Original circa 1958 Modes Royale Pattern No. S-128 - One-Piece Sheath Dress

Original circa 1958 Modes Royale Pattern No. S-128 for a women's slim one-piece sheath dress with long sleeves, a pointed neckline, and a distinctive strap-and-buckle detail: a pocket on the bodice crossed by a buckled strap, repeated on the skirt, with a matching belt at the waist. Factory Folded and Unused.

Quick Facts

• Pattern Number: Modes Royale No. S-128
• Year: Circa 1958
• Garment: Misses' One-Piece Dress
• Size: 16 (36" Bust, 28" Waist, 38" Hip)
• Condition: Factory Folded, Mail-Order Pattern (No Envelope, as Issued)

Design

Modes Royale S-128 is a narrow sheath built on a fitted, darted waist, with a pointed neckline and long fitted sleeves. Its signature is the strap-and-buckle detail: a patch pocket on the bodice is crossed by a diagonal strap fastened with a slide buckle, and the same pocket and strap appear again on the skirt, so the motif reads from shoulder to hip. A matching belt marks the waist, and a pleat at the back of the skirt gives room to walk. The skirt measures just 47 inches around the hem in size 16, with a length of 47½ inches from the neckline. The dress closes with a 6-inch open-top zipper at the back neck and a 12-inch Talon Magic-Tab placket zipper at the side. The 12-piece pattern suggests lightweight wool or rayon.

A Moment in Fashion History

By the late 1950s, the slim sheath had become the full skirt's great rival, and women could choose either silhouette for the same afternoon. S-128 keeps the defined waist of the decade but lets the skirt fall close and straight, then adds strapped, buckled pockets borrowed from sportswear and utility clothing. Its printed price of $1.50 placed it at the upper end of the home-sewing market, in keeping with Modes Royale's reputation for fashion-forward designs.

Connections

Modes Royale through the 1950s. In 1953, the company's D-102 followed the New Look: a BAC-A-BELT nipped the waist above a skirt sweeping about 115 inches at the hem. About five years later, S-128 keeps the belt and buckles but lets the skirt fall straight, narrowing that same size 16 hem to just 47 inches as the sheath took over. See where the decade began with Modes Royale D-102, or follow the sheath's rise in our ongoing exhibit, Pillbox and Polish.