My 1950s Dress

Right now I am at school and really busy with the myriad activities of Welcome Week. So I thought I'd post about an older outfit. Throwback Thursday, if you will.

These are pictures I took a while back when I first finished making this 1950s dress. I got the pattern from Sense and Sensibility Patterns. All the patterns from that site are based off of real vintage clothing, so it is genuine and true to period while being doable enough for the modern sewer to replicate. The pattern for this dress is simple and so easily customizable (is that a word?). It's perfect for a beginning sewer who loves vintage fashion, or an experienced sewer who loves easy vintage fashion. Just anyone who loves vintage fashion.

I modernized it a bit with a belt and shoes. I kept the accessories minimal because the dress, with its full skirt and 50s silhouette, is quite a statement in itself (and because I'm not very brave. I'll have to play around with it :o).

It was tons of fun to wear such a classic dress.

This is the way I wore it Easter Sunday, with a cardigan, muslin sash and nude heels (and red lipstick, of course!). This is a very 1950s way to wear it. I felt quite glamorous :o). I also ended up playing a friendly one-on-one game of basketball in the dress after Easter dinner (no heels involved, of course). I must say, if you're going to play basketball, do it with style!

And here is a closeup of the print. It was a simply darling cotton calico, cornflower blue with white polka dots and hints of mint. I'm a sucker for mint!

Dress: Homemade using the Sense and Sensibility Ladies' 1958 Dress Pattern

Brown Belt: Maurices

Brown Flats: Payless

Mint Cardigan: Maurices

Nude Sash: Handmade

Nude Heels: Hand-me-downs from a friend (but originally from Wal-Mart, I believe)