Vintage Teddy Romper

Vintage Bob Mackie dresses are a fashion favorite, and with good reason. The legendary Monterey, California–born fashion designer has accrued an enviable list of awards that speak to his unparalleled influence on costumes for screen and theatrical performances: Mackie has nine Emmy awards to his name, a Tony award, a CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award, three Academy Award nominations and more.

As a child, Bob Mackie was enamored of Portuguese-born Brazilian dancer and actress Carmen Miranda. The love of film shared by his sister and mother proved contagious for Mackie, and he marveled at the richness and beauty he found in ballet. He wasn’t interested in fashion so much as he was in entertainment and went on to fortunately find work in television during the 1960s, specifically in programming that seemed to encompass all of what he’d grown to love about the arts.

As a fashion sketch artist, Mackie collaborated with Hollywood’s greatest costume designers, working with the legendary Edith Head at Paramount Studios as soon as he’d finished school. From there, he secured work with French-born, Hollywood costume designer Jean Louis, sketching the iconic Louis dress worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” to John F. Kennedy in 1962.

Mackie would spend most of his career as a costume designer, creating iconic pieces like the Gone With the Wind parody costume (currently in the Smithsonian) for The Carol Burnett Show — where he worked for more than a decade — and campy, opulent dresses for The Cher Show on Broadway, for which he won the Tony award (he also designed bedazzled stage costumes for Sonny and Cher's 1976–77 run at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe). But he had a considerable influence on mainstream fashion as well.

The figure-hugging, feathered and fringed gowns and cocktail dresses Mackie created were worn by stars like Cher and Diana Ross on the red carpet and concert tours. Similar designs of his — dazzling evening dresses of black or vibrant red silk, some beaded with rhinestones or embellished with ostrich feathers or navy blue sequins — made their way into his mainstream fashion collection. His ready-to-wear line debuted in 1982.

Bob Mackie has always said that his clothing was “for the woman who is not afraid to be noticed,” and any woman in one of his signature dresses would definitely turn heads. There is sparkle and an element of grandeur in his garments, whether they were crafted for singer Elton John, a universally renowned fashion icon in his own right, or the woman next door, donning one of Mackie’s spectacular creations and feeling like a movie star herself.

Shop vintage Bob Mackie day dresses, suits and more on 1stDibs.

As the most intimate layer of clothing, lingerie has evolved over time from an object of modesty to one of sensuality. Some vintage and designer lingerie includes garments and accessories that are hard, such as corsets and structured bras, while other items are soft to the touch, including nightgowns and slips.

In the 18th century, European women commonly wore whalebone corsets to create the look of an hourglass figure. Corsets were a standard part of women’s fashion into the 19th century. In 1914, Caresse Crosby filed a patent for the first modern bra, made by sewing two handkerchiefs together with ribbon ties. By the 1920s, the corset fell out of fashion in North America and Europe, and loose silhouettes and silky slips became mainstream.

As fashion returned to feminine forms in the 1930s, so did lingerie, with girdles and minimal bras. During World War II, bras were adapted to the rationing of materials like nylon and metal. In the postwar era, women had more lingerie choices than ever before, with inventions including the strapless bra.

In the 1950s, lingerie became more glamorous, matching the trends led by legendary French couturier Christian Dior and his “New Look,” a collection that introduced a new feminine silhouette of extravagant elegance upon its postwar debut. Just as the evolution of women’s swimwear over time reflected changing aesthetic taste as well as social upheaval, shifts in the design of lingerie owed to changing perspectives toward sex and style trends. Mid-century pinup models like Bettie Page transformed the undergarments market forever with a new desire for sexy lingerie. It would lead to the founding of Victoria’s Secret by Roy and Gaye Raymond in 1977.

In the late 1980s, performers like Madonna and Selena wore bustiers as outerwear, a trend that continued through the 1990s and early 2000s. With the broadcasting of the Victoria's Secret fashion show beginning in 1995, everyday style also changed. Lingerie was no longer expected to be hidden away.

On 1stDibs, find a range of alluring vintage and designer lingerie, including black bodysuits, black bralettes, corsets and more by designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Azzedine Alaïa and Versace.