Verity Vintage Studio

Red 1940s Style Sweater Refashion

Last winter I kept wishing I had a nice red sweater to wear - it would have coordinated with so many outfits. This summer I picked one up at an online thrift store. I chose it because it was cotton, hip length, and had such classic styling. The all-over cabling, high waist and cuff ribbing, and general shape were 1940s style to my eyes.

There was only one problem - the giant plastic faux-shell buttons!

 

The buttons were way too modern. So I went on a hunt through my button stash and found these vintage jacket buttons I'd picked up at an antique store ages ago. Just the right size and just exactly enough!

 

Swapping buttons is perhaps the easiest refashion ever. Yet it really does make a big difference, despite how easy and basic it is.

 

And within a half hour, with very little expense and effort, I have a much more period correct sweater! 

(It goes really well with my plaid 1940s skirt!)

 

It's super thick and warm, which is ok by me since mountain winters in a house with one wood stove for heat can make for chilly days during the coldest times.

 

I like it a lot better now and am much more likely to wear it. A classic sweater in cherry red is extremely wearable, and a staple in a vintage wardrobe. Plus I get to air these fabulous vintage buttons and do a bit of stash-busting at the same time!

 

Funny that something as simple as buttons can make such a big difference. And it's so little effort - I just had to take the time to sit down and do it. Makes me wonder how many other such modern-made pieces in my wardrobe could be improved!

What do you think? Does it look accurate?

Makeover: Maxi Dress with 1930s Inspiration

I hesitate to even call this a makeover, since it wasn't that involved. I didn't even get a "before" picture because I didn't think it would be worthwhile. But I found that even a little creativity can make a big difference.

 

This started out as a modern dress, picked up at a thrift store because it was dirt cheap, I like polka dots, and the waist detail was cute. It went into my alterations/mending pile where it stayed for over a year. Not long ago, towards the end of my pregnancy when I had outgrown a lot of my other clothes, I realized it had potential for a maternity dress and pulled it out to see what I had to work with.

It's a polyester knit, which I would never sew with and don't usually buy. However, the flow is nice and the print is very vintage. It's quite stretchy, so that worked well for maternity. It was a basic sleeveless maxi dress with a plain, lined bodice, and it went to my ankles or past. Maxi dresses aren't my thing, so I started with the makeover by cutting off about 4 inches. 

 

The nice thing about knit is it doesn't ravel, so I could just turn up and top stitch the hem. I left it long but not almost-puddling-on-the-floor long. I had faint hopes of making at least look 1930s inspired, but wasn't sure I would achieve that.

The shorter length helped to make it more wearable, but it still could use some help and I had the 4 inch strip I had cut off, so I put my mind to what I could do with it. The plain neckline could use some jazzing up...neck detail is huge in the 1930s, and I had plenty of leftovers for a nice size bow. It was a pain to work with since the fabric was so limp and slippery, but I persevered and ended up stacking hemmed circles to make a generous double bow, which I tacked to the center of the neckline. Suddenly it looked a lot more 1930s!

 

Styled with a pearl edged sweater left open (partly to hide the slight distortion of fit and partly since so many of their outfits were fitted under a boxy jacket), I accessorized it with 1930s accessories and actually think that in the end I achieved my hopes for a 1930s overall style, though it's far from period correct. 

 

Regardless of that, however, it's much more feminine and wearable now - much more my style - and all it took was a few minutes to shorten and hem it, and a bit of thought on decoration. Maximum rewards for minimum effort! 

 

Again, I am encouraged to look for potential in thrift store finds, especially if I'm short on time for a whole new project. No need to settle for plain or boring!

 

Now I just wish I had altered it earlier so I could have worn it more while expecting. Oh well, it's served me well already in the past few weeks and probably will in the few remaining.

Summer Gray Seersucker Dress

This project is not an unqualified success. And the pictures didn't turn out so good either, so I hesitated in putting it up on the blog at all. But after all, sewing is a journey and we can learn from even the projects that are failures or just don't live up to our expectations. Even the best seamstress (which I certainly am not) is going to have a disappointment once in a while, and it would be creating a false impression to only post the perfect projects.

 

Anyway, this dress started out when I wanted to use the rest of the gray seersucker I used for my 1950s blouse to make a dress comfortable to wear this summer. It is very rare in that it is one of my only projects - if not the only one - not made from a vintage or reproduction pattern from the 1950s or earlier *gasp!*. Technically I suppose it is still vintage, but it's "modern" compared to my usual style. But I liked some aspects about the design, it looked super easy, and I figured that the waistless make would mean it would work for maternity without looking maternity.

