Mary and her dresses

[paul_nixon]

I've been asked to post this hopefully it will work



https://www.facebook.com/bbcthree/vi...086158279/?t=0

[Boogiedown]

that is a very very very cool story. If I were Mary , I'd be saying, "please stop handling it !!. Put it in a sleeve!" lol!

[Ollie9]

Thanks for posting, i really enjoyed watching this. Mary is gracious as always. How strange that the outfit should end up in france.

[sup_fan]

great video! and wonderful that another costume has emerged

the girls only wore these a few times, that i'm aware of. Of course they first appeared on the Tennessee Williams special they did in 67. not sure of the exact air date. and they did a HUGE photo shoot session around this time using the outfits from that session - the rainbow colored halter top gowns, the beige chandelier gowns and these.

then the girls wore them again during the finale for the Ed Sullivan show where they all paid tribute to Irving Berlin's bday. they did Always and that medley with Ethel Merman. then in the finale there's pics of the girls [[in these outfits) around the birthday cake with the other guest stars on the show.

and then that's it

i'm not even familiar with any fan pics of them on the concert trail in these outfits.

[marv2]

great video! and wonderful that another costume has emerged

the girls only wore these a few times, that i'm aware of. Of course they first appeared on the Tennessee Williams special they did in 67. not sure of the exact air date. and they did a HUGE photo shoot session around this time using the outfits from that session - the rainbow colored halter top gowns, the beige chandelier gowns and these.

then the girls wore them again during the finale for the Ed Sullivan show where they all paid tribute to Irving Berlin's bday. they did Always and that medley with Ethel Merman. then in the finale there's pics of the girls [[in these outfits) around the birthday cake with the other guest stars on the show.

and then that's it

i'm not even familiar with any fan pics of them on the concert trail in these outfits.

The Tennessee Ernie Ford Special aired in December 1967. I remember watching it with my Dad. He went Ga Ga over the Supremes and how fine they were. LOL!

[luke]

Delightful story. I assume car boot is tag sale?

[marv2]

great video! and wonderful that another costume has emerged

the girls only wore these a few times, that i'm aware of. Of course they first appeared on the Tennessee Williams special they did in 67. not sure of the exact air date. and they did a HUGE photo shoot session around this time using the outfits from that session - the rainbow colored halter top gowns, the beige chandelier gowns and these.

then the girls wore them again during the finale for the Ed Sullivan show where they all paid tribute to Irving Berlin's bday. they did Always and that medley with Ethel Merman. then in the finale there's pics of the girls [[in these outfits) around the birthday cake with the other guest stars on the show.

and then that's it

i'm not even familiar with any fan pics of them on the concert trail in these outfits.

The Tennessee Ernie Ford Special aired in December 1967. I remember watching it with my Dad. He went Ga Ga over the Supremes and how fine they were. LOL!

[marv2]

That was great! It give me hope that I may someday find my 1968 Hot Wheels set. LOL!

[thommg]

There is a picture of this costume down the page. Sorry I couldn't save it to post separately.

https://joelyork52.co/f/the-supremes

[sansradio]

What a wonderful story! Thanks so much for sharing.

And yes, luke, a car boot sale is like our garage sales; a "car boot" is what we Americans call a trunk.

[BigAl]

These outfits were truly bizarre. The item was more like a camisole than a gown, as you can see partially in the Getty Images photo attached. They looked like chorus girls, all leggy. I remember seeing another shot from the same Kriegsman shoot where they're grouped around a steamer trunk flashing them gams but I can't find it just now. I can see why they didn't appear in these outfits more than a few times.

[khansperac]

What a great clip.

[marv2]

Anyone ever figure out how it ended up in France?

[milven]

That was a very nice story and the lady was gracious to just give it to Mary and not look for money..And Mary seemed genuinely touched to be reunited with it

Here is the clip from the Tennessee Ernie Ford Show. Slight correction to some above posts. Tennessee Williams was a playwright.

[reese]

They were the outfits during this clip.

