Verity Vintage Studio

1940s Blue Sailor Dress

When I recently acquired 3 yards of this baby blue cotton, the random little white triangles in the print reminded me of ship's flags, which naturally led me to think about sailor style dresses. There are a lot of variations on sailor style dresses, and I've never made one though I've admired many of them. They were very popular in the 1940s, along with other military influence fashions, because of general patriotism and support for the war effort. So it was easy for me to choose this decade as a good fit for my fabric.

 

The pattern I chose doesn't have a true sailor collar, so I'm not quite sure if this counts as a sailor dress, but it still definitely has that vibe. It was a simple shirtwaist pattern with a slightly blousey top and flared 4 piece skirt.

 

I did the collar and added sleeve bands from my trusty length of white linen (which sadly is running low!), then embroidered them with navy blue thread. Of course I didn't figure out the best method of embroidery until partway through the project, so one sleeve looks better than the other. (Maybe a hint I shouldn't be so impatient and do some trial embroidery on scraps first??)

Thankfully, the irregularity in the stitching doesn't show up at a distance, and the blue trim does add a nautical flair and interest to an otherwise basic dress. 

 

I chose large navy buttons, thinking that way I could accent with either navy or white belt and accessories, and really like how they look. They are also much easier than smaller buttons to button and unbutton with one hand for nursing, so I will keep giant buttons in mind for more projects in the future.

 

I did not shorten the bodice on this pattern because when I laid it out, it already looked short. Sure enough, the waist still hits a half inch high - if I make this pattern again I will have to lengthen the bodice pieces, which never happens! 

I also flatlined the bodice, so I can wear this dress with just a half slip. Which makes it comfortable for summer even with the light color that usually means layers.

 

I like the wearability of this dress. It's the best kind for a busy or warm day - just button up, add a belt, and go! 

 

I accessorized with vintage navy suede heels, perfectly coordinating cute white gloves with navy stitching, and a straw hat with a navy velvet band which I've had for years. It goes with everything. I added the vintage millinery flowers and strip of veil a while ago and never removed them since they fit so well.

 

This was a very speedy project, and would have been even speedier if the embroidery hadn't taken an extra day to complete. Once again, I am really enjoying exploring the possibilities of basic dresses, and the fact that they are simple and quick to put together is also a bonus. The only fiddly part with this dress was figuring out where I wanted the collar to meet and the embroidery to end on it.

 

I would still like to make a proper sailor dress some day, with the right style of collar and added bands of contrast, but until then this one is close enough to suit me. And I like how very 1940s it looks!

World War 2 Era Green and Pink House Dress

My second spring project since digging out the cottons was this 1940s house dress. It was a very quick project since it was so simple - I chose a basic pattern to allow the cute print to shine.

 

I am really enjoying utilizing my plain and basic patterns to make up in print fabrics, like I talked about last fall. This pattern, for instance, I got for the redingote (which I have made in brown and in red) but while I thought the dress was kind of cute and liked the shoulder dart tucks, it wasn't interesting enough for me to push it to the top of my sewing queue. But when sewing with busy prints, a simple dress pattern is essential, so I gave this one a try - and really liked it! 

 

I actually chose this pattern over my other basic dress patterns because it had no collar or contrast fabric, because I wanted to pair the fabric with pink buttons and belt, and wasn't sure what contrast color to use. So I picked a pattern with no contrast.

 

It was very easy and fast to put together, which is one bonus of using simple patterns. It probably took me an hour to put the bodice together, and another hour or so to get it ready for the hand work and buttonholes. 

Of course, there wasn't much handwork since I chose the quick and easy route of top stitching a narrow hem on the skirt and sleeves. 

 

Typical to the 1940s war era fashion, the top is a little blousy and the skirt is more fitted, being only slightly flared.

 

I used 3 yards of a repro quilting print gleaned at a good sale price from Craftsy and really loved it, despite the need to press it after laundering. The green and pink is not my normal color scheme, but it is so refreshingly spring-like and I actually like this shade of green on me. The fabric was cuter in person than on the website - look at the tiny polka dots scattered through the print. And you know I love polka dots. :-) 

 

The pink glass buttons were a natural pairing, and perfect since there were 6 of them. 

 

This is also the first outing of my one and only Rocket Originals reproduction shoes, which were a new acquisition this year. They are directly copied from a 1950s sandal, even down to the style of buckle - which is great, because usually reproductions have modern hidden elastic and that tends to stretch out for me.

 

The detail on these is so cute, and I love the double strap - although because my foot has such a high arch the one strap is slightly too tight, and the other slightly too long. I am hoping they will stretch to fit my foot better with more wear. These are a nice off white that fills a need for summer comfortable footwear. The off white is light enough that they go with most outfits I would normally choose a true white to wear with. But I still am on the lookout for a true white pair. 

 

This really was a fun and easy outfit to make and wear. The cotton is very comfy for warm weather wear (once it stays warmed up, anyway) and also goes well with a pink sweater I have so I can layer while it's still cool. 

 

Plus I love adding this pretty print and cheerful color to my everyday rotation. I feel very 1940s when wearing this dress!

