1960s Golf Dress: Chippers by Gregg Draddy

We’ve had a lot of cold and rainy days recently, and that means I’ve spent too much time prowling online selling sites looking for things I didn’t realize I had to have. The dress shown here is a great example. I rarely look for and buy Sixties and newer clothing online because there is so much of it selling for reasonable prices in my local markets. But for this golf dress I made an exception.

I wasn’t familiar with this particular label, but it was the details and condition that sold me on this one. Both side seams are open to the waist to show off the little calico shorts beneath. I loved how the calico was also used to trim the scalloped hem and the neckline.

And I guess a bit of nostalgia was in play here because this was exactly the type of dress (we called them scooter dresses) that the girls in my school used to skirt the dress code prohibition of pants for girls. I had several of these in the late Sixties, and I can remember the teachers telling us to wear a scooter dress the next day whenever something was planned that might mean we’d be on the floor.

So if this was just common attire for schoolgirls in 1968, why did I want this as a golf dress?

The back of the dress tells the tale. There is a pocket that has an expandable pleat, perfect for golf balls and tees. There is also a ring sewn to the other side. I really can’t say what the true function was, but I’ve seen men’s golf pants that have a towel holder in the same spot. Could that be it?

After a bit of online searching, I found the answer in a 1969 Golfdom article:

“From Greg Draddy comes the drop waist dress slit up the sides with pants attached. The back pocket is detachable and there’s a towel ring. Some have cowl collars, others a placket; but all have long back zippers. There’s a waffle pique to fall into the category of texture treatment in fabrics. All the dresses retail from $30 to $35.”

One of my favorite things about this dress is that the pocket is removable. If the owner wanted to wear it off the golf course, she could without it screaming “golf dress”.

I think Chipper is a great name for a golf dress, and it also fits in with cute names of the other lines produced by Gregg Draddy: Zizzie, Tizzie, Sassy, and Steppy.  I haven’t found a lot about the Gregg Draddy label, but one of the dresses I found for sale also had a Bergdorf Goodman label, so the brand was not cheap. But I already knew that from examining my dress. The quality is superb, with a complete cotton lining. And if not for the wear on the label, I’d have bet that this dress had never been worn. Just lovely condition.

I wasn’t very successful in searching for Gregg Draddy as a person.  Those familiar with sportswear may recognize the Draddy name, as it was Vin Draddy at American clothing company David Crystal, who brought the Lacoste polo shirt to America in 1950. I did find a photograph of Gregg Draddy and Vin Draddy together with a few celebrities, and I also found a reference to Gregg as a manufacturer. I’m thinking Vin and Gregg were brothers. There are descendants of Vin still around (in the Asheville area, no less) so the answers are out there.