[khansperac]

Not until the videos and pictures in this thread, did I realize that those dresses they sang Reflections in, were the same as the “short” outfit. Wow. You learn something new every day. Did they ever perform in the short one? I can’t imagine that they would.

[BigAl]

They're not the same garment at all. The garment the gal found in France was short, cut just below the waist, like a camisole, with a little bit of fringe at the bottom, exposing entire thigh and leg, like a chorus-girl's outfit. The "chandelier" gowns they wore when they performed "Reflections" on the Ernie Ford special [[and many, many times thereafter) were full length, with large disc sequins and dripping spangles applied to what amounted to a body stocking. The camisoles were heavy brocade.

[khansperac]

I just watched the second clip in full and I see the short outfit. I was confused there for minute. Lol .

[luke]

Lol Marv. It gives me hope too that I may find some things! ; Thanks sans.

[marv2]

Lol Marv. It gives me hope too that I may find some things! ; Thanks sans.

We can only hope, right? LOL!

[sup_fan]

these outfits are more "costume' than gown. on the special they did a medley of "old time songs" and these were part of their outfits. they also had huge early 1900s hats, parasols, opera coats. and they removed the pieces one by one throughout the medley until they were just really in these leotards. the pics are all from the same photo session where they were modeling all of the Tennessee Ernie Ford outfits.

Starting with the R&H today show, the girls started having their designer gowns created for some sort of big tv event. for that one they wore the red sequin gowns and the silver ones - both designed by Bob Mackie. The special was taped in late summer 66. they then took these new gowns [[along with other outfits) out on the road which is why they're also wearing them in the Orient tapes and then on other TV shows that AIRED prior to R&H but were actually taped later

So then about a year later they're going to tape this big Tennessee Ernie Ford special and again they get some special new gowns made, this time by Mike Travis. The chandelier gowns, these leotard ones and the rainbow halter tops.

the only other time they're ever seen was at the finale of the Irving Berlin special episode of Ed Sullivan. not sure what prompted them to wear them here. these outfits probably were more of a 1-time costume outfit than something they seriously wore throughout their tours.

[marv2]

these outfits are more "costume' than gown. on the special they did a medley of "old time songs" and these were part of their outfits. they also had huge early 1900s hats, parasols, opera coats. and they removed the pieces one by one throughout the medley until they were just really in these leotards. the pics are all from the same photo session where they were modeling all of the Tennessee Ernie Ford outfits.

Starting with the R&H today show, the girls started having their designer gowns created for some sort of big tv event. for that one they wore the red sequin gowns and the silver ones - both designed by Bob Mackie. The special was taped in late summer 66. they then took these new gowns [[along with other outfits) out on the road which is why they're also wearing them in the Orient tapes and then on other TV shows that AIRED prior to R&H but were actually taped later

So then about a year later they're going to tape this big Tennessee Ernie Ford special and again they get some special new gowns made, this time by Mike Travis. The chandelier gowns, these leotard ones and the rainbow halter tops.

the only other time they're ever seen was at the finale of the Irving Berlin special episode of Ed Sullivan. not sure what prompted them to wear them here. these outfits probably were more of a 1-time costume outfit than something they seriously wore throughout their tours.

A photo of them wearing these costumes that are the subject of this thread were used widely to promote their single as "Diana Ross & the Supremes"., "Someday We'll Be Together".

[johnjeb]

I think this is the photo that was seen in the "car boot" video of them wearing long skirts over the shorter costume [[as seen in the Ford Special during the Old Songs Medley). Don't recall if I've ever seen this photo before. I actually didn't know that these shorter costumes had a removable skirt panel [[or whatever it's called).

https://madeinthesixties.tumblr.com/post/36666404526

[bradsupremes]

Anyone ever figure out how it ended up in France?

