July 29th, 2010
[ the newest Wearing History pattern: Smooth Sailing (also available for bust sizes 30" to 34"). ]
If you are interested in sewing vintage and spend a great deal of time (like I do!) hunting down patterns from earlier decades, you may have found how elusive some styles are to find. Half the time you have to do some size tweaking too and maybe adjust some portions for modern wear–when all you wanted to do was sew! That’s where Lauren of Wearing History comes in. She recreates and in many cases adjusts vintage styles, grades them to a variety of sizes, and prints them on quality paper for the modern sewist. She has just released a brand new pattern for 1930s sportswear trousers and blouse–wouldn’t these pieces be great for that transition period in fall? She told me she reworked the trousers to achieve a better fit and reduce some of the excess bagginess one finds in 30s trouser patterns–which means these will work great for your everyday wardrobe too! I just ordered a copy of this new pattern and can’t wait to try it!
[ Wearing History Sunkissed Sweetheart (sizes 30"-34"), original 50s cheongsam dress pattern, original 40s apron dress pattern. ]
She also sells original vintage patterns for the collector or sewer, and has a wide array of mouth watering patterns available right now. From the 1930s through the 60s and 70s–she’s got it covered! Lauren writes an informative and inspiring blog (he inspiration and scans posts are not to be missed!), also titled Wearing History. Be sure to stop by her shop and check out her latest patterns!
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Posted to: sponsor. | 9 lovely thoughts
July 27th, 2010
Gee, I haven’t done one of these posts in awhile, have I? If you follow my Tumblr blog, you may have noted that I’ve been posting quite a few pictures of Myrna Loy lately, which means I’m probably on a Thin Man kick too! Sailor Husband and I watched The Thin Man (the best of the bunch, imho) last Friday evening, and I remembered just how glamorous all of Myrna Loy’s costumes for the film were. In fact, this was one of the movies that got me started with tracking down vintage patterns with an eye to sew with them. It’s fun to watch the movie again and remember just how taken I was with the designs and possibilities of recreating vintage styles! I’ve pulled some of my favorite of Myrna Loy’s outfits, along with a few comments for this post–I hope you’ll enjoy! (All images can be clicked and enlarged!)
Myrna’s high, theatrical collar on her coat (and equally dramatic fur cuffs) was popular in the 30s, though usually not quite to this extreme I love her little hat! The 1930s, in my opinion, was really the height of interesting millinery.
My favorite gown in the entire film! I have always called this the “Candy Cane” dress; the swirling layers of bias cut stripes and ruffles are amazing. Take a close look at the cascading ruffles; the under layer’s stripes are going in the opposite direction, creating a subtle checked look Note the slightly empire waistline too.
So maybe this is my favorite piece in the film instead! I love the extremely dramatic and luxurious 30s take on a highly fantasized Medieval silhouette. Can you imagine lounging around in such glamor?
This is such an adorable, fun lounging ensemble. Pants for informal settings like in the home or at a resort were gaining popularity in the 30s as an option for women. These are obviously quite fantastic and Hollywood’s take on the look!
Mad for plaid! Don’t you just love how matchy Myrna’s outfit is? It’s a less severe option to the head-to-toe suit look, while still being trim.
A lovely, filmy lounging/lingerie ensemble. The robe has similar construction to a kimono; the sleeves are set in straight along the side seams.
Another favorite! Who doesn’t love how playful her outfit is here? The 30s really had a knack for creating a bit of whimsy in fashion, and Myrna’s outfit is a wink to that with the exaggerated elements like the ruffled jabot and cuffs. This is also another pants lounging outfit.
The 1930s specialized in evening gowns that looked like they were poured onto the wearer, thanks to the cling of bias and the amazing fabrics available to designers. This satin-finish dress always reminds me of an oil slick–albeit, a very glamorous one!
This is Myrna’s most restrained and what I would consider “normal” (not overly fantasized, as was the custom of most Hollywood designer’s at the time). It’s a cute plaid (again!) pajama and robe set; I love the little blouse because it looks like it could almost be worn as daywear!
Myrna’s wardrobe for this film was designed by the prolific Dolly Tree, who I was interested to find out also handled the costumes for several of my other favorite films like Wife vs. Secretary, Libeled Lady and After the Thin Man. Do you have a favorite designer from the Golden Age of Hollywood? I would have to say, mine is hands down Gilbert Adrian, if nothing else but for the witty costumes in The Women and The Philadelphia Story!
