Terminology Tuesday #13 Quirky and curious fashion terms: the flying saucer dress

So…. I have been missing haven’t I? mmm sorry! It’s a little crazy, busy learning lots of new things about blogging. Having a great time doing the course but I am finding it a challenge to keep up with everything. If I’m still erratic in the next couple of weeks, please forgive me. I will get back to normal.

But for now…

It’s Terminology Tuesday again and this week in the spotlight is…

“the flying saucer dress”

I love this one. I remember those heady days when Issey Miyake was sooooo poplular. Women everywhere were walking around in crinkled polyester. I both coveted and recoiled in horror. The idea of so much polyester in sweaty Sydney made me overheat just thinking about it. I do remember walking through Double Bay one day and counting the Issey Miyake / another Japanese designer / rip off Japanese designer outfits! Though those were predominantly all black, there were so many I lost count!

Issey Miyake “Flying Saucer Dress” Spring 1994 photo source: http://collections.lacma.org/node/212513

Issey Miyake Spring 1994 “Flying Saucer Dress”. Arm detail photo source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/glasser/2735677442/

Whilst it looks kinda crazy now, you have to love the ingenuity and creativity that goes into putting something like this together…. and selling it  to us all!

“This dress was introduced by Issey Miyake in the Spring of 1994. Rectangular strips of polyester fabric in an array of colours are stitched together to create horizontally striped yardage. This yardage is gathered, folded, and heat set. The pleated fabric is then stitched into three tubes, one for the body and two for the sleeves, to create dress that looks like a flying saucer”

definition from:

The Fairchilds Books Dictionairy of Fashion by Phyllis G Tortora and Sandra J Keiser

This 1″ diameter pinback was sold along with information for the Amalgamated Flying Saucer Club of America in the 1960’s. photo source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/34917706@N07/5422898686/

Flying Saucer from THE INVADERS photo source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/klaatucarpenter/12516910793/

Happy Tuesday

Bella

To read more Terminology Tuesday posts click on the Culture tag in the “Let’s Talk” cloud top right of the home page.

OR click here to read my previous post.

* Bibliography: The Fairchild Books Dictionary of Fashion 4th Edition by Phyllis G. and Sandra J. Keiser