There’s a silk dress in my closet that I rarely wear, maybe not even once a year. I call it my Mrs. Frizzle dress, but it’s not that garish, and my husband is unexpectedly quite fond of it. It’s a silk shirtdress, definitely thrifted, likely in Florida. There are two pockets on the chest, cheery buttons down the front, and epaulette-adjacent details on the shoulders. It’s a deep shade of purple covered in red, green, and yellow plaid—complex but not busy.
It’s a difficult dress to wear, in that I have trouble finding an occasion where it feels appropriate. In the context of an office, it would seem juvenile, a child’s dress-up fantasy of workwear. The shirtdress silhouette makes it feel too casual for most events. I’ve almost donated it multiple times, but something continues to hold me back.
The designer’s name is Julie Francis, and she was one of two main designers who dressed Kitty Dukakis for her husband’s presidential campaign in 1988. Francis moved from Colombia to the United States at twelve in 1953, and spent a couple decades working in the fashion industry before starting her own line.1 There was a fair amount of press coverage of Francis centered around that presidential campaign, and she was generous with her (delightfully honest and odd) quotes on the record.
“Kitty loves all the jewel tones. Her favorite color to wear is red, followed by bright royal blue and purple […] She likes to wear a dress in a great pattern with a matching three-quarter length coat. She loves the feel of an ensemble… This is a new look for American women.”2
“She likes very tailored clothes with a European flair, the kind of dressing that would appeal to career women. A perfect size six or eight, depending upon the style, Kitty wears clothes well with her small waistline and five-foot-seven slim frame.”3
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Francis seems to have anticipated a substantial shift in her career and stature in the event of a Dukakis victory. After George Bush, Sr., won the election, Francis faded from the spotlight. I can’t find any coverage of her in the news post-1988, nor any information on the trajectory of her brand.
Not every Julie Francis garment is a hit, by any means. There are many secondhand pieces floating around Poshmark and Etsy that are certainly of an era (see below).
But I think there’s a way to bring many a Julie Francis piece into a present-day wardrobe. Here are some items I think still look fresh today (and some styling suggestions at the end)!
Vintage Julie Francis Silk Sheath Dress Sleeveless Orange Polka Dot Pattern 12, $22
Vintage 80s Silk Zebra Print Shirtdress with Shimmering Jacquard Underlay by Julie Francis, Size 4, $72
Beautiful Vintage 80s Sky Blue and Ivory 100% Silk Polka Dot Pencil Skirt by Julie Francis, $53
Julie Francis vintage silk midi skirt, size 12, $50
Vtg 80s 90s 100% Silk Rose Pint Shirt Blouse Women SIZE S/M Button Back, $40
Vintage Julie Francis silk ruffle blouse size 8 cream, $36
J Francis Vintage Black Silk Aztec Pattern Skirt, $36
Julie Francis brown leopard print scarf shawl wrap 44" square, $25
Preowned- Vintage Julie Francis Open Front Silk Kimono Womens (Size 16), $160
Vintage Julie Francis Black White Silk Pants Slacks Size 10, $45
Almost all of these pieces are silk, which tends to make even a casual silhouette feel pretty dressed-up. I would add some friction with sneakers, denim, texture, and color. Here’s how I would style the jacket, the skirt, and the zebra-print dress.
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![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1c0bf5b0-5aaa-4314-8fc6-861e1fd62e34_2500x2000.png)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8187aee7-391c-4fdb-9017-e7787bc81636_2500x2000.png)
As always, if you buy one of the items in the newsletter—send pics!
<3 E
P.S. If you missed the earlier posts in this series, here’s 01, 02, and 03.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1988/07/03/fashion-notes/e1282267-a71f-4350-b2ac-806dc706cedd/
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-08-22-mn-494-story.html
https://www.mcall.com/1988/11/06/no-matter-who-wins-the-presidency-the-first-lady-will-lead-the-nation-in-white-house-fashion/
Love deep dives into relatively obscure designers. Also LOVE how you styled the pieces, esp the second one with the dance sweatshirt (love vintage dance gear as much as vintage nba!)
Can you wear your dress open- like a jacket? With simple top n simple jeans? CN you show the whole length of the dress.
It is soooo 80’s. I remember having a Christian Dior girls dress with a similar plaid and ruffled neck Elizabeth the First would have worn in the 1600’s!! Or 1500??? So fun