1940s Pink Princess Dress

I squeezed in another warm-weather sewing project in October before the weather suddenly turned cold. We are currently buried under early snow, so these pictures look quite outdated at the moment!

 

I had a 1940s mail order pattern for a princess style dress that I hoped to use for a special project, but I wanted to try it out first. This was the trial.

 

I'm glad I tried it, since it definitely needed a lot of tweaking for the fit. This one is still not perfect, but I have a better idea of what to do if I make it again. Thankfully wearing a belt helps a lot with making it still look good.

 

And I just love the fabric! It's a 1930s repro feedsack print, and so perfect for a house dress. (If you like it too, you can find some for sale in my newly opened vintage sewing supply shop The Timely Tailor!)

 

I wanted originally to use dark red buttons, but had nothing that would work, so ended up picking out the gray instead to emphasize. I do like how gray and pink looks, and also how it tones down the otherwise sugary-pink color.

 

The yoke/ruffle detail is pretty cute. Otherwise it's just a basic button-down-the-front princess style dress, which is very handy for trying on as you go and making fit adjustments. I can see why it's a perennial style.

Comments

[Carla]

Sweet dress!

[Johanne Kemp]

love the neck line detail.

[Shaneequa Jackson]

I quite randomly happened upon your blog earlier this morning and it made me smile. (And that's quite an impressive feat on your part,considering I hadn't even had my coffee yet lol). As a black woman who grew up during the age of Disco,breakdancing and Hip-hop,my love for 1940's high-class fashion was not particularly shared by my peers. I can remember during my college years sporting my loose fitting gold silk parachute pants (alá M.C. Hammer) a kinte cloth print Malcolm X t-shirt,enormous gold hoop earrings, Air Jordans on my feet and synthetic hair upon my head,and all the time feeling so ridiculously out of place as if I was born in the wrong era or something. As a young child,I used to love watching the old silver screen vixens on Turner Classic Movies with my grandmother. Bettye Grable, Lana Turner,Bette Davis,Marlene Dietrich,Lena Horne- these were my idols! My grandmother used to say that these women were TRUE ladies. They were classy,glamorous, elegant,intelligent, powerful and sexy but never trashy. (Mae West might have rode a fine line lol but she even she still always had class about her.) I had always wanted to be like these women when I grew up but never found the time or the courage.
Then just last year on my 50th birthday, I finally decided it was time to be what I really wanted to be when I grew up, and so I went shopping at a few local vintage clothing shops and found the outfit of my dreams. It was an eggshell white satin Cecile Chapman two piece skirt suit (circa 40s/50's) embroidered with pearls, rhinestone and chiffon flowers,accessorized with a set of matching gloves,pumps, a vintage Chanel pocketbook, and an over-the-top feather fascinator. I completed the look with a golden beige mink stole,a beautiful art deco broach with matching clip-on earrings and had my hair styled in two large victory rolls! I finally felt like the real lady I was inside.
Sorry for my babbling. Thank you for your incredible blog.
Shaneequa