The Traveling Dress: Chapter One
The Traveling Dress Visits the Farm
Once upon a time, there was a Traveling Dress.
She had seen many decades and fashions come and go.
Now she was going on a real adventure.
She was going to visit many different states, and even cross an ocean!
So one day when sunshine had chased the rain away and the wild asters were heralding September, her first stop was...a farm in Pennsylvania.
On a farm like this one, a girl hangs up laundry and picks beans and ripe red tomatoes, makes pickles and is proficient at bread and pie crusts, and likes to sit on the porch to drink iced tea in the golden summer evenings.
Being only a visiting dress, the Traveling Dress didn't get to experience these things.
But she did get to explore!
There were gardens...
...and barns...
...and a funny round chicken house...
...and flowers...
...and scenery.
You never know what's just around the corner!
The ducks were curious and talkative.
The chickens were not!
Buddy had to say hello...
...but quickly lost interest.
How fun to visit the farm, before the dress travels off to new adventures and strange lands!
All the Little Details
Thanks so very much to Joanna from Dividing Moments for starting this journey, giving us the opportunity to have so much fun, and providing the Traveling Dress!
The dress was lovely and a fun bright print, perfect for summer. Since it is rayon and limp, I considered wearing it with a crinoline, but I was going for a strict 1940s look, so I opted instead for a half slip that was tiered so it had some body to it.
The dress was a trifle snug, but fit me very well, which surprised me since my torso is so short I always have to shorten patterns between the arms and the waist. The hem didn't hang quite evenly, but I wasn't sure what caused that.
The hardest part, and what took the most thought, was deciding which of my dozens of vintage hats, pairs of gloves, and other accessories to wear with it! There are so many ways you can accessorize this dress, and it looks a bit different with each way of wearing it.
My gloves were vintage 1930s or '40s – a bit stained and not in mint condition, but still lovely. An antique shop find. I have other gloves I liked better, but with the busy print of this dress I didn't want to wear fussy gloves with it, and these were the perfect shade of off-white to go with the clutch and brooch.
I picked up on the seashell theme with the clutch – a thrift store find...
...and the brooch, which I made. The neckline was a little too low for me, and in the 1940s frills were often worn at the neck or shoulder, so I crocheted the little ruffled brooch and sewed a seashell button in the center. (Here's the free pattern to crochet the brooch!)
The leather belt was not vintage, as far as I know. The earrings were vintage style from Cato.
The hat is a treasure I found in a lovely bridal-new-old-stock-vintage shop in Weiser, Idaho, while on vacation there in June. It had belonged to the mother of the lady who owned the shop. It cost more than I usually pay for vintage hats, but wide-brimmed brown hats are hard to find, and this one was in absolutely mint condition with that perfect elegant '40s style and shape. So I got it and after much trying-on-of-hats decided to wear it with this dress.
The vintage 1940s shoes were an Etsy find. I was particularly pleased with them since I somewhat nervously painted their heels myself to cover up some staining on the leather.
Besides, I love two-tone shoes.
The seamed nylons are actually modern pantyhose bought on Ebay for this purpose – costume wear.
For those interested, here are some closeups of my hairstyle. I wear variations of it almost every day during the summer.
And of course the location was in my own back yard - on our 15 acre all-natural farm in the Cumberland Valley, where we raise pastured beef, chicken, and pork.
The barn was designed by my mother and built mostly by my uncle and cousins. Isn't it lovely?
My little niece, in the 1940s dress her mother made for her, wanted to be in the pictures too.
Later, in the house, she was imitating her “Aunt Ditten” and found some things in the dress-up box to match me! Can't you see a budding model and vintage fashion enthusiast??
And of course this post wouldn't be presentable if it weren't for my oldest brother and his beautiful photography. Thank you, Dale!
When the fun was over, the dress was packed up and sent to the next location. I can't wait to see the creativity of everyone else in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Dress!
All photos of me in the dress taken by Dale Stoltzfus. All other photos mine.
I really felt like I was traveling back in time reading your post. You look so pretty in this dress. It fits you so well. I also did notice a bit of unevenness in the hem but I thought it might just be me:) But, I guess this adds to the charm of the piece:) You really brought to life this dress and really embodied with the sisterhood of the vintage dress is all about. I also very much enjoyed seeing your farm and seeing how you incorporated your history into this dress. Everything is so well done! Your niece is so cute! What great pictures and you accessorized this dress beautifully:) Thank you for participating and getting this dress on to a great start!!!
Posted by: Joanna | 08/29/2014 at 05:48 PM
Oh how exciting to see the first stop on the voyage! I really like how you used brown accessories with the yellow and purple in the dress-that wouldn't have been obvious to me at all. You really captured the look of era with the hat, gloves, and those beautiful shoes. The dress doesn't look snug at all (from this side of the computer screen)rather it appears to fit you nicely.
Your farm is beautiful, and that barn is breathtaking. Maintaining barns and outbuildings is a huge job, but then you get to have the world's best backdrop for photographs ;)
I just love it. All of it!
-Goody
Posted by: Eat The Blog | 08/29/2014 at 08:37 PM
What a lovely first stop for the dress! I love the way you've styled it, especially the hat. And your farm is stunning and provides such a great photo story backdrop :)
Posted by: Tanith Donaldson | 08/29/2014 at 09:13 PM
How incredibly lovely! I adore how you styled this dress for its first stop on its worldwide tour. That hat is strikingly gorgeous! Beautiful accessorizing, dear gal - this whole look is timelessly magnificent.
♥ Jessica
Posted by: Jessica Cangiano | 08/29/2014 at 09:57 PM
Really love how you styled it. You look like you stepped out of the past, truly!
~ Retro Writer
Posted by: Seanna | 08/30/2014 at 07:05 AM
Wow! What a fabulous photo shoot to kick off the Sisterhood of the Travelling Dress. I will be scouting locations while I excitedly await arrival of The Dress.......
Posted by: Fashionista | 08/31/2014 at 07:21 PM
Aw, thanks for all the sweet comments! It was a lot of fun and I'm anxious to see what everyone else does with the dress.
Posted by: Kristen | 09/01/2014 at 05:04 AM
Your styling of the Travelling Dress is lovely! Your niece is super cute as well, she looks very sweet in her little 40s outfit.
Posted by: Helen Mae | 09/01/2014 at 11:09 AM
Beautiful job styling this dress! I love all the pictures from around the farm. :) The traveling dress comes to me in October and I'm really hoping we have some fall foliage left here in VT. The leaves are starting to turn already!
-Emily
Posted by: Emily's Vintage Visions | 09/03/2014 at 06:59 AM
I love your opening image with the dress laid out on that gorgeous patchwork quilt. I think you have styled this dress in such a great way, I like how you got round the issue of the low neck by making a brooch. Your farm looks amazing.
Posted by: Kate-Em | 09/03/2014 at 03:14 PM
You did such an amazing job styling and writing about the dress. I love this post! The dress looks, and you sound, so sweet and classy. I can't wait to get my hands on it, although I can only hope I live up to posts like yours.
Posted by: Jessica, Cakes and Cakes Vintage | 09/03/2014 at 07:02 PM
I love how you styled the dress beautiful
retro rover
Posted by: retro rover | 09/11/2014 at 03:46 AM
Hi! You look so lovely in the Traveling Dress! And the farm is absolutely beautiful. I have been ill, so I've missed all the stops the dress has made so far; it's fun catching up and seeing the dress on it's journey!
~xoxo, CoriLynn
Posted by: CoriLynn | 11/11/2014 at 11:09 AM