1949 fashion sketches for Awakening Love

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