PatternVault

Speaking of aspirational marketing, I wanted to share this early ’60s, Mad Men-era ad for Singer’s Slant-O-Matic sewing machines and Singer Sewing Centers:

The ad shows a model (Dovima?) in full evening dress, complete with long gloves and glittering parure; she leans on a monumental Singer Slant-O-Matic sewing machine, a length of her gown’s green fabric rippling underneath.

According to the ad copy, zig-zag sewing is an exciting, time-saving innovation that helps you sew drapes, mend Johnny’s shirts, and choose complicated designer sewing patterns without a second thought. The eveningwear design is a Vogue Paris Original by Nina Ricci, Vogue 1499.

I love how the ad plays with scale while juxtaposing mid-century high glamour with the latest sewing technology. The other ads I’ve seen from this series promote formal sewing for the winter holidays, but this one is from the June/July Vogue Pattern Book.

Tagged: 1960s, advertising, Mad Men era, Nina Ricci, sewing, vintage, Vogue Patterns

§ One Response to Zig-Zag Glamour

• Slant-O-Matic for the Holidays « PatternVault says:

  December 27, 2012 at 9:32 pm

  [...] the other ads in the series (see my earlier post here), the ad plays with scale while serving up some mid-century aspirational marketing. The copy [...]

  Reply