#vintage details

Stripes Gone Wild: BurdaStyle Twill Dress 121 07/2021

This is a modern dress with some vintage details. The length and flare of the skirt is reminiscent of the 1950s when a tiny waist and a large skirt were popular. The shirt-waist front bodice on a dress then coupled with a side opening was popular for much of the 20th century. It allowed for the kind of complex details you see here reminiscent of a shirt-waist or blouse–double-breasted button front, shaped neckline, and collar–without having to bring the buttons all the way down to the hemline. Instead, a snap placket in the side seam lets you pull the dress over your head. Here, a zipper is used instead.

Playing with stripes has always been popular as they are among the simplest patterns. By placing them on the bias and matching them for forming chevrons, you can create a playful and dynamic look as you see here. Imagine leaving the stripes all straight on a less-flared skirt and you can see that the entire dress would become much more sober in flavor.

Choosing stripes does mean more work matching the stripes. Careful cutting is key, and then basting and checking before final sewing is necessary. Still, I always enjoy bias chevron skirts in the summer as they seem to capture the spirit of the season.  

You can find it here as a pdf, so you either find a place the prints large images, or you use a lot of tape: https://www.burdastyle.com/twill-dress-121-burda-style-07-21.html

Vintage Mish Mash: New Look 6695

This pretty summer dress pattern reminds me of multiple eras of the 20th Century. The flounced collar seems like one of the many blouse patterns of the 1930s that enjoyed detail at the neckline. The drawn-up sleeves show up on some 1940s blouses, although they would have sewn them down to a stable piece of fabric on the inside. The long, pleated flared skirt is not unlike some from the 1950s although they did not often sew the pleats down over the hips.

Does it achieve coherence? I am not sure. And I wonder why. Is it because I am used to seeing certain features together, or do certain features simply harmonize? The version with the flounced collar comes with a long sleeve and plain cuff which may seem too serious for the neckline, but was not uncommon in the 1930s for a blouse.  A sleeve ending in a flounce would echo the neckline, but push it definitely into partywear.  The version with ties echoes itself at neckline and sleeve, but the gathers on the sleeves and on the bodice seem to call out for gathers at the waistline, or at least pleats released at the waistline.

Of course, you can suit yourself. That is the beauty of home dressmaking. Add a flounce to the sleeve if you are thinking garden party this summer. Gather the skirt if you like a soft look. I would recommend silk crepes or rayon challis which will give nice drape to all the features.

You can find it here: https://simplicity.com/new-look/n6695