ON. I’m very interested to know about those things but even before I developed this intereset my Grandparents died. So.. Will you.. Sir…
Okay no probs if you are not interested 🙂 see you
Freddie
April 19, 2009 at 9:19 pm |
I have started a new web site devoted to talking about my youth and answering questions posed about life in wartime Britain and afterwards. It is called:
Ask Gran Hobson
http://askgranhobson.blogspot.com
April 20, 2009 at 9:04 pm |
Hi Gladys (I had a childhood friend with your name… Nice name), Thanks first of all… 🙂
Like mentioned in my last comment I’m very much intrested on what you will be writting in your new blog. YOu can count on me. I will be one among your repeated readers. So glad…
But unfortunately the time that I get to access the internet is very limited… 😦 But still I would be looking forward for your “Ask Gran Hobson” Blog… I also promise that I would promote your blog in which ever way possible if I find it interesting… Good Luck… See you at “Ask Gran Hobson”
January 4, 2011 at 9:55 am |
[…] 1949 fashion and sketches for Awakening Love trailer video — maybe! February 2009 4 comments and 1 Like on WordPress.com, 3 […]
December 13, 2012 at 2:12 am |
Hi Gladys
In my parents’ wedding photo, in Melbourne Australia , 1949, the bridesmaid was wearing a short veil and carrying a larger bouquet than Mum. Would they have been fashion trends or just individual quirks, do you think?
Thanks for your time (and your lovely blog)
Carmel
HCMC , Vietnam
December 13, 2012 at 9:56 am |
Carmel: I have no idea what fashion was (and is) like in Australia. In your parents case it could be a matter of choice. I married in 1953. I had a large trailing bouquet of white flowers, the bridesmaids had posies of bright anemones. They had yellow dresses, I had pale yellow, overlaid with white lace. (I wore a long veil). Maybe the short veils of your mother’s bridesmaids was a notional covering if it was a church wedding. Some people are more particular about these things than others.