 

I lengthened the skirt, made the yoke to open all the way down to the waist, and used a different sleeve pattern from a 1930s pattern, hoping that it would end up looking at least 1930s style - in that I was disappointed. It was pretty easy to put together as anticipated, and the yoke (the only fiddly part of the basic design) didn't give me any trouble.

 

In fact, because of it being a non-fitted pattern, I didn't bother trying it on during the process. Big mistake! Even non-fitted patterns can be too small, as I learned. Because when I had it all finished and the yoke lined nice and tidy, I tried it on...and it was way too tight. Not "a little too small and I can let out the side seams"  but really too tight. All over.

Not wanting to take it apart or give it away after spending that time on it, I got creative and instead cut the back seam open all the way up. Then to the center back I lapped and top stitched a 4 inch wide band cut crosswise, hoping it wouldn't look obviously patched. In the end, I actually liked the way it added stripe interest. And it worked, giving me enough room that it's wearable, though still not really a good fit. 

 

The new technique I learned on this dress was how to do self button loops, which I have always avoided. As usual, I discovered I actually enjoyed doing them so that's one less bugbear in the future.

 

The dress does work for maternity and is comfortable to wear in the July heat, not needing ironed or extra layers, so I still wear it for everyday though it is not my favorite or most flattering finished project by any means!

 

On another subject, I had been experimenting a lot with my hair recently after a long series of bad hair days when I just couldn't get it to look nice. Many times I would resort to my trusty hairnet, which definitely saved the day and controlled the mess, but it got frustrating when day after day my brush-out was a disappointment. I tried various things from different kinds of shampoo, water versus setting lotion, to getting a professional trim to make sure it wasn't a layering problem.

My first day hair just kept coming out frizzy and unmanageable, though the second day hair was often much better. My first day hairstyle efforts kept looking like a homemade job instead of the smooth and elegant result shown in vintage photos and captured by Lily and other vintage bloggers.

 

I tried just doing a pin curl set instead of the foam rollers, which would result in a looser curl, but while that looked great right at first, the curl didn't last all day and the pin curls were a lot harder for me to do and keep in place than the rollers.  

Finally after reading several vintage bloggers' tutorials on how they do their hairstyles, I decided my problem was that I was rolling my hair too tight on the foam rollers. Even though I was using large rollers, I was squeezing them down enough that I still ended up with "poodle curls" which made the wild frizz.

Doing a looser set on the foam rollers I normally use ended up with bigger but still long lasting curls, manageable and smooth, which makes me so much happier with the first day brush outs. 

 

So at least I was happy with my hair in these pictures! Ah well...we learn from failures, mistakes, and disappointments just as much if not more than successes. True for life, and true for sewing too!

Vintage Inspired - Coral Pink 1950s Style Sweater

I have been doing a lot of sewing lately and will soon have several maternity outfits to share with you, but for now here's something a little different.

This outfit is what I call vintage inspired, not close enough to the real thing for a vintage reproduction. 

 

I had posted about it a few years ago when I first bought and altered the skirt, but this is the first time I've gotten photos of it when worn.

 

I've been thinking a lot lately about vintage knit and crochet wear, especially inspired by Vintage Gal and her gorgeous 1930s knitted jumpers. It's such a great way to dress authentically, there's an endless amount of garment and accessory options for any decade you wish, and is more portable than a sewing project. It adds versatility to a vintage wardrobe, especially for fall and winter months. Plus you might have just the right color of yarn for a badly needed wardrobe piece, and not have the right fabric!

 

This sweater is not quite close enough to 1950s for me to call it that, but it definitely fits the right general overall style. I am in the process of making a second version with some alterations to make it closer to authentic. Also a better fit, since this one was made when I was several sizes larger - hence the belt, which still works because belts were occasionally worn with sweater blouses. 

 

I will say that comfort is a big plus with knitted and crocheted vintage garments, since they are easier to move around in than a snug-fitting similar garment in fabric and usually were not worn with belts. So especially now when I am growing and changing in size, I'm thinking more about adding some crochet pieces to my wardrobe. If I knew how to knit, I would totally want to make some knitted ones, but there's a large crochet spectrum to keep me busy at the moment without repining (too much) for those amazing knitted garments.

 

There are many patterns in existence from vintage magazines so with patience you can make exact replicas of what they would have made and worn then, but the patterns back then were much more sketchy, general, and hard to follow, often with a single fuzzy or distant photo to illustrate. Challenging, to say the least.

In fact, the difficulties associated with vintage patterns have given me the idea to do my own line of pattern reproduction crochet designs for authentic garments and accessories but that are written with modern terminology, photos, and pattern details. More on that next month, hopefully.

