Howard Greer (1886-1974) was a Hollywood fashion designer and a costume designer in the Golden Age of American cinema, and credited by Vogue on having “a sixth sense about the fashion future “.
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Vintage Fashion Designer: Howard Greer-The Man with the Sixth Sense
Notable Career Highlights:
* Howard Greer began his fashion career at Lucile in 1916, working in both her New York and Chicago branches before serving in France in World War I.
* After the war, he remained in Europe, working for Lucille, Paul Poiret, and Molyneux, and designing for the theatre.
* He returned to America in 1921, and through his theatre work was hired as chief designer for Famous Players-Lasky studios.
* He was the first major costume designer to take the leap of establishing his own couture house in 1927.
* He designed primarily modern dress films with glamorous wardrobes for the star, no matter what her social standing. Though he did add society women and their daughters to his clientele as his workmanship became more well-known.
* His Ready-To-Wear line created in 1947 was sold around the country and he was in the top-tier of American ready-to-wear designers.
* He designed custom clothing for the stars until his retirement in 1962 (Source).
Howard Greer Designs:
* Tended toward the expensive afternoon and evening clothes of the fitted torso type with eye-catching effects.
* Did not follow the padded shoulder line of the 1940s, and liked to work with black combined with a range of pinks for contrast.
* Specialized in cocktail and dinner dresses that he specifically designed to look good seated at a table with stunning necklines (Source).
1940s Rayon Cocktail Howard Greer Dress.
Fantastic example of a beautiful neckline design on this 1940s Howard Greer dress.
1940s peekaboo floral and black dress.
1940s Cocktail Dress with lace like detail along the front.
Howard Greer Fashion Designs in the Movies:
Katharine Hepburn’s 1938 hit movie ‘Bringing up Baby‘ with Cary Grant featured Howard Greer Designs.
Another gown from ‘Bringing up Baby’.
‘My Favorite Wife‘-1940 featuring Irene Dunne & Cary Grant. Those 1940s dresses are…AMAZING!
Irene Dunne in ‘Love Affair‘, 1939. Howard Greer, costume design.
Designing outside of the movies:
Howare Greer Fashion Designs Outside of the Movies:
Rita Hayworth in 1941 wearing a pink & silver lamé gown.
The Wedding Dress for Gloria Vanderbilt for her wedding to Pat DiCicco in 1941.
And for something completely different. Greer created a dress called “The Travel Dress” (which I seriously need). Same dress 12 ways for travel. Seen in Look magazine Jan. 1, 1952.
Today, Howard Greers are very hard to find but I did find some currently on the web, if you have the money and are the right size. Happy shopping!
Note: If you click on a link and the item is no longer avail, don’t worry..Etsy has lots of products on their website that just might work, you just have to do a bit of searching (which is always fun).
Howard Greer Fashion Designs “Other” Examples:
First up, why not make your OWN Howard Greer 1950s Button Front Day Dress w/ Pockets as seen on this vintage sewing pattern (in mint condition). Available as of April 2023 HERE.
Source: Etsy
1950s navy blue couture Howard Greer Cocktail Dress.
1940S Howard Greer Silk Crepe Short Sleeve Cocktail Dress With taffeta bands & bows.
Source: Etsy
Fringed 1930s/1940s Cocktail Dress.
1940s, silk dress with lace detailing a chiffon top and balloon sleeves. STUNNING!
You may not be able to wear the 1948 women’s Howard Greer cocktail dress in this Lord & Taylor vintage fashion ad but you can frame it and put it up on your wall to admire (avail as of April 2023 HERE).
Source: eBay
Here is another vintage fashion ad to frame -1954 Marshall Field & Co women’s Howard Greer black lace dress vintage ad (avail as of April 2023 HERE).
Source: eBay
Lastly, looking for a read? Then make sure you pick up his Autobiography, ‘Designing Male’ (if you can find it).
Now friends,weren’t all those dresses just fantastic?! Sigh I sure would love to own them all. What were your favorites?
Further Reading:
- Vintage Fashion Designers (Archived Blog Posts)
- Vintage Fashion 1920s-1960s (Archived Blog Posts)
Liz 🙂