From 1963:
"'Fine lingerie was the first field I wanted to go into when I began designing and manufacturing in the women's apparel field,' states Virginia Wallace, top California designer...Miss Wallace started her vastly successful career with a plaid taffeta petticoat in 1947. There was a scarcity of fine fabrics and laces then, right after the war, she says, but taffeta could be had. A Bullocks-Wilshire buyer liked this particular novelty idea and placed a $3,000 order before the budding designer had office, showroom, or factory. She managed to do the seemingly impossible and filled the order on time; her petticoat turned out to be a true trend-setter, and she embarked into this highly competitive field.
With the aid and encouragement of other buyers she extended her operations to New York and various top stores across the country. Having previously been a buyer herself, she still had difficulty pricing garments, getting competent help (she began with two home-workers) and securing small amounts of fabrics from the big mills which preferred selling to big manufacturers.
She says she pushed and pressured her way into Celanese Corporation one day and today, when they have stopped producing taffeta on a large scale (they're yarn manufacturers primarily), Wallace products is one of the five key accounts they've maintained. They receive thousands of yards of taffeta a month.
At present this dynamic woman creates gowns and bridal sets inspired by the couturier collections; she goes into delightful color coordination in gowns and robes, feeling that it is as important here as in day wear; she now uses all the drip-dry fabrics.
'We use any fabric that's lovely,' says Miss Wallace. 'But taffeta petticoats are still growing strong.'"
Kindly note that this citation is for educational purposes only and should not be copied directly into a description for a sale. Thanks!