 

The skirt has a lovely border print similar to 1950s novelty skirts, with lots of color in it to choose for accents. And it fits me comfortably just now. One benefit of changing sizes is that some my favorite clothes that used to fit and were too big for me, now fit again...at least temporarily.

 

 

So while it's a combination of modern garments (other than the undershirt, which I made from a 1940s blouse pattern), it still has the classic femininity of vintage styles...and is about as modern as I get! :-)

 

1940s Inspired Up-do

Some days you just don't have time to set your hair. Or you do set it, and the layers don't lay right, no matter how much you brush. When I don't have time to curl my hair (other than a few pin curls at the top), I find this twist on a 1940s up-do is my go to hairstyle.

 

It definitely has a 1940s flair to it, though it's a far cry from the elegant beauty-salon-created up-dos movie stars of that era wore. It was mainly invented in an effort to contain my layered ends in a way that just pulling it back can't do, and also keep the face-framing style I definitely prefer.

 

It can be tricky to get the rolls even, and to stay put, but practice has helped me become quicker. Plus, the rolls make a perfect base for hair flowers or other hair accessories!

 

Besides hair flowers, I can also vary the arrangement by what I do with my curled front hair and by using various hair clips and bows. I have yet to find a hat that fits this hairstyle, but then that makes it a perfect style for formal evenings - like during the holidays!

 

In the back, I can put a barrette at the top instead of the bottom as is here shown, or if I'm not going for a super Period look, just use hair grip clips for a more secure hold. (Tight, long bobby pins are a must for this hairstyle to be successful.)

 

I may have to figure out an up-do that I like, that is less fiddly and time consuming, but until then, I'm glad I've found a way to keep that aspect of vintage style in my daily dress, for the times a proper vintage curl set can't happen!

Glimpses From Our Wedding Day

And now...wedding pictures!

 

I don't have the photographer's images back yet, and won't for several weeks. When I get them I'm hoping to walk you through the day in more detail (including some behind the scenes photos), but because I can't wait, I'm going to go ahead and share some of the beautiful images captured by my talented brother.

 

This picture doesn't show the puddles from a rain and wind storm the night before...or indicate the pile of towels we soaked with icy water while wiping everything off! But at least it didn't rain that day, and the clouds lifting off the mountain made a beautiful, ever changing backdrop.

 

 

My grandma made the cake, and I helped her decorate it. After helping her decorate cakes for several of my cousins, it felt so strange to be working on mine! As always, it turned out gorgeous and scrumptious.

 

The vintage topper came from Etsy.

 

As did the Scripture sign, and the Idaho wedding favors, among other things.

 

My beautiful bridesmaids, in dresses they made, inspired by this Pinterest picture which I used to find a similar 1950s dress pattern. My sister (standing to my left) drafted the cowl and sash herself and was endlessly helpful with details.

 

Simply the cutest flower girl...ever!!! 

(She wanted her hair put in "curlies" like "Aunt Kristen"!)

 

A few more yet...

 

It was such a lovely day. And after all that planning and work, it went by so quickly. As expected, there were a few minor glitches, but the most important thing took place - which was that I ended up married to my Sweetheart! :-)

(After two weeks of marriage, I can definitely say I'm one exceedingly blessed woman!)

 

Dress details to come, over the next few weeks!

 

And a farewell, happy and tired, just before the new Clays drove away in the convertible.

 

God. Is. Good.

Why I Like Thrift Stores - The Houndstooth Sweater-Blouse

(This post was supposed to be finished last week, but due to a crazy busy weekend, it was delayed until today.)

Getting ready for a wedding entails several major shopping trips, where we include visiting some large thrift stores. Some new-to-me clothes made their way home, among them this lovely vintage style feminine sweater, which I spotted on a mannequin as soon as I stepped in the door, and hovered around it until someone could take it off the mannequin for me. My first impression was - ooh, that looks so 1950s!

 

Fitted sweaters in a shorter length, worn without a belt, were very popular in the 1950s, as were allover prints and sweater sets. This one is a classic, with its V neck and hip length, wide ribbing and a giant houndstooth design. Super 1950s style.

 

Here I dressed it up as a go-to-town outfit, but it also could be styled more simply for an everyday or house outfit.

 

It's also more than just a pullover, with the pretty lace detailing at the neck and the use of contrast at neck, hem, and cuffs.

 

I found I have a dearth of skirts to wear it with, so that will need to be a wardrobe upgrade at some point in the future! I wasn't really happy with this pairing (also a thrift store find from years ago), but didn't have much choice.