 

Yellow Dot 1970s does 1940s Dress

This dress was a favorite of my mother-in-law's when she was young, and a while ago she gifted it to me. It is so cute! Of course, I always am a sucker for polka dots. Despite the fact that I rarely wear yellow, I had to try it once spring came.

 

Many times a throwback dress still has a giveaway element that just doesn't look quite right. This one, other than the slippery polyester fabric, really does look period accurate for the 1940s. The button front, polka dot fabric, sweetheart neckline, and peplum are all lovely 1940s elements.

 

It had a few marks on it which faded with treatment, and a small burn near the hem, which I covered by adding trim to the hem area. Otherwise I didn't do a thing.

 

I wore it with a jewel neck undershirt (also a common style for dickeys back then), white gloves, replaced the string tie belt of fabric with a purchased belt, and paired it with a black 1940s tilt hat, purse, and my new Nitas.

 

Reproduction brands are spoiling me for real vintage footwear. These are so comfortable and sturdy, and I don't have to be so careful of them when wearing out doors. I love the soft suede, toe detail, and how classy they look. I have a few quibbles with the way the ankle strap fits, and probably should have sized down a half size to avoid the shoe bed showing in the back, but overall I'm so pleased! I had made up my mind to get these, but right before I went to purchase, Royal Vintage had a sale - so I'm delighted I waited!

 

I think they will go with everything, as well as be perfect formal wear, so I expect to wear them a lot. And they added the perfect 1940s touch to this outfit, with their quintessential silhouette.

 

Oh, and I have to mention dress clips! I collected a few pairs after seeing what a common accessory they were in their day, only to find that I hardly had anything I could wear them with. Since this neckline would accommodate them, I had to wear some. These dainty beauties add a touch of color to the yoke edge, and of course can be omitted for a different look.

 

I have to admit that I like yellow (this shade, at least) better on me than I expected. And it feels so springish!

 

So while the 1970s and 1980s are not my favorite fashion eras, this dress is one of later vintage that actually is my style and I really expect to enjoy.

Blue Floral 1950s Dress for Easter

Ahhh, but it was nice to cut out and sew my first floral cotton project this spring!

 

This was a major stash busting project. I had gotten several yards of this fabric many years ago when I first started to sew. I thought it would make a nice 1950s dress, but somehow it never quite made it to the top of my queue. Several times I thought I didn't like it that much after all. This spring I took another look, decided I really liked it after all, and quickly paired it with a dress pattern I had made early in my sewing adventures and really liked despite the botchy construction. Time to make a better version, and one that I could nurse in.

 

The muted delft blue and off-white is such a pretty color, and it's a large floral pattern - rare to find and very 1950s! I'm so happy to see it in my closet now instead of on my shelf.

 

I love the skirt yoke, with the side fronts pleated into it, and the way the bodice details mirror the skirt. 

 

It had been so long since I'd made the first version that I basically felt like I was making a new pattern again, but that was ok. It came together quickly and without any trouble. 

 

I flatlined the bodice so that I could wear it with a half slip - it is much easier to nurse without having two layers to fasten and unfasten. The fabric I used to flatline it was a bit stiffer than it should have been, so the bodice is more structured than it should be. Ah well, now I know for next time to use something lighter weight.

 

An invisible zipper hides in the front bodice seam to make it nursing friendly. I added a bit of floral lace as well, for an extra finishing feminine touch.

 

I paired my new dress with my vintage linen pumps, which by now are badly needing a facelift, some favorite vintage gloves with lace cutout detail, and a vintage basket brooch which seemed appropriate for Easter.

And I made another halo hat to go with it! I ordered some off-white wool felt, hoping it would be the right color. Well, it was exactly the perfect shade to coordinate with the fabric. Making the hat only took about 10 minutes, but it took me a lot longer to decorate it.

I lined the inside edge with some ruffled ribbon to add a bit of decorative fullness to the front, and the back edge I covered with wired ribbon, which both covered the raw edges and added a bit of structure. Then I got out the leftover paper flowers from my wedding, and played around with them for a while, trying to decide what looked best. At first I planned to wire them together and tack them down with thread so they would be removable, but gave up that idea and used the hot glue gun. I have plenty of felt left to make another hat if I want to decorate one a different way.

 

Should the flowers be grouped on one side? Use just the small ones and wreath all the way across the top? Do an arrangement on each side? I ended up settling on a combination with a larger grouping on one side and a slightly smaller one on the other, majoring on blue and white flowers but with touches of pink and yellow for a spring bouquet sort of look. The veil was taken off a vintage hat and just pinned on so it can be easily removed. I was really pleased with the way it turned out! 

 

My sister, who is also my faithful photographer, borrowed one of my 1950s patterns and a hat, so she coordinated decades with me quite nicely.

(Since Easter came early this year, there is just a light green sheen on the hills, but that green and the yellow willows along the watersheds mean SPRING!!!)

 

I really enjoyed these projects and putting the outfit together. It was so nice to feel springish in light colors again! And I like the symbolism of laying aside the winter wardrobe and putting on something fresh and bright to celebrate this day and the new season of renewal.

Old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Item of the Week - 1950s Beaded Earrings

These lovely brown beaded earrings are Item of the Week in my Etsy shop, half price for one week only - slashed from $7.