I love the waist detail of this dress from 1956. 4 rows of satin cording with bows visually accent the tiny waist compared to the flare of the hips and bust. This dress was featured in the August 1956 issue of Glamour magazine and shows St. Louis debutante Jean Hamilton wearing a dress by Doris Dodson Juniors. The dress was about $18 in 1956 ($142 today). She wears a Therese Ahrens bandeaux hat and carries an Ingber purse.
You'll see the same waist accent in this early 60's velvet cocktail dress available at www.coutureallure.com. No bows, but this one's got the added allure of a large satin rose set off to the side. Click the picture to see the details.