Catherine Ogust and The Forever Dress

 Like many vintage dealers, I've always assumed these iconic printed dresses by Catherine Ogust for Penthouse Gallery were from the 1970s.  The wild prints and colors, the classic shirtdress styling, the length, and the lack of shoulder pads:  they all appear appropriate for the 70s.  And like many vintage dealers, I've never been able to find out anything about Catherine Ogust.......until today.

I was thumbing through a La Shack mail order catalog from 1985 and found this 2 page spread for Catherine Ogust dresses.  I have sold dresses in the past in most of these prints, and I've sold them all as 70s.  But the catalog description calls this "The Forever Dress", a name trademarked by Penthouse Gallery, Inc. in 1984.  Hmmmmmm, time to dig deeper.  Here's what I found.

As early as 1965, Penthouse Gallery offered the "Burma Shirt" which was sold as a nightgown or a beach topper.  It had all the hallmarks of the Ogust dresses: mandarin collar, knot buttons, and sleeves that could be worn cuffed or not.  It was shorter than the dresses to come, though, and was only available in solid colors.

By 1975, artist Catherine Ogust was designing prints for Penthouse Gallery.  Here, the "Burma" is being sold as an "at home" lounging dress or pool cover-up.

 Penthouse Gallery also sold other styles of leisure and loungewear.  This convertible dress/skirt is from 1975.

 And this acrylic sweater and print skirt are from 1979.

It wasn't until 1985, though, that Penthouse Gallery changed the name of the style to "The Forever Dress", a name that appropriately describes a dress that can be worn forever, and a classic style that the company had been making for at least 20 years.

It's interesting to note that the price of the Ogust print dresses rises from $36.00 in 1975 to $72.00 in 1985 and to $85.00 in 1989.  But when you factor in inflation, all three prices equal about $150.00 in today's dollar.

Bergdorf Goodman Catalog - Fall 1985 #2

Yesterday, I showed you some business and dressy looks from Bergdorf Goodman's Fall 1985 catalog. Today, casual pieces from the same catalog. Would you wear any of these looks today?

Left: Ralph Lauren gold metallic lurex and wool knit hooded sweatshirt and sweat pants. Pearl choker with detachable pin by Ralph Lauren for Miriam Haskell.
Right: Cathy Hardwick purple wool jersey cropped jacket and high-waisted stirrup pants.


Left: Cilantro by Roberta Frayman Peruvian wool/mohair oversized coat in purple and black. ♥
Right: Cuddlecoat teal 3/4 coat worn over Bergdorf private label black turtleneck and skinny pants, both in wool jersey.

Left: Escada paisley pullover sweater over a silk blouse and wool flannel pants.
Right: Oversized English wool sweater worn over suede pants.

Left: Ilie Wacs tartan wool plaid coat.
Right: Abe Schrader red wool trench coat with a full skirt.


Left: Rebecca Moses ribbed lambswool layers in white. Cardigan with attached scarf, crewneck sweater, and skirt.
Right: Kikit by Maurice Sasson oversized ribbed cotton sweaters over ankle-buttons tapered jeans.

All photos by Paul Lange for Bergdorf Goodman.

Bergdorf Goodman Catalog - Fall 1985

I came across this mail order catalog from Bergdorf Goodman when cleaning my office the other day. While I could do without the big shoulders, I love all of these looks, which say "classic and elegant" to me. Let's look ahead to fall, shall we?

Left: Donna Karan black wool jersey sweatercoat worn over her black jersey bodysuit, white silk faille blouse, and black tube skirt. Hat, hat pin, and earrings also by Donna Karan.
Right: Calvin Klein cashmere chesterfield coat with velvet collar worn over his black wool jersey turtleneck and pants. Black alligator belt by Barry Kieselstein-Cord.

Left: Louis Dell'Olio for Anne Knein handknit black wool sweater over a wool broadcloth skirt.
Right: Mary Ann Restivo navy wool crepe jumpsuit.

Left: Castleberry Knits 3 piece suit. Pearl and charm 48" necklace by Richard Serbin.
Right: Maglia navy suede wrap jacket worn over Barry Bricken gray flannel pants.

Left: Paul Levy black wool melton coat with sheared beaver fur collar.
Right: Searle white wool fleece coat.

Left: Victor Costa black velvet sheath dress with black Norwegian fox fur at the hip. ♥
Right: Saint Romei black silk jacquard cocktail dress with back drape.

Tomorrow I'll share some more casual looks from the same catalog.

All photos by Paul Lange for Bergdorf Goodman.