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| Pose. The hills are alive, bitches. Alive! |
And here's what it looks like straight on, no cute posing or anything. This is also what my bitchy resting face looks like straight on.
I got this dress at a clothing swap a couple of months ago, so it was free. There were some issues with it that I just got around to addressing, namely the fact that the bodice was separating from the skirt in several places, and there were some good sized stains that needed to be soaked out. However, it fits really nicely, and it's made of a soft, lightweight cotton, so when it was hot out a couple of days ago I decided it was time to bust it out.
"Are we gonna lose the farm, Pa?" "I just don't know, Sally. I just don't know."
Also, my neighbor is awesome for making this cool wooden sculpture thingy, because now I have something to pose with.
Also, filters are fun.
I can't decide if this gets into sisterwife territory or just skirts the border a little bit. It's not very fitted through the waist, and the pointed seam at the front of the bodice and the puffed sleeves with the eyelet, um, fins(?) take it in that direction. On the other hand, I grew up in rural Colorado, and I can't say that I mind looking a bit like a Dust Bowl era cowboy's sweetheart.
I've been trying to think of some fixes, but I don't really want to take the sleeves off of another dress, and since this guy has waist ties, not to mention the interesting seaming, I can't really wear a belt with it to define the waist more either. I'm not sure if it's going to stay in my wardrobe, or if I'd like to do a few more repairs and then pass it along to someone who would be really enthusiastic about it. If I had a sewing machine, I might be tempted to just lose the top half and just make it into a high-waisted skirt, but I don't, so...
Any thoughts? What do you usually do with a piece that you like but aren't sure has a place in your wardrobe?
Definitely something I think every vintage loving gal faces at some point. Maybe if you changed the neckline. I've noticed that high buttoned necklines even unbuttoned a little helps. Hope you can make ot work for you.
ReplyDeleteSarah
Unfortunately the fabric at the seams is quite frayed and messy looking, so unbottoning doesn't work, but I've definitely thought about having it altered by a professional. Something lower and square would probably be a bit better on me. We'll see how it all turns out!
DeleteI think you are missing some accessories, this could certainly brighten up your dress:) It is also interesting that you have a gingham dress, I've also been thinking about gingham lately and thinking about doing a blog post on it. It certainly is underrated and falls under the vintage radar and you can get some very lovely dresses in this fabric. I think it is a fabric that is like a blank canvas and if you can find the right cuts to it, it's so lovely.
ReplyDeleteI do love the fabric. I've seen a lot of red gingham around lately, and it's just got such a perfectly retro feel to it.
DeleteIt does look like a great fit, so it would be a shame to not wear it. Joanna's suggestion of playing with accessories is a good one. I was thinking that if you like the skirt part, in cooler weather you could just wear a nice cardigan over it and treat it like a skirt?
ReplyDeletePersonally I think it's the lacy trim bits that take it too far. Can you remove those? Then I'm thinking break up the high neck with a little scarf, maybe in black? Or either embrace the gingham in a picnic-y way with a straw hat and a petticoat and lighter accessories. Just some thoughts :)
I might have to try the suggestion about pairing it with a straw hat and going for a full on picnic look, that could be really cute. Unfortunately the lacy bits are there to stay (unless I just take off the sleeves, which is still an option).
DeleteI have a dress very similar that I felt was a total frilly mess. I would take the lace ruffle off the front and cut that neckline lower. You can fold the dress in half longwise and just cut a square, semi-circle or even sweetheart neckline out. Flip the facing to the outside and hand sew it or face the neck with hand-sewn bias tape. It would probably benefit from some much brighter candy red buttons too!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely thinking about dropping the neckline, but the buttons are a great suggestion as well.
DeleteI honestly think only a few small tweaks would help immeasurably! (I have been doing the same with a few items in my wardrobe, to save them from the charity shop pile!)
ReplyDeleteI'm a minimum effort kind of gal, so while I agree with Brittany that a different neckline would look wonderful, I'd actually find that too time-consuming. Instead, I would attach a white Peter Pan collar. I might also change the sleeve-length to something about half as long. And my final tip for fighting 'frump' is to wear heels! Works for me anyway.
Good luck x