Here at Fabric World we have been experiencing a huge surge in enquiries regarding our vintage Dress Fabrics as bloggers and dressmakers up and down the country prepare to take part in the vintage sew along. Hosted by McCalls Pattern Company, this one of a kind charity event is open to everyone and will run until October. Dressmakers all over the UK are invited to choose their favourite fashion era from the 1930s to 1960s and sew one of the exclusive patterns from the inspiration vintage edit; featuring twenty vintage sewing patterns including dresses, tops and skirts you will be spoilt for choice! The 1950s is without fail, the most popular era with customers shopping for vintage Dress Fabrics and with very good reason! The 1950s was an important era for fashion; this was the decade that saw Jacqueline Bouvier marry presidential candidate John F Kennedy and become one of the world's most enduring fashion icons. The hardships of war were fading in peoples memories and rationing was coming to an end - as a result fashion become much more frivolous and fun than it had been during the preceding war years. However, times were still hard for many and money was scarce so handmade clothing remained the norm, it would be many years before the mass produced items of modern fashion became readily available. In previous years, women had been restricted to a more conservative style of dress and as a result, the era of rock and roll saw fashion conscious women ready to have fun with poodle skirts, pedal pushers and pattered Dress Fabrics. During the 1950s good grooming was of the utmost importance to young ladies and women's fashion was feminine and elegant; as a result this is an era of fashion which still exerts huge influence over many modern fashion conscious women. Not only do we carry a selection of Dress Fabrics ideal for recreating these classic looks, we also stock a variety of vintage reproduction butterick and vogue patterns to ensure a truly authentic piece. Having selected a pattern, many customers may become overwhelmed with the huge choices of Dress Fabrics on offer. Here are top recommendations if the 1950s is your chosen era: [caption id="attachment_3952" align="alignleft" width="86"]polka Polka dot Dress Fabrics are a staple of authentic 1950s fashion.[/caption] Cotton Spandex - benefitting from a small addition of spandex, these beautiful quality Dress Fabrics are the ideal weight for creating the definitive 1950s circle dress. The slight stretch makes this the perfect choice for form fitting clothing and is available to purchase in a wide range of plains and prints. Polka Dots - always one of the most popular Dress Fabrics for 1950s style dresses, polka dots are the epitome of fifties feminine elegance. Our 22mm polka dot 100% cotton sateen Dress Fabric is a great choice for handmade items  such as a swing dress (also known as a circle dress) or circle skirt and are perfect for an authentic retro look. Gingham - fresh and feminine, gingham is perfect for recreating elegant tea dresses perfect for lunching and shopping trips. We carry a selection of gingham Dress Fabrics in several different sizes of Gingham, including 1/8”, ¼” and even 1”.