GownTown Womens Dresses 1950s Vintage Swing Stretchy Dresses with Pockets

My DH and I were invited to a "Mad Men" TV-show-themed birthday party, and after much Amazon research, I selected this excellent GownTown dress for a 50's look (THANKS, prior reviewers!). I was considering making my own costume, but this dress was cheaper to buy than to make, given the cost of patterns ($25-$30) & fabric. Speaking of fabric, this dress has a high % of spandex, ensuring a good stretch in the sleeves, chest and waist. I am 5-2", 118 lbs, and the Small was snug on top but not at all uncomfortable (my arms are NOT thin). The stretchy, snug fit on top keeps the dress from sagging from the weight of the skirt, which would have happened with a larger size. Hidden zipper in the back, side-seam belt loops (dress comes with a self-fabric tie) and the black trim are quality details. As other purchasers have said, I strongly recommend a petticoat underneath to make the skirt full (see photo - Rockabilly tutu style 26" slip). The dress comes folded up in a package; hang it up for a few days to let the creases fall out and then iron very carefully and patiently with a warm - not hot - iron. (The polka-dot pattern helps hide any creases, by the way). I added a tiny veiled hat, and a red belt and red shoes just for fun. Anyway, with this outfit, I won the "best dressed lady" at the Mad Men party - walking away with the prize, a bottle of vodka - in the spirit of "Mad Men" '50s drinkers! Read more

This dress is so well-made! The fabric is heavy and durable, and doesn't wrinkle easily. It runs true to size. I can't recommend it enough! Read more

First, anyone who is picky about button placement should know that this style may or may not have the six buttons lined up with the points of the collar. They were lined up with each other, but slightly off from the collar on mine. Second, the sizes are a problem. My friend, who wears S or XS fits a M; another friend who fits a M needed a L, and me, who usually wears M or L needs an XL. But the fabric is a lovely, stretchy material, like a stretch peachskin in feel, and the dress comes down past the knees nicely, even if you are almost 6 feet tall (though this will depend on build, proportions, etc.). Overall, it's a lovely dress, but if you are longer-waisted or even the type of person who has trouble keeping some tee shirts tucked in, your waist won't exactly line up with the waistline of this dress, which can make a pattern like this problematic, as the buttons create clear expectations of where one's waist and the belt should be. I'd recommend one of the patterns where the buttons go all the way to the bottom of the dress, to where the waistline can be "fudged" a little more in such cases. Read more

Runs a tad bit small, but overall, I have no complaints. I don’t have a better pic of it, but it looks good with a light Pettit coat, but next time, I’d rather have more body to it. Read more

This fabric is high quality and beautiful. It has some stretch to it, unlike some other, stiffer vintage dresses I have tried. I used my steamer on it to get minor wrinkles out from shipping. The fascinator and gloves were both purchased separately from Amazon. I am also wearing a Grace Karin petticoat. The gloves are touchscreen lace gloves. For reference, I am 5'5, 156 lbs, and wear a 34 C bra. I bought a Medium. It fit perfectly. Read more

...First of all, the dress is lovely. I bought the black and polka dot version. The polka dots are not bright white, but slightly grey fyi. Size-wise, this fit me well in the arms, across the bust and shoulders, and I love the flared skirt which hits below my knees (I'm 5' 1" tall. Short?). I chose to wear it without a crinoline underneath and it looks very nice. Unfortunately, the waistline is very high so hits me mid-ribcage. My natural waistline is about three or four inches lower. I tried tying the belt and it just ended up loose and – of course – sitting at my natural waist, which made it look weird, so I am not using the tie. So, I'm glad they didn't include belt loops because I would have to have cut them off. Also, because of how this waistline sits on me, my pockets hit the top of my hips which causes the openings to flare out. The pockets just won't sit flat. Yep, I'm curvy, so I guess on a slim figure they might sit properly, but I hate how they look on me. So...it seems the cut of this dress just doesn't 100% work for my particular configuration which is so so sad because I love everything else about the dress. One last thing...a word of warning. The material they use is very stretchy and thick, which is great because it simultaneously fits well (in all other places than my waist) and hides some flaws. However, 1) it's noisy LOL...but that's fine. Think taffeta rustling. 2) Previous experience with this material tells me it will trap body odor over time, so if you wear this to dance and get very sweaty I think it may cause that odor trap to occur where eventually it may be permanent, no matter how often the dress is cleaned. For the price and overall look I love this dress, and for the most part was happy it fit as well as it did considering I bought it without trying it on. That said, had I tried it on in a dress shop, I likely would not have purchased it because of the waistline and pocket issues. Read more

I must say that I am now so toatally in love with Gown Town. This style is timeless. I love the stretch of the material it makes the dress very comfortable to wear. I have 5 of these dresses and everytime I wear them I get so many compliments. I wear a crinoline petticoat underneath and because I don't like to show my upper arms I top it with a chiffon bolero shrug. I love it! Read more

I am a repeat buyer of this shop because I love their dresses. The first time i ordered one, I was inlove with the dress. The fabric is thick and flexible. Size small fits perfectly! I get a lot of compliments whenever I wear this dress! When you wash, put it with the delicates or better handwash it if you want the dress to last long. Read more