Zig-Zag Glamour

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:

1960s Singer Sewing Centers ad showing a woman in evening wear leaning on a giant Singer Slant-O-Matic sewing machine
What is zig-zag sewing? Singer Sewing Centers advertisement, 1961.

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 evening wear 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.

Singer 1961 detail
Vogue 1499 by Nina Ricci. Detail, Singer Sewing Centers ad, 1961.

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