All posts filed under: 20th Century

Simplicity 2733: a pattern mystery

I found Simplicity 2733 at an op-shop a few days ago, and it has turned out to be quite a fascinating piece. On the surface, it looks simple: a basic late ’50s blouse pattern: The pattern wasn’t a lot, and I was in a hurry, so I didn’t inspect it at the op shop. When I came home and opened it up, I was surprised for two reasons. First, I got a bonus! It also included most of the pieces (all but the longer sleeve view) and the instructions for Simplicity 1735. Sweet! The second surprise? Simplicity 2733 is late 1950s, but the pattern is a non-printed, pre-cut perforated pattern, of the type that you rarely see in post mid-1940s patterns. I have never before seen a 1950s pattern of this type. What a conundrum. Why is this particular pattern so old-fashioned? Are all copies of 2733 like this? Or was this pattern produced in NZ, using older technology, meaning that the NZ version of the pattern is different than the usual international version? Any …

Rate the Dress: Linen & Lace in the 1900s

Published by The Dreamstress

Well, I’m always surprised by what you guys like and don’t like, though in retrospect the reaction to last week’s 1858 pink dress should have been a foregone conclusion. On the one hand, it was a 1850s ballgown (super popular), on the other hand, it was covered in random dull pink frills, layers & bows (ick), but, of course, all those pink frills bring to mind Kaylee’s Shindig dress from Firefly (automatic bonus points). All this balanced out at 6.5 out of 10. This week I think we should look at something a little more restrained and tailored: a refresher after all the elaborate sweetness of last week. This linen day dress from the Minnesota Historical Society combines a classic early 1900s silhouette with an distinctive layout of soutache and lace trimming the skirt and bodice. The trim gives delicious glimpses of the green silk under-slip, and its lines echo that of a corset, creating a intriguingly avante-garde undergarment-as-outerwear effect. Or maybe I’m just looking at it from a 21st century perspective. What do you …

Terminology: What is bagheera? (and a bonus definition)

Published by The Dreamstress

Bagheera is fine, uncut pile velvet. It was originally made of silk, but after the introduction of cellulose fabrics it could be made of rayon. It was popular in the 1930s & 40s. A 1933 fashion column describes it as ‘a crepe velvet with a matte surface’. The ‘matte surface’ refers to the rough, uncut pile which absorbs rather than reflecting light. The crepe makes it crush-resistant, and gives it a lovely drape, making it very popular for evening wear. Heavier bagheeras are also used in furnishing, because the crush-resistant quality makes it suitable for chairs and other items that get heavy wear. Bagheera is first used as a term for the particular type of velvet in the early 30s, and mentions in the early ’30s sometimes use quotation marks, indicating it was a novel term. It was used for evening dresses and skirts, glamourous house-robes (the replacement for the tea gown), as an alternative to fur for wraps and jackets, and in millinery. Bagheera remained popular into the early ’40s, but was another …