 

But it does go so well with my newest hat, snagged at an antique store earlier this year. The straw beret is fairly fragile, but I couldn't resist the big black velvet bow.

 

It can be worn at various angles, and I believe would also work to accessorize for the 1930s, though I'm pretty sure it's a late '40s or 1950s hat. 

 

The sweater also I could see as having 1930s potential, if worn with a longer bias-cut skirt, ruffles at the throat, and a belt. That's the fun thing about simple pieces like this - they can cross decades of fashion. (Obviously, since this is a modern sweater! :-)

I will enjoy wearing it this fall, and finding new ways to style it. Light sweaters with short sleeves are a favorite of mine when the air starts to turn, but it's still warm during the days. Especially for everyday, since as I've mentioned before, sweaters are fitted and vintage appropriate, but without movement restriction or the need to be pressed before wearing.

 

So I consider this one as a wonderful addition to my autumn wardrobe, and am so glad I spotted it at the thrift store! 

Gray Skirt Makeover

This has been a very procrastinated-upon project. I started the makeover several months ago, then left it lay around without being finished for a long time. Finally I buckled down and finished it, and in less than a half-hour it was completed! Another reminder that procrastination never pays. :-)

 

Anyway, this skirt started out as a thrift store find: a very long, straight skirt I used to wear a lot in the summer. A solid gray that goes with anything, in a non-wrinkling fabric (though after being stuck in a redo-or-mend stack for a long time it did get some wrinkles in it). I had dressed it up years ago by doing some embroidery on the front above the hem, so it was also personalized.

 

Yet it was always too long to be practical. After I lost weight last year, this skirt settled down around my hips and what had been an ankle length skirt now puddled on the floor! It went from being impractical to being impossible.

 

I considered just getting rid of it, but liking the color, fabric and embroidery, I decided to try doing something else entirely. My first makeover.

 

I cut it off just under the zipper, which made the length about right. I wanted to cut the waistband out of the remnant, but the darts made that impossible. So I cut out a waistband from another fabric. Not the closest color, but close enough. I usually wear my blouses out over the skirt band anyway.

 

Marking the center of the front of the skirt, and the waistband, I pinned it together and began to play with the extra fabric. 

 

I tried several ways of pleating the extra fabric.

 

And decided on just a single box pleat in the front. For the back I did long darts to use up the extra.

 

From there on, it was just like finishing any skirt. I put in a short zipper by hand, and whipstitched down the waistband. 

Now I have a much more practical skirt that will actually get some wear!

 

I'm quite pleased with my first attempt at a makeover. I think there are more pieces in my closet that deserve a new lease on life as well. 

 

It's nice to have what feels like a new addition to the wardrobe without all the work of making it from scratch. 

 

Since I'm wearing it in these photos, I have to show you another favorite thrift store find - a classic pullover sweater. It's another one of those modern pieces that can easily become vintage with the right accessorizing.

 

A simple V neck and pretty puffed sleeves make it suitable for 1930s and 1940s wear. Plus it's comfortable! One of my favorite ways to dress vintage even when I don't feel like dressing up.

 

I think more makeovers are on the radar for the future! (After wedding sewing, though, I think. :-)

1950s Blue Twill Skirt

Supposedly a quick project, this skirt took me 3 weeks to complete. Not because it was difficult, but because it was hard to find time to sew. But at last it is finished, and in a pretty shade of solid blue is a great addition to my wardrobe, which badly needs basics.

I was going for a very accurate look this time, so my blouse is a modern thrift-store find, and my shoes are 1940s. You can call it vintage-inspired if you like.

 

The skirt is from a 1950s pattern but I think has classic elements that make it suitable for other eras as well. It looks kind of 1930s to me, actually. Maybe that's because so many skirts in the 1930s had those low pleats at the hem. This one has 2 in the front and 1 in the back, and I like the way they flow when I'm walking.

 

This was a new territory for me. Fitted skirts are something to be cautious with, but I figured I could always not topstitch the pleats if needed. The pleats are inserted all the way down, and top stitched. I stopped the top stitching right above the knee, and love how the pleats give it extra fullness so that it is still modest when I sit down.

 

It is too fitted around the hips, I think, so I'll wear it with tops that come down over the waist - and next time take a pleat in the pattern pieces at the hips to adjust the flare a little.