Marv, that is something Mary and I haven't been able to figure out. She called me about this a few months ago and it was absolutely bizarre as she explained what happened. How her leotard ended up in a French countryside garage raises so many questions. There is no question that gowns were stolen from Motown storage units sometime in the 1970s. Stephen Woods claims they were all stolen in 1971 from the seventh floor of the Donovan Building in downtown Detroit by security guards who were paid by drag queens in the underground Detroit drag scene, but Woods talks out his ass like its truth. I don't know how anyone believes a word he says. I am aware of the whereabouts of several sets of missing gowns, but how they ended up where they are today is still a wild goose chase. It really is detective work to get to the origins of all this and now when you throw this story into the mix, it really makes you wonder 'Where in the world are these gowns?'

[lakeside]

What costumes were these?

[marv2]

Marv, that is something Mary and I haven't been able to figure out. She called me about this a few months ago and it was absolutely bizarre as she explained what happened. How her leotard ended up in a French countryside garage raises so many questions. There is no question that gowns were stolen from Motown storage units sometime in the 1970s. Stephen Woods claims they were all stolen in 1971 from the seventh floor of the Donovan Building in downtown Detroit by security guards who were paid by drag queens in the underground Detroit drag scene, but Woods talks out his ass like its truth. I don't know how anyone believes a word he says. I am aware of the whereabouts of several sets of missing gowns, but how they ended up where they are today is still a wild goose chase. It really is detective work to get to the origins of all this and now when you throw this story into the mix, it really makes you wonder 'Where in the world are these gowns?'

First of all, whoever this Stephen Woods is , he is lying! I know for a fact that several costumes from the 60s during the time Florence was still the group were in bags and boxes at Hitsville back in the mid -80s. There were even some from a bit later. They went on display first at The Henry Ford Museum at Greenfield Village in Dearborn in 1995 when the Museum closed down for renovations.

A set was on display at the former Motown Cafe in NYC and out there at the one in Vegas. Another set was at the Hard Rock Cafe in Detroit that has recently closed.

I also recall that Mary and company were robbed, or rather their bus or whatever was robbed in London in the mid 80s and costumes were stolen. There was no robbery at the Donovan Building as early as 1971. The company was still occupying the building at that time. When it was demolished several years ago, a lot of misc. memorabilia was strewn over the demolition site........no costumes or apparel were found.

[khansperac]

Is it possible that some pieces were gifted or sold at some point. Or is it believed that all costumes not in Motowns or Mary’s possession had to be stolen?

[sup_fan]

This pic is the leotards we’ve been discussing w the sheer gown overlay they used for In and Out Of Love. In that performance they wore it over a base gown of some sort

[marv2]

Al Abrams had one of Florence Ballard's stage costumes and it was displayed as a part of the Motown in Black and White exhibit in Detroit a few years ago.

[marv2]

Is it possible that some pieces were gifted or sold at some point. Or is it believed that all costumes not in Motowns or Mary’s possession had to be stolen?

Since Mary and the Supremes paid for those costumes themselves, if Mary did not specifically give them to someone, then they were stolen!

[sup_fan]

Marv, that is something Mary and I haven't been able to figure out. She called me about this a few months ago and it was absolutely bizarre as she explained what happened. How her leotard ended up in a French countryside garage raises so many questions. There is no question that gowns were stolen from Motown storage units sometime in the 1970s. Stephen Woods claims they were all stolen in 1971 from the seventh floor of the Donovan Building in downtown Detroit by security guards who were paid by drag queens in the underground Detroit drag scene, but Woods talks out his ass like its truth. I don't know how anyone believes a word he says. I am aware of the whereabouts of several sets of missing gowns, but how they ended up where they are today is still a wild goose chase. It really is detective work to get to the origins of all this and now when you throw this story into the mix, it really makes you wonder 'Where in the world are these gowns?'

Hahaha aren’t these leotards called “Victorian Princess Soufflé?” Lololol

[sup_fan]

And it wasn’t all that uncommon for the girls to only use an outfit for a short period. Maybe it just didn’t work as well on stage or the actual outfit didn’t live up to what they envisioned w the designer’s sketches. Or maybe one got stained or torn or something.

