Vintage Yellow Mini Dress Van Allan 1970s crimplene puff shoulders short sleeve fit and flare prairie lolita skater
 
If you mention the name 'Van Allan' to any woman who was fashion conscious in the 1970s, it will bring a smile to their face of fondness. At its peak the High St chain had 150 stores throughout the UK, and the first port of call of every Saturday shopping spree was Van Allan. They always had something different and special, and this dress is no exception.
 
It is a UK size 8, a small 10 may get away with it. Message me with your measurements if in doubt. It has a trim on the yoke and bottom of the dress which are little darker yellow/orangey flowers, on a white background. The dress has a high neck, and those lovely puff shoulders short sleeves. It is the brightest yellow imaginable and I had real trouble in shooting it as the camera struggled to focus because of how vibrant and bright it is. A real canary, sunshine yellow (def NOT not pastel lemon or mustard) I had to knock down the colour a bit in the video as it was just so vibrant bright. The photos I did the opposite as I can knock down vibrancy as well as brightness on that. So see how deep the yellow is, but also my walls are white not grey! So it is bright deep and vivid! As yellow as you can poss imagine.
 
I am loathe to call it a skater dress as this doesn't really fit with the vibe of the time, but I guess it is that kind of shape almost. It fitted with the 'Dolly Bird' glamour of the time, and these were worn by women in their 20s and 30s too, though could be more of a 'Lolita' dress vibe now. I'd still wear to a 70s night though as it is so fab and I am almost 60 heh. Though I'd wear my sheepskin over the top until I got there! I have no issues with the term 'Dolly Bird' ; it initially came from the Dollyrockers label and certainly wasn't the put down at the time it is viewed as now. 
 
We think it dates from about 1973. Certainly I had one myself very similar in style and shape that had come from the UK but I don't recall the label. Mine was pale blue, and the trim on it was white and navy, though while this yellow one has flowers mine had a geometric American Indian inspired motif. I was only young, under 10 years, but loved fashion and music even then and my fave band was The Sweet. I guess because at that point they were transitioning from their 'bubblegum' pop sound which kids loved, to a slightly heavier rock sound, and it was the song Wig Wam Bam that marked that transition and was my favourite at the time. We had this clapping dance, where you made a tipi shape with your hands as you clapped  and above your head so with a flared min dress you were wigwam shape I guess, or maybe it was the slight prairie feel to these dresses, but anyway I called it my Wig Wam Bam dress! So that is my 'Spirit of the Age and garment' song for this piece. I even got Ai to imagine it feeding it pics of The Sweet and some Top of the Pops screenshots and it didn't do a bad job of the dance we did to the song tbh ! 
 
So I was delighted to find this piece, in such immaculate condition and no signs of deterioration like you sometimes get with synthetic dresses under armpits etc. It has that prairie dress yolk puff sleeves and as described the border trim, popular at the time but also yellow was very much the in colour c 1972-74. It went with white, and often knee length socks were worn with, with your proto platform 'banana' stripes shoes. Or your off white fitted sheepskin or borg coat to same-ish length.  It went with brown, and often those fab coats that were velveteen/suedette with faux borg white sheepskin 'poodle' sections. Or with black and purple or denim blue, which those poodle coats also came in. 
 
These dresses that were fitted and flared slightly longer mini dresses that the early 70s had seen, with puff shoulders both long and short sleeve, are often seen in the Top of the Pops audiences eg or on UK sit coms from 1972-74. 
 
It is a very figure flattering shape cut very nicely as hopefully you can see, and in immaculate condition. That is reflected in the price as to find a piece like this so immaculate is rare.