All posts filed under: 20th Century

Tap pants, french knickers, cami-knickers or lingerie shorts

Whatever you call them, I think they are the best thing ever. Especially if you do a lot of dancing and want to wear fun swirly skirts and still stay modest, or live in a city like Wellington, where every gust of wind puts your dignity at risk unless you wear trousers every single day. Don’t wear skirts? Still the best thing ever – wear them as comfortable but sexy pajamas. I just love tap pants and wear them all the time. That’s why one of my very first classes at Made Marion is a tap pants class – every lady needs her own super cute, super easy, super everything tap pants! I’ll be teaching students to make two types of tap pants – a very easy post-1940s version with an elastic waist, and an earlier 1920s onwards version with a side placket. Silk, ribbons and lace insets optional. Here are a few of my favourite historical tap pants, and tomorrow I’ll show you what my versions look like. First off, my very favourite set …

Rate the Dress: Shakin’ the Blues Away in bright yellow

Published by The Dreamstress

The ratings for last weeks pink and black 1890s Worth gown were very different, but everyone agreed on one thing: you DON’T like swag! Yes, that unfortunate swath of beading dragged the rating down to a 5.7 out of 10, pretty dismal for a Worth. When I asked for Rate the Dress suggestions someone mentioned film costumes. It’s been a while since I’ve featured a film costume, and only once before have I shown one with a clip, so you could Rate the Dress in motion. So here is Anne Miller Shakin’ the Blues Away in 1948’s Easter Parade (starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire) I’m going to confess right out that I love this clip. I’m having post-awesomeness blues at the moment, and what better way to shake them off than with a bright yellow and black dress and some fabulous dancing? I won’t be drawn on whether the dress itself is fabulous. That’s for you to decide. I know you haven’t been the biggest fans of yellow and black in the past. And …

Early 1950s fashions & fabrics in Japan, Part 5 of 5

Published by The Dreamstress

This is it. The last few pages of my catalogue of early 1950s sewing patterns and fabrics for the Japanese market. No I guess I’m going to have to start making some of them up! There is actually a little story to these photographs that I haven’t told you. I went out one afternoon, bought lots of delicious things at the Asia Gallery, got given the patterns, was having an absolutely fabulous day. Then I got home. And realised I didn’t have my key, and the house was completely locked up. Blast! Mr D would be home from work in an hour or so, and it was the middle of summer, so light and warm, so I decided to wait it out. Felicity came out of her cat door and meeped at me while she tried to work out why I wasn’t coming inside. And I tried to find something to occupy my time. I realised I had my camera (I always have my camera) and the catalogue to look at. So all of these …