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Posted to: 1930s, film fashion, vintage inspiration. | 19 lovely thoughts
July 26th, 2010
[ can't go wrong with polka dots--and I love the flower embellishments on the patch pockets. ]
Juniors styles were still a relatively new concept in the 1940s. The term “juniors” referencing a particular fashion size range and style offerings at a specific age-group, started showing up in the 1930s. Though the juniors market wouldn’t fully realize until the 50s (and continue gaining strength), manufacturers and retailers latched onto this demographic very quickly in the 40s as the buying power of American youth was realized. If you want to see some 40s juniors fashions in motion, be sure to check out films like “Since You Went Away” and “The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer”. (I’m sure there are many other films I’m forgetting–if you have suggestions, please feel free to comment!)
The 40s junior styles are some of my favorites–I love the pretty-girlish silhouettes and details; they have a more romantic flair to them, which appeals to me. In many ways they were just slightly different variations of what was available in the misses size range, but I find they tended to be a bit more lighthearted! I hope you’ll enjoy these scans from the 1944 Sears catalog–and the two pages of floral “adornments” that I threw in too!
[ pretty, summery dresses in checked gingham. ]
>> continue reading jaunty junior fashions
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Posted to: 1940s, vintage inspiration. | 17 lovely thoughts
July 25th, 2010
[ please click for the sources of these lovely images! ]
Hello, everyone! How has your weekend been? We swapped our outdoor plans for stayin’ cool in the air conditioning, as it got brutally hot yesterday (and I just don’t do well in the heat all day!). Instead I have been spending my weekend in some creative pursuits–namely taking apart a straw hat to salvage the straw braid. Remember my resolution for 2010 to learn hat making? I’m finally starting to get into gear with that, and am slowly acquiring all the tools necessary for making myself a little straw hat (I’m coveting one of those small, early 40s “tilt” hats!). Hopefully more about this in the coming weeks–I want to document the process thoroughly. But for now, I’ve still got my nose buried in books (namely From the Neck Up by Denise Dreher and several of the millinery books available online here) and going through all my inspiration images to decide on the style!
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Posted to: links, weekly inspiration. | 6 lovely thoughts
July 23rd, 2010
[ stayin' cool in the Florida heat. ]
- dress: made by me, four years ago!
- carpetbag: gift from my mother in law
- shoes: ASOS
- earrings: street fair, southern California
- necklace: H&M
- belt: thrifted
- sunglasses: Urban Outfitters
You’re all probably tired of hearing this (and if you’re in the right spot in the world, experiencing it!), but it’s been so hot lately–almost so much so that I haven’t really been bothering to wear anything exciting. Pretty much the same half dozen pieces (relying heavily on lightweight skirts) over and over… It’s so easy to get into a rut when the weather is uncooperative! Last week, however, I dug this dress out of the back of my closet, and it’s light color and fiber (linen) have been just the little pick-me-up I needed! Funnily enough, I don’t think I’ve ever shown a picture of me wearing this–even though I made it four years ago! It was made with a modern pattern (which I believe it still in print–New Look #6557), but had a bit of a retro flair to it.
[ my favorite handbag! ]
For a short time I actually thought about getting rid of this dress (honestly, there are about a million things I would do differently fitting and construction-wise now!), but held on to it because of the antique lace on the hem. I kept meaning to take it off to save, but never did. It’s a good thing too I guess! Throwing on a belt helps with some of the fit issues at this point, and pairing it with some of my favorite jewelry and handbag (a red carpetbag my mother in law gave me for Christmas! You can drool over these lovely pieces of work here!) perks it up a bit more. I don’t want to admit to how many times I’ve worn this in the past week, but it may be somewhere between two and four…
[ yes, this hairstyle has been making multiple appearances in variations this week! ]
It looks like another action-packed weekend ahead of Sailor Husband and I! Whew–I thought weekend were for a bit of r&r, but lately I’ve been wrong. lol. Although just about everything we have planned (with a couple exceptions) is fun, so a girl can’t complain. Hope you all have lovely weekends too!
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Posted to: outfits. | 23 lovely thoughts
