Hot summer outfit in style of 1959-1960s with real vintage swing dress & straw wide brim hat by “Käthe Hofer”

Autumn has already came in many countries of the world, but not in Spain. For here the daily temperature continues to be above 30 degrees Celsius. Therefore, I continue to show outfits for a hot summer.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything about the "Finett" company that made my dress. The consonance of “Finett” with “Finetti” interferes. 

But I can say that this dress is similar to the dresses of 1959-1960. Its fabric is very interesting. Despite the fact that it is ordinary cotton, the dress holds its shape. 

Also, what appears to be a regular stripe print is actually part of a woven base. And the combination of a thin black stripe on a white background creates an illusion of color and from a distance the dress looks gray.

But if I had no luck in finding information about “Finett”, then things are different with the hat manufacturer “Käthe Hofer”. This hat is similar to the hats of the mid-1930s, 1935 to be exact. 

Probably this hat was made by less known milliner Anmut Eigenart for hat salon “Käthe Hofer” in Austrian town Graz.

I have not been able to find the exact date of foundation of the "Käthe Hofer" company, it is possible that these are the thirties. 

In any case, on page 64 in the business directory (Geschéiftsanzeiger) of the Austrian city of Graz for 1949, “Käthe Hofer” is already mentioned as "Atelier und individuelle Handarbeits- und Modelllluterzeugung Käthe Hofer". 

I found the grave of the milliner Käthe Hofer on a virtual site of the cemetery and found out that she was born in 1909 and died only 10 years ago. That is, she lived 103 years! 

No. 7 of “BIG Stadt Graz” November 2009, page 19, contains two notes dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the milliner Käthe Hofer, which was attended by herself, her daughter Barbara, district head (Bezirksvorsteherin) and the mayor of the city (Bürgermeister).

Based on the article "Modedesign als individueller Weg - der Werdegang eines Designers" (Annelies Pichler, Kleine Zeitung vom 17. 2. 1998), republished on pages 8-9 in "Fachtagung BOKWE 2000 24.-26. Oktober 2000 Graz" for September 2000, at that time there were already three generations of milliners - the founder of Käthe Hofer herself, her daughter Barbara and her granddaughter Katja Tvarijonas (atelier of "modedesignerin" Katja Tvarijonas was situated next door to "Käthe Hofer"). By 2000, Barbara was working at the mothers "Käthe Hofer" hat atelier. 

Moreover, this atelier existed at the same address until December 2015. It was then that the last time a photo with a sign of this studio was published on Instagram. 

Now, unfortunately, it no longer exists. On the site of the old hat salon, at least since 2016, there is a restaurant of Austrian cuisine. Thus, several generations of milliners once studied and trained in this place!

I am wearing:

• Real vintage white with black strips cotton below the knees length swing dress with short sleeves and round neckline by “Finett”, about late 1950s-early 1960s
• (not seen) Cream pure silk slip dress by "Hoss Intropia", 2010s-2020s
• (not seen) Black pure silk petticoat, about 2010s
• (not seen) White cotton petticoat, about 1990s-2010s
• Real vintage light gray straw wide brim hat with voile and black and white silk bow and ribbon décor by “Anmut Eigenart fur K. Hofer”, (Hut-Atelier (Atelier und individuelle Handarbeits und Modelllluterzeugung) “Käthe Hofer”, Sackstrasse 10 A, 8010, Graz (Steiermark)), made in Austria, about mid 1930s
• Black leather belt by “S. Oliver”, about 1990s-2010s
• Gray snakeskin handbag by “YoKaNa”, made in Thailand, about 2000-2020s
• Leather black shoes with mid-high heels, 2010s-2020s, made in Spain

I got an interesting outfit, proving that a monochrome palette (white-black-grey) can also be bright and unusual. 

I didn't know what hat to wear with this 1959-1960s dress. Until finally my choice fell on this gray hat of 1935. 

It may seem wrong to combine a late 1950s dress with a mid 1930s hat. But why not, if they are combined with each other - in color, structure and even style! 

After all, wide-brimmed hats were worn in the 1950s! Therefore, a 1930s-style hat could well have been worn during the decline of the "New Look" style.

What do you think? Write your thoughts in the comments, I would be very interested to hear your opinion!