Maybe Mary caught her heel in the hem when she was trying to wiggle out of it to go meet Tom lolol 😜

Once they were sort of done with them they must have gone into storage. And the ones they weren’t particularly fond of they probably didn’t care too much about


Brad other than those lost in the fire are all of the 70s gowns in Mary’s collection? Like those floral ones MJL wore touring w the tempts at LA Grove? Or those peach ones in the pic with the “Eddie kendricks” imposter? Or the couple of hot pants outfits?

[BigAl]

Mercy...those leotard camisoles appear to have had a least a couple of different overlaid components: the sheer ones and those sarong-type skirts made of the same brocade material. [[Neither very attractive.)

[sup_fan]

A photo of them wearing these costumes that are the subject of this thread were used widely to promote their single as "Diana Ross & the Supremes"., "Someday We'll Be Together".

yeah the pics from this session were widely used and are extremely iconic of DRATS

[marv2]

yeah the pics from this session were widely used and are extremely iconic of DRATS

I remember seeing them in the newspaper a lot as a kid at that time:

[Roberta75]

I remember seeing them in the newspaper a lot as a kid at that time:

T0 give credit where credits due marv2. you know more about the Supremes gowns than most former Supremes.

[bradsupremes]

Mary has most of the gowns from 1968 to 1977. Aside from the 6 sets completely destroyed in the Mexico fire, there are a few 70s sets she doesn't have. I don't believe she has the floral ones nor the peach ones, but she does have the purple/brown velvet "Lean On Me" from the Flip Wilson Show. They're not impressive whatsoever and look like an old 70s nightgown. She does have these reddish-orange capes with JMC marked inside that I don't know what they went with. Mary doesn't quite remember what they went with either.

Mary never sold off or gave away gowns. One exception would be a set that she donated as a gift to the Smithsonian in the early 80s, but they were a set hardly ever worn and no one seems to be able find a photo of them wearing. The Smithsonian also has the short white fringe dresses from the Central Park show. How they got out of Mary's collection and into the Smithsonian is unknown.

As most of us know, most of the pre-1968 gowns were worn for a year or two before they were replaced with more glamorous gowns. They were also store bought and didn't have much for beading or sequins. This is a vast difference from the post-1967 gowns which were heavily beaded/sequins and were worn for many years. This caused a lot of wear and tear on them and the weight of beading/sequin caused stress on the fabric. Surprisingly the Florence era gowns are in much better shape because they didn't have the stress factor of beading and they didn't go through as much wear and tear. Mary has the red floral gowns worn for "Mother Dear" on the Red Skelton Show and they're in great shape. Several sets weren't worn as much because like what sup_fan said, they sometimes found several sets uncomfortable to wear or they weren't too crazy about them after getting them.

[sup_fan]

Were the red/orange capes for those red hexagon gowns they wore w the Touch photoshoot?

I’m still dying to see the mega Uni dress from caesars palace lolol. Wonder if it’s in the book she’s releasing lol

Even though we fans have listed most of the gowns out, I’m sure there are some truly rare outfits we have missed. Ones worn only a few times or ones they ended up not liking and ditching.

[benross]

Does anyone have a photo of the sleeveless orange polkadot daytime dresses the group wore in 1964/1965? I have done Google searches for years and have never seen one. From back in the day, I vaguely recall a picture with those dresses and the bowler hats, among others without the hats, so they may have included a bit of their Bit Of Liverpool material when they wore these dresses, which I thought looked great on them.

[bradsupremes]

I don’t believe those capes went with the red/maroon gowns from the Touch photo sessions. The colors clashed. They may have possibly gone with the orange beaded jacket and pants, but I can’t say that’s for certain.

The three-in-one dress was going to be photographed for the book, but neither Mary, myself, the photographers, and others assisting couldn’t figure out how it fit. Mary at one point said something along the lines of “We couldn’t figure it out then and we can’t figure it out now.” It’s no wonder it was only used once.

