Another 20s Dress, Old Sport!

I was pretty dubious about the drop-waisted, shapeless styles of the 1920s when I first started doing research for my Great Gatsby frock. I figured I was going to make my one evening gown so as to use up that elaborately beaded/embroidered stash fabric, then never sew anything from that era ever again. I  even went so far as to feel sorry for everyone who'd subscribed to my Great Gatsby Fashion board on Pinterest, because I wasn't going to add to it anymore. But I couldn't get that "robe de style" look out of my head! I wasn't actually in love, but I felt a tender curiosity.

So, when it came to my next sewing project, I decided to combine both the Stashbusting Sewalong dress challenge AND the Historical Sew Fortnightly lace theme and make another Gatsby dress, but a more casual one this time. It's more afternoon-outing-in-the-cream-colored-car, less lavish-party-at-the-mansion-in-West-Egg. Similar to my evening gown, it's a lace overdress, colored slip, and accents in the same color as the slip. This time, though, I went all jersey knits to keep it more casual (and also because it's what was in the stash). Funnily enough, just like how my previous make was a top from a pattern I originally purchased when I first started sewing, these fabrics are also from that same time period. It's one of my first purposeful fabric purchases (i.e. not just remnant bin finds for practicing on), but I loved the lace and the dusty robin's egg blue so much that I could never bring myself to sew them up because I was afraid I wouldn't do it justice. Three years later, I'm glad I waited for this.

I loved this random apartment complex's old-timey wooden door. The anachronistic key code box, not so much. 

Side view.

Isn't this fabric gorgeous? 

While they might not be the most historically accurate materials, my fabrics are still in line with the general look and popular color scheme of the time:

Lace over a pale blue slip with the same fabric as a belt...hmmm, that's pretty similar to the picture at the beginning of the post...

Pale blue!

More pale blue, with a simple gathered skirt.

And...more pale blue. 

Lace overdress with a gathered rectangle skirt, pale blue slip...are we sensing a theme?

Not the same shade of blue, but a lace overdress and purpley-blue slip nonetheless.

This tambour lace overdress actually reminds me a lot of the burnout pattern on my overdress. 

I think I did pretty well in interpreting this look for modern wear!

It's hard to see here, but I promise, the colored slip shows up much better IRL. 

I don't think it screams "HI I'M A HISTORICAL COSTUME!" at all, right?

Ignore my spaced-out resting face. 

On the other hand, maybe it screams 80s-drop-waist-dress. Please tell me it doesn't!

Summary:
The Challenge: Lace and Lacing...obviously I went for lace.

Fabric: 2 yards of burnout cotton jersey "lace" for the overdress, 1 yard of rayon jersey for the slip, belt, ribbon, and sleeve accents

Pattern: I didn't use a specific pattern, but instead came up with my own based on these dress patterns from the late 1920s. No shaping in the the bodice, kimono sleeves with an accent band in contrasting fabric, a wide scoop neckline with a bow, and a gathered rectangle for the skirt. The slip is the same pattern as the American Duchess tutorial I used last time, but with a more shaped neckline. Since I was using knit fabric, I bound the neckline and made the straps with the same fabric instead of using ribbon.

Year: late 1920s

Notions: Metal snaps for the belt

How historically accurate is it? I made my style lines as accurate as I could without buying an actual pattern. My research seems to indicate that knit fabric was made acceptable for daywear in the 19-teens by Chanel, but was usually made of wool or silk.  Rayon was invented, but not popular until the late 1920s, and then usually as a woven. That said, my M.O. is still accurate pattern, plausible overall look, inaccurate fabric, plus I'm making this more as a historically-inspired modern dress, so I'm okay with it.

Hours to complete: Ten, what with research, cutting, fiddly little binding strips, and handsewing snaps.

Total cost: I bought the fabric so long ago, it feels free...but it was probably about $10 in reality.

Will you make it again? When I made my first 1920s dress, I said it was extremely unlikely I'd make another one...and yet here I am, just two months later, prancing around in another one! I'd like to say this is the end, but knowing how these things go, I'll probably just turn around and do it again.

Final thoughts: The 1920s were one of the first eras of fashion that I was actually aware of, probably because of those horrible not-actually-1920s fringe dresses that pop up every Halloween. I wasn't a fan then, but thanks to the Great Gatsby movie, that look is back and I think I might actually like it now! So we beat on, [sewists] against the current, borne ceaselessly back into the past. Okay, but poor use of quotes aside, lace+dustyblue might be one of my favorite combinations ever. I'm also a fan of the full skirt in disguise that hangs straight down, and yet is delightfully swishy when I move.

Deceptively slim-looking...

But perfect for the Charleston starting a twirl!

Wheeeee! Good thing the slip isn't full, so there's no real danger of a Marilyn moment. 

Spin move!

Okay, allow me to indulge in just one more quote: “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”  

And now for some unrelated business: Lucille, you're the winner of the Zippered Wallet Pattern! Shoot me an email so that PoldaPop can get the pattern to you. Alice, I haven't heard from you about the Interfacing Swatch Set! If I don't hear from you by Thursday, I'll pick another winner.