All posts tagged: 20th century

Coat-spiration

I love vintage coats. In a weird way they speak more to me of vintage glamour and the lifestyle than evening dresses do, because everyone needed to wear a coat, not everyone needed an evening dress. Here are my favourite vintage coat patterns from my stash. First, a fabulous late 1940s coat. Love the swing, the collar, the cuffs, the massive exaggeration of everything! I’m in the midst of making this up in black and white plaid – I’ll show you soon. For more fabulous mid-century swingy-ness, you can’t beat this coat. Front, back, collar and cuffs, one button, and you have a coat. So simple, and yet so stylish. Especially if you wear it with a little birdcage veil! Keeping with the swing thing, I love how simple and elegant this coat is. No collar, no cuffs, but it still has pockets, and that wonderful sense of luxurious ease that a really roomy coat gives. A good collar does make a coat though. I particularly love the high collar of view one of this …

A wedding dress to die for

Published by The Dreamstress

Mrs C is doing the costuming for a new musical, ‘Lonely Hearts’, which is based on Raymond Fernandez & Martha Beck, the original Lonely Hearts serial killers from the late 1940s/early 50s. The costuming is all being designed and sewn with as much historical accuracy as you can aspire to within the confines of the theatre (quick changes, actors playing multiple rolls etc.). I lent Mrs C all my 40s patterns and my mid-century fashion books and she’s been calling me up and asking about covered buckles and zips (yep, totally accurate for the 40s). And she asked if I would be able to help with the sewing – so I said I would do the wedding dress. I’m using one of Grandma’s 1940s patterns: Isn’t it gorgeous? Perfect early late 40s/early 50s styling with that sweetheart neckline and princess seamed front! The pattern still has my Grandmother’s alterations, so I know she made it up. I’m making it with longish sleeves, and in waltz length. The actress who will be wearing it isn’t a …

Patterns for a 1911 wedding dress

Published by The Dreamstress

Want to recreate one of the gorgeous 1911 wedding dresses we have looked at? Unless you are brave and foolish (e.g. me) you’ll want a pattern. Here are some that might help: The S&S 1910s tea gown pattern generally receives excellent reviews and is very similar in cut to many of the wedding dresses we’ve seen. The sleeves appear to be a bit shorter than most examples, but it shouldn’t be too hard to lengthen them or to add lace undersleeves. You could also lengthen the skirt to form a train if desired. The one slightly tricky thing will be filling the neckline, as its much too low for a daytime wedding. The easy way to fix this? With a guimpe! (Note to self – do a guimpe tutorial). This is perfectly historical, as I’ve found quite a few 19teens wedding descriptions that make note of the guimpe, and there are examples of 1910s wedding dresses that were worn with guimpes for the wedding, and without for evening wear after. Sense & Sensibility also …