All posts tagged: 1980s.

Rate the Dress: Gingham Ballgown

Published by The Dreamstress

Last week most of you liked the 1880s girls party dress with its excellent pockets.  Not all of you though: some thought the colours sickly sweet, or the silhouette too adult, so it came in a very good but not fabulous 7.9 out of 10. It’s midwinter here in NZ.  It’s cold and wet and grey and icky.  But in the northern hemisphere, it’s lovely and warm, and those of you in Canada are celebrating Canada Day (Happy Canada Day Canadians!) and those of you in the US are celebrating July 4th (Happy Independence Day Americans!). So, in the spirit of midsummer picnics and midsummer balls, with red and white for Canada and firework-pinwheel thingees for America, I present a  gingham ballgown by Arnold Scaasi from the collection of the Met.  Yes, it is from the 1980s.  This is, by far, the most modern Rate the Dress I have ever shown you, and I am fascinated to find out what you think of it. What do you think? Fascinating and fabulous and fun: a great …

Vintage Patterns Part 1

Published by The Dreamstress

I have a bunch of sewing stuff stored under my parent’s house in Hawaii, and I’m gradually moving most of it to NZ. This most recent trip, I brought back a bunch of vintage patterns which I inherited from my Grandmother or was given by Auntie Artie. They range in age from the 1940s to the early 1980s, and I can’t wait to make some of them up! Here is half of what I brought back.  I’ll share the rest next week: