This dress has been an ongoing project since I bought it a few weeks ago.
I think the stench has been removed, so that there will not be a repeat of the
What appealed to me about the dress is its exuberantly jolie-laide print: it is so ugly that it is actually cute. Even M likes it, though he points out that it is better in person than in the photos. I like the way it so perfectly captures an era-- the wide collar, the groovy off-centre patch pockets, the garish polyester fabric.... I feel like my glamourous mum at a crazy house party in the glamourous 70s (which is weird because I actually remember the 70s and they weren't all that glamourous in our town...).
Also, it cost $10, so I knew that even if the alterations didn't work
(read: because my screwing them up was a very real possibility),
it would not be a tragedy.
The dress was a maxi-dress, direct from the 70s.
Better still, it was home-made-- the lacy seam-binding, carefully cut-out notches on the seams, covered buttons and hand-sewn domes were evidence of some home sewing maven's handiwork. It reminded me of my mum who, back in the disco decade, sewed a lot of her own clothes, most of mine and my brother's and a whole wardrobe for my Crissy doll.
Yeah, you remember Crissy and her weird belly-button, don't you?
I digress.
This dress was so long (should have taken a photo wearing it) that it could easily have fit me and LHR together, with one of us sitting on the other's shoulders. I cut off about 24", in the end, and had to take it apart at the waist in order to shorten the bodice to fit my hobbit-like proportions.
During the alterations, I had some help:
Here it is, all finished.
What do you think?
I think I need a different belt-- this one felt wrong all day long...
(I didn't wear the cardigan, in the end-- it was too sausage-y 'round the middle.)
Shoes: Report
Dress: Rozaneh
Cardi: Jacob
Belt: ??
Earrings: Ardene. Yeah, I know.
Cuff: H&M
5 comments:
I am your blog LURKER! Which is okay, I think, since I have known the two of you for all of your 29 year friendship. :)
I found you through Lisa's Facebook page and spent the weekend in rapt OBSESSION catching up on three months worth of fashionista bravado. I love it. It makes me happy just to see the two of you, looking so incredibly gorgeous. I am in envious admiration.
I'm a devotee now. So keep up the posts!
LOL! Daph! You even got a mention in the "13 Going On 30" post!
How the heck are you?
On the off chance someone else reads this blog (who am I kidding?!), go through L's Facebook page to get my email so we can catch up. :)
Maybe your comment will encourage Sinclair (our other lurker) to comment, too! :)))
PS-- thanks for the compliments-- we love doing this silly little blog. Hee!
Hey YYZ. It looks great. I like it without the cardie. You are inspiring me to get out my sewing machine. We have decided to have a stitch and bitch (with pimms) at work. I've decided I'm going to give my hand at alterations. eek!
Let me remind you: you DID win the Home Ec award in Grade 8, so you are MORE than ready to dust off those sewing skills!
Maybe save the Pimms for celebratory post-alterations drinks...
Anette and Amelia are coming over on the w/e and I plan to entertain them in the sewing room: tea and cookies and girly chat (while Amelia plays with Zen.)
Post a Comment