 

Otherwise it's fairly basic...I did French seams everywhere except the zipper seam. The fabric - now that is a different story! I got this length of twill and it was soft, and a great shade of blue. I washed it - and it came out as stiff as cardboard. I folded it up and put it away, trying to figure out what to do with it. Some time later I pulled it out again, thinking it would be a great fabric for a skirt (one of the fabric suggestions on this pattern is actually twill) - and it was soft again! So I happily made this skirt, only to have it dry on a hanger after wearing and laundering it for the first time...and it was stiff as cardboard again. Ironing softened it up, but it's quite weird, and the iron leaves marks, so I'm sure it will be only for everyday wear. But a good trial version of this pattern just the same. :-)

 

Once again I was reminded of how easy skirts are, compared to dresses or even blouses. No sleeves, facings, collars, etc. Even ones like this, with a little more involved, are quick and comparatively simple. A nice way to feel like you got a lot accomplished in a little time!

Talking About 1940s Sweaters...

One of my favorite ways to dress up in vintage style for everyday is to incorporate sweaters during the cooler months. Sweaters with 1940s styling are easily found in thrift stores and are generally very comfortable to wear for everyday since they have no motion restriction.

 

I've written before about wearing sweaters as a collegiate style, but sweaters were actually worn by women of all ages and occupations, so they can be quite suitable for anyone to incorporate into their wardrobe.

There are many different pictures available of women in the 1940s wearing sweaters which can give us a wide range of options when we are sweater shopping. As a 1940s sweater buying guide, you should look for two different styles. One comes just to the waist, or just past it. This type of sweater was generally worn as a blouse. It could be button down or pullover. This kind of sweater might not have shoulder pads; it could have gently puffed sleeves of any length (short sleeves were common) and usually was fitted at the waist while it could remain a little more blousy or be fitted on the top.

This cardigan has cute front detail, shoulder pads, and a collar.

 

Loretta Young wears a more casual style here - a fitted pullover with a novelty design, and a rare turtleneck.

 

The other style you can look for is a longer cardigan, which would have been worn as a jacket, sometimes even instead of a suit jacket. This type of sweater, always button-down (or even closing with a front zipper), usually has shoulder pads and is generally in more of a jacket style. Close the top button on these and button them all the way as long as the sweater is hip length.

Here's a sweater that is a jacket replica. Notice the crossed scarf to fill in the neck - a great idea!

 

This color block knitted sweater zips up the front and has a plain high neckline.

 

The cardigan I'm wearing falls in the 2nd category. It has patch pockets and cute sleeve detail. It did not originally have shoulder pads, but the nice thing about shoulder pads are they are super easy to add to a finished garment like I did here. 

 

I paired it with a vintage dickey and one of my new finds at an antique store - a dangling heart 1940s brooch.

 

Another style you can look for would be a long pullover to be worn with a belt, or if you want a sloppier teenage look, a slightly too-big sweater can be paired with a simple skirt and bobby socks. No belt.

Here are some less fitted schoolgirl style sweaters. Notice the initials at the neck of the one on the left.

 

Things to Look For

Sweaters in the 1940s often were solid colors, sometimes with shoulder detail. If they were unadorned, a lady would often wear a brooch or some sort of decoration on the shoulder. Novelty designs in sweaters were very common (hearts, arrows, animals, etc), and fair isle was popular especially for ski sweaters. Sweaters of some style or other could be worn for almost every dress code, including evening wear, though that was less common. 

Fair isle pullover, a little longer than some. A ski type of sweater but since it's short sleeve, probably not worn for skiing!

 

Sweaters often were blouse style, worn as blouses, and would have collars. This is not so common today, but don't worry - many sweaters were without collars back then as well. A plain round close neck was common, but if you have a sweater with a V, wear it with an undershirt or dickey that sports a collar - preferably white. The rule of thumb is if you have a sweater or jacket with a lapel or collar, wear a plain round neck dickey (maybe with a bow for a fussier style). If the sweater or jacket has a plain neck, wear it with a dickey with a collar.

V neck simple cardigans, worn with white collared blouses or dickeys.

 

If you are crafty, you can make 1940s sweaters yourself! Many vintage knitting patterns for lovely sweaters are available online and you can make the real thing.

 

Most of these guidelines apply to other eras of sweaters as well. 1930s sweaters might have more neck and shoulder detail, worn belted, and often sported raglan sleeves and button embellishments. 1950s sweaters were usually plain and snug, always without shoulder pads, and sweater sets were in vogue. So if you know what to look for and what to pair it with, these can be some of the easiest modern pieces to incorporate into your costumes or vintage-themed wear of any decade.

 

With these guidelines, just keep the options in mind when sweater shopping. A plain cardigan when worn with a white collared blouse and an A line skirt is a great, easy to find, everyday style for comfort for us vintage dressing gals, and still can be worn as a period correct costume if paired with the right accessories.

 

(All pictures not of me were found in the public domain.)