Let’s delve into the 1940’s with more fashions from The Australian Women’s Weekly.

A bolero jacket over a fresh gingham play suit.  January 1940

March 1940.  Not sure about those hats!

December 1941

Business girls?  The “perfect secretary”,  a receptionist,  and a “lass” from a “frock shop”.  March 1943

October 1946

Winter 1947

May 1949

No,  I think there’s more than enough buttons already without adding the “wristlet”.
June 1949

I’m very pleased with my latest acquisition.  It is a set of pre-WW2 Czech glass,  hand-painted buttons sewn onto a card for the Myer Emporium Limited.  Presumably Myer imported the buttons and had them sewn onto its branded cards locally.

Russian brothers,  Sidney and Elcon Myer,  started their department store empire with a single store in Bendigo in 1900,  expanding to Melbourne in 1911.   In 1928 they opened an Adelaide store,  and these particular buttons came from South Australia.

Published in the News (Adelaide) 29th Sep 1953

And now, just for a giggle…..

17th October 1935 in Table Talk (Melboune)  “Initals on buttons are just the thing,  especially when the buttons are navy blue and the frock white.”

Hope you are enjoying time with friends and family this Australia Day.  Hope you also enjoy this offering!

3 boys playing “Buttons” 1917 Oodnadatta. Held by the State Library of South Australia

Published in Table Talk (Melbourne) 1st Jun 1933

Buying buttons, G&R Wills,  WA 1953.  Notice the displays of Beutron buttons on the counter.  (Held by the State Library of Western Australia).

I’ve added entries on W.J.Amor and P.J.King in pre-federation button makers,  as well as more news articles.  Here for your further amusement,  some not so elegant 1930’s examples.  Oh well,  every era had its hits and misses…..

In a vane attempt to cover the weirdly buttoned skirt,  the model tries to pull the jacket close,  but it’s cut to flare like a cape.  Her face freezes in embarrassment.

The model is not impressed.  She feels like Annie Oakley gone wrong.

Nothing wrong with this “ideal kitchen dress and matching dusting turban” EXCEPT that it was suggested the material and buttons be selected  ‘to match your kitchen decor’.  Seriously?? Women should match the cupboards??

Just love the 1930’s aesthetic.  Again,  these are all from The Australian Women’s Weekly.

March 1931

February 1935

Jun 1935. “Knitted witchery in powered-blue”

May 1935

July 1936.  ‘No cosier suit was ever designed … for your knitting needles.’  I am in awe of anyone who could knit fast enough to make a suit.

August 1938. “Insect buttons march in Indian file”.

July 1937  ‘famous fashion evolved these cheery notions for youngsters coming out’.   Oh,  and the poor girl with no orchids?   She had a B.O. problem.

While we’re waiting for more buttons let’s amuse ourselves with some beautiful art work from the  The Australian Women’s weekly of the 1930’s

November 1933.
“Nothing looks so cool or refreshing as all-white ensembles or white frocks with touches of gay color.  Every season new colors come and go,  but white remains with us summer after summer.”

Nov 1933
The models are,  from left to right; Olwyn,  Lesley,  Faire,  Neisha,  and Lynette.  How perfect.

March 1936

“Smarter women will wear it”.  April 1936.
Knit yourself this snappy jumper in brown,  gold, and white if this witching combination suits your coloring,  and create quite a dash wherever you go.  On the other hand,  if blues-a rich trio of light,  medium,  and dark blue-favor you the more,  you will know the thrill of admiring eyes when you appear in this garment.  Again,  if you feel and wish to look smartly sophisticated,  consider a combination of black,  rust, and white.

“This cardigan is designed on slenderising lines”  June 1936. “Knit it and Wear it with a matching skirt;  tie a large velvet bow at the throat line and you’ll Look … and feel … snug and smart.”

July 1939. “If you’re slim and sophisticated… here’s your suit.

Received a nice email from Robyn of Buttonbroker:

“The Beutron buckle ( round silver on on a 50 cent card),  that you put up a few days ago  (Ed: 9th Jan)  bought back a lot of memories.  Sometime around 1970,  my mother made my sister and I matching pairs of hot-pants in black crimplene.  I  had the silver buckles and my sister’s were gold!

The buttons you have recently posted with Department Store names are not plastic – mostly they are vegetable ivory,  though some of the black ones may be horn.  I have collected hundreds of examples of these over the years…”

Thanks Robyn!  I’ve corrected my entry about the department store buttons.  I’d love to see a photo of those hot-pants.  Groovy-baby!

Here is a new selection of Embassy brand buttons from the late 1960’s onwards.

I receive some lovely new buttons today,  and got a surprise.  The printing on an old card of ‘Tub Buttons’ by G.Herring shows that Beutron was originally the name of the plastic used to make the buttons,  rather than a trade name for the buttons.  Therefore,  I have modified the Beutron history page in line with this.

Well;  the plastic may be futuristic,  but the poor woman still has to scrub the clothes in a tube of soapy water.

Here’s some more Beutrons.

A couple of new Beauclaire ads have been added to the collection.

Ok,  before you think I’m a little confused,  yes,  I know these aren’t buttons!   However,  I mentioned Rothfield  in conjunction with the history of button making in Victoria  (Rothfield owned a button making subsidiary : see ‘WW2- onwards’ history page for for more).  This photo will have to do until I can source one of the companies buttons!

Rothfield & Co.  ?dating late 1940’s- early 1950’s

The story of Semco was so nice I wanted to include it.  See also http://localhistory.kingston.vic.gov.au/htm/article/579.htm

Semco garden,  recreation hall and staff 1926.  Courtesy Shirley Joy,  City of Kingston,  Kingston Collection.

The company had its start in 1907 in the Melbourne CBD.  About mid 1922 a new factory was opened in Black Rock that was highly regarded as a pleasant place to work.  The company director wished to provide his work force with a safe,  healthy and happy place to work,  as well as paying decent wages.

Published 16th Feb 1946 in The Australasian (Melbourne)

Example of the embroidery paper transfers produced by Semco.

Semco stranded cotton box:  The  XW1011 phone number dates this from 1932 onwards.