Something old, something new

Here are a couple of dresses - first, a turtleneck dress from Neiman Marcus:

And this is a gabardine pencil dress suit from the 1940s, from Smoky Diva:

Active Endeavors and a Poster

Currently available from Active Endeavors is this button back top by Rebecca Taylor:


Also, check out this print at AllPosters.com, featuring an illustration of an 1880s gown with buttons down the back (larger image can be seen on their site).

Vintage Textile is another place where you can find vintage pieces in good condition, with good descriptions and multiple photos of each item. Here is a back-buttoned Edwardian lawn dress:

Vintage French Ad

A scan from an old French magazine showing a stylish back-buttoned dress in tweed.

Old Fashioned Girl

If you're a fan of Gibson Girl blouses and white lawn dresses of early 1900s, check out Old-Fashioned Girl for custom-made reproductions of Victorian/Edwardian fashions. There you can request designs like these two below, or submit a completely custom inquiry.

Cotton 1900s Waist

Early 1900s Lingerie Dress

Vintage Fashion Collection of Lori Knowles

If your interests run into vintage Victorian and Edwardian fashions, be sure to check out the collection of Lori Knowles. You'll see some wonderful examples, including of course some items relevant to this blog, such as these two bodices from the early 1900s.

Vintage Martini

For actual vintage pieces from earlier 19th century (and even some Victorian pieces), swing by Vintage Martini. As it was a much more common closure method then, you'll find several items that button up the back, such as these:

Edwardian Gown


1940s Dress


1930s Ivory Wedding Gown

Ballyhoo Vintage

Vintage shops can often be the easiest places to find clothes that button up the back. One such shop is Ballyhoo Vintage, where you can find items like this mod Norman Norell dress:

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ReVamp Vintage Recreations

If you are a fan of fashions of early to mid 19th century, check out ReVamp, who offer faithful recreations. Here a couple of examples from the 1930s:

Olivia Blouse


Zelda Evening Gown

A Nod to the Past

Recent seasons have seen some mainstream retailers carry designs inspired by Victorian and Edwardian blouses, including some back-buttoned tops carried by places like Anthropologie. Some are still available, like these two pieces by Barrie Pace:

Another example is this top by Jessica McClintock, a label known for featuring back-buttoned designs in past years:

But most of them, such as the three examples below, are no longer available.