Swirl Ballerina Dress

photo copyright of Cur.io Vintage

The internet never fails to amaze me.   I posted an ad for a Swirl dress that had a distinctive ballerina print, and two days later I have not one, but two photographs of Swirl dresses with the very same print.  The dress above is from Carrie, who owns Cur.io Vintage in Waltham, Mass, and Glad Rags and Curios on Ruby Lane.  The photo is of her shop window, showing the exact same dress as is in the 1951 ad.

There are several interesting things about this dress.  It has the early “neat ‘n tidy” label, and the button is plain.  Most Swirl dresses have a distinctive button with a swirl design, but the button on this dress is a plain pearlized button.  Carrie is quite sure it is original to the dress as the dress is deadstock.

Below is Karen of Small Earth Vintage on etsy.  While the print is the same except on black, her dress is of a different style.  It also has that great “neat ‘n tidy” label that was used in the early days of the dress.  Note the side pockets, which were sometimes found on early Swirl dresses.

photos copyright Small Earth Vintage

And for anyone who missed it, here is the Swirl add, from 1951.