I should add there were a few sets of gowns that didn’t make it in the book. They were photographed, but for whatever reason the publishers cut them from the final draft. It’s something I’m not too happy about. The same goes for a few sets that also weren’t photographed at all. Unfortunately we were crunched on on studio time for photographing and we just didn’t get around to them. This includes the red floral “Mother Dear” gowns from Red Skelton. There are some other things the publishers wouldn’t put into the final draft that I’m not happy about, but I won’t go into that here.

[sup_fan]

are these the polka dot ones?

Attachment 15943

[sup_fan]

I don’t believe those capes went with the red/maroon gowns from the Touch photo sessions. The colors clashed. They may have possibly gone with the orange beaded jacket and pants, but I can’t say that’s for certain.

The three-in-one dress was going to be photographed for the book, but neither Mary, myself, the photographers, and others assisting couldn’t figure out how it fit. Mary at one point said something along the lines of “We couldn’t figure it out then and we can’t figure it out now.” It’s no wonder it was only used once.

I should add there were a few sets of gowns that didn’t make it in the book. They were photographed, but for whatever reason the publishers cut them from the final draft. It’s something I’m not too happy about. The same goes for a few sets that also weren’t photographed at all. Unfortunately we were crunched on on studio time for photographing and we just didn’t get around to them. This includes the red floral “Mother Dear” gowns from Red Skelton. There are some other things the publishers wouldn’t put into the final draft that I’m not happy about, but I won’t go into that here.

i'm so intrigued by that uni dress lol. just for the train wreck that it was! i recently got a copy of their show there at Caesar's. actually the girls sound quite good and for some of their songs, the applause was quite full. Like Maybe This Time, which of course was always a Scherrie showstopper. but for the hits medley it's just painful. here they're singing some big Sup hits and the applause was hardly audible. yikes!

that's a shame that they didn't include everything.

[benross]

are these the polka dot ones?

Attachment 15943

YES!!! Thank you!!! It is so reassuring to know that I am not losing my mind and that those dresses --- the ones I could visualize but never see on any Web site -- actually did/do exist!!!

[sup_fan]

YES!!! Thank you!!! It is so reassuring to know that I am not losing my mind and that those dresses --- the ones I could visualize but never see on any Web site -- actually did/do exist!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7qfIn78kiE

and here they are in action!

[benross]

Thank you! It is good to recall again that these dresses were cut perfectly, in a style that truly suited each Supreme, accentuating their respective charms, yet unifying them. Some other early outfits looked good on one or two of them, but not the third.

The color and the polka dots of this dress had an appealing warmth, liveliness and sense of optimism about them and, intentionally or not, seem now like a subtle marketing ploy as they remind one of Florence's orange top and Diana's polka dots -- and perhaps, recalling the dress's graceful bodice folds, even the crinkled collar of Mary's blouse -- on the More Hits album jacket.

This dress and the dress shown on the Where Did Our Love Go/Sing Country, Western & Pop/Meet The Supremes '65 covers still look classic, elegant and timeless, unlike the blue evening gown with a black lace over-blouse or the short tiered-skirt dress they wore during the same period.


Too, so much care went into the selection of the Bit Of Liverpool suit and the More Hits tops.

Back then, the group's success seemed so inevitable, somehow, when you studied the photos of them in these outfits. No other Motown group at the time came across in the same way; maybe none ever did.

[sup_fan]

i believe these yellow dresses were made by Diana and Mary. they did many of the own clothes early on.

the WDOLG and Country covers were the same dress but tinted. i believe its the floral dress worn at the apollo

Attachment 15954

Attachment 15955

Attachment 15956

[BigAl]

The retrieved leotard is now safely back in Mary's possession. The woman who found it bought it for £63 and priced it for resale it at £700, and apparently that's what Mary gave her for it. Unless Mary insisted on paying her that initial asking price, which she may well have done, I would have thought, under the circumstances, that the woman could have let her have it for what she paid for it and enjoyed the publicity. Oh well, business is business I suppose.

For some reason the news piece won't link. Here's where it resides:

https://www.itv.com/news/2019-08-20/...0-years-later/