Gunne sax dresses

Hi, my name is Emily, and I am addicted to Gunne Sax dresses.

To those who know the ways of thrift, Gunne Sax is most likely a household name. Some sellers dedicate their entire livelihoods picking these specific pieces, and finding one in a donation bin is nigh impossible these days because of it. But why? What about these dresses has gained so much notoriety? How have they remained in popular culture for so long, and what makes a Gunne Sax dress quintessentially Gunne Sax?

Gunne sax dresses

In preparation for writing this piece, my mom mailed me those two dresses. I assumed my since-honed pop culture analysis skills would allow me some critical distance from the pieces. But as I unboxed them, I felt the same immense joy I remember as a kid. Both are classic Gunne Sax style: floral prints trimmed in lace and ribbon, empire waists, shoelace ties at the bust. One however, represents the more medieval, Renaissance fantasy style, pastel blue and airy with sheer puffy sleeves and A-line skirt. The other is very much the prairie aesthetic, all burnt orange and dark blue, with thick straps and a dense, heavy skirt that reaches the floor — certainly a fall look. Of course, with the cottagecore trend at its height in a stressful, post world , I could wear these dresses to an event without them standing out much at all. I would never have dared as a teenager — to me, these were costumes, not fashion. So as I looked at these beautiful pieces that today, which I can also see on the runway and in my Instagram feed, I began to think back on the complex ways that my biography fits into larger social trends, and how that kind of introspection somewhat challenges common sense ideas about how nostalgia works in fashion revivals. While Cottagecore seems like a harkening to a simple past, where the separation of spheres reigned supreme, there is more than unfettered heteronormativity in the way it uses fashion as a form of play. There is value, even political potential, in the role of fantasy within a cultural revival, something I realized as I reflected on my own relationship with my coveted Gunne Sax dresses. I have a vivid although possibly warped memory of watching a VHS copy of the Camelot from my local childhood library. This memory planted the idea that in the late 60s and 70s, Renaissance-style garb was in fashion and that everyday women wore it. As an adolescent, Gunne Sax became my idealized version of that desire to play dress up and be fashionable at the same time.

All Fabric Samples. We host the Annual Gunne Sax Party every spring! But slowly, the look has become coveted yet again.

The name "Gunne Sax" was associated with the label's roots in prairie, Victorian, and Edwardian-styled designs which drew on many elements popular in lateth and earlyth-century American fashion such as lace , gingham , and calico. Gunne Sax also manufactured renaissance - and medieval -inspired designs, with empire waistlines and center plackets , and used other historical costume elements such as corset -like laced bodices and puffed sleeves that tightened below the elbow, a style popular throughout the s and s known as "leg o'mutton. From the s onward, Gunne Sax dresses tended to follow modern prom dress sensibilities, such as tight, strapless bodices and full skirts , favoring fabrics like satin , taffeta , and tulle. In taffeta was the number one seller paired with matte satin or brocade corsets, with an addition of skirts made in tulle or dotted swiss. In , online retailer ModCloth released a limited collection of Gunne Sax clothing. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk.

Gunne Sax's aesthetic has been described as feminine, nostalgic, Victorian, old world and romantic. Though the brand is now closely associated with formal and bridal wear, its origins date back to late '60s San Francisco. In , San Francisco boutique Gunne Sax needed a house designer. Enter Jessica McClintock, an elementary school teacher with a life-long interest in fashion. When a friend told McClintock of the opening at Gunne Sax, she applied immediately. In a testament to the freewheeling spirit of s San Francisco, McClintock was hired despite her lack of formal training in fashion design or clothing manufacture. In the beginning, McClintock designed small collections of about 20 garments. Within a few months the San Francisco department store I. Magnin started retailing Gunne Sax dresses.

Gunne sax dresses

And how. Victoriana has been making the rounds of late. When office colleagues talk of Gunnes, they speak of graduations and weddings and proms. In the Gunne Sax label became a junior line and the designer cornered the occasion-dress market under her own name, Jessica McClintock, building an empire worth many tens of millions of dollars.

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Come back when you're older. Toggle limited content width. The thing is — fashion is fantasy, and fantasy is at its core about having fun, at least to some degree. For teenaged me, the Gunne Sax dresses had to exist as fantasy — they leaned too heavily into this grey area. These dresses were about completely fabricated fantasy, the imaginative worlds of King Arthur, Renn Faires, and faeries. During the peak time of our orders, rush fee could be charge. Your cart is currently empty. Fantasy Dress. Feature Product Picked For You. In , online retailer ModCloth released a limited collection of Gunne Sax clothing.

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Please refer to the check-out page or contact us to check the rate for DHL shipping. One day over lunch together between the two of them, the idea for Gunne Sax was born. During the peak time of our orders, rush fee could be charge. Famously , Hillary Clinton wore an ornate Victorian style white Gunne Sax dress to her wedding in Do you ship internationally? Big sleeves were still very much a thing, but they became less poofy and overstated. This meant missing out on dressing exactly how I wanted for years. All Fabric Samples. As Elaine holds a mock Renn Faire-inspired wedding with her lover, so, too, was my play with the Gunne Sax dresses. Big sleeves, big hair, and big skirts were all the rage. Tools Tools.