Dorothy Gale would appreciate the blue gingham and 40s-vibe of this ensemble, don't you think? This is a combo of a contemporary pattern with a vintage one: the skirt is an early 50s pattern and the blouse is a current Simplicity offering that I made a couple crucial design changes on.The blouse is Simplicity 2501.
I made view C but omitted the weird bow-collar-thing:
I drafted a convertible collar in its place. Much better, I think! I mean, I love bows and all, but that one was just a little biz-ZAAH (as Heidi Klum would say).
I made a size 16 and it fit pretty much perfectly - good thing since I didn't make a muslin. It was one of those days that I just felt like diving into a project. A gamble, but Lady Luck was with me! I totally dig the waistband and peplum action on this pattern.I found these cool blue velvet buttons at M&J Trim. The fabric is a stretch gingham that I bought from Gorgeous Fabrics last summer.
The skirt is from a 1950s pattern (purchased from this lovely seller) that was a lot more exciting on the envelope than it is made up. I mean, there's nothing wrong with it, but I was expecting a bit more drama from the illustration:
It's a simple a-line in the front:
And it has more fullness in the back. (Oh my god, it's like the skirt version of a mullet!)
I made it in a fantastic wool gabardine that I got half-off in the Paron's Annex. It doesn't wrinkle at all! Luckily I have enough left over to make another Jenny bow skirt.
All in all, I give a thumbs-up to both these pieces - they're nice basics with a very WWII vibe to them.It was a warm, sunny day here so we took the camera up to the roof and took these pictures. We have a lovely view of Manhattan - Dorothy's definitely not in Kansas anymore!
Very cute! Love the retro feel of the top - very 40s - and the skirt looks lovely; simple but perfect with that top.
ReplyDeleteLove it. I particularly like to way you have the confidence to adapt your patterns so they are just so.
ReplyDeleteOoh lovely blouse! You had me rushing off to buy the pattern... and I got it at a 50% discount - woo hoo! I actually like the bows...!
ReplyDeleteLovely work, as usual! I am all about the 40s inspiration right now - can't get enough of it!
ReplyDeleteVery "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." Love it (especially with the shoes)!
ReplyDeleteAnd there's something very nostalgic about a photo taken on a tar roof. :)
Lovely blouse. It looks much better on you than it does on the pattern envelope model.
ReplyDeleteToo cute!! I've a large collection of vintage patterns & forget to look at new stuff but I might have to seek out your blouse myself. Regardless of pattern era, it's all about the fabric & you my dear have got it goin' on! Awesome shoes too.
ReplyDeleteVery cute! Love the blouse!
ReplyDeletebeautiful, and i love the gingham!
ReplyDeleteLove the blouse . . . the shoes are to die for!!! I need to find myself a pair of pumps that are exactly that color!
ReplyDeleteskirt mullet! I love it. I've been looking for some nice, simple, wearable skirts of late and this might just be the one.
ReplyDeleteLove the outfit. Dribbling over the shoes
ReplyDeleteI like the change you made to the blouse. I don't like the original, and your change makes it 100% better. I also like the fabric you used on the blouse.
ReplyDelete5 thimble award.
~Sewjourner
Oh, it is VERY Dorothy, and looks lovely with the flower in your hair and those wonderful shoes.
ReplyDeleteOooh. I love the top. I actually have that pattern. I am unimpressed with the collar options the pattern came with, but yours is cute! Could you post how you did the collar?
ReplyDeleteOoh, tres chic! That blouse pattern looks wonderfully versatile - I think I must have it...
ReplyDeleteYou can never have too much gingham in your life! Lovely. Your roof photos remind me of when I was a student visiting Boston for the summer. I used to go and sunbathe on the roof of the YWCA I was staying in. That was back in the days when people still sunbathed...!
ReplyDeleteLove it all! The peplum is a nice style for you - and it all fits so well.
ReplyDeleteI've seen that top made up before on blogland and again I am very impressed. Also that skirt reminds me of a pattern from evadress.
ReplyDeletePart of why the envelope looks better is petticoatedness. My mom grew up in the 50s and she says that it was a contest between her and her sister to see who got up first, because whoever got up first got the most petticoats. It was an age of fuller skirts that needed lots and lots of petticoats underneath to show them off.
ReplyDeleteGertie, please. What are those shoes? They are amazing.
ReplyDeleteYou totally could've rocked the bow-collar ... but it is a smidge biz-ZAAH. Love your customizations to this darling blouse.
ReplyDeleteThanks, everyone! Winky, I'd be happy to post a little how-to for the collar. It's VERY simple.
ReplyDeleteLaura, I wondered the same thing about wearing a crinoline with the skirt - but the front of the skirt is so slim that you get a stuffed-sausage effect with a crinoline. Maybe I need to make a mullet crinoline!
Lee Ann, the shoes are from Vintage Remix.
Love the whole outfit, but I really LOVE the shoes!!!!
ReplyDeleteSkirt mullet - ha ha ha, I love it! You look fabulous!
ReplyDeleteBusiness in front...PARTY in the back!!!
ReplyDeleteAdorable and well-fitting as always.
I have some gingham that I've been puzzling what to do with (so much so that I actually have dreams about it!) Thanks for showing such a cute example...and the mullet skirt rocks!
ReplyDeleteTotally awesome ensemble!! And I love the shoes.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful outfit! You are really inspiring. The green shoes are perfect touch!
ReplyDeleteHm. I think you're right, Gertie. Perhaps they thought you should make petticoats from the same pattern?
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing outfit. You look awesome.
ReplyDeleteSo lovely and I love the hair and the flower too! Great pieces!
ReplyDeleteGreat ensemble! Love the shirt and back of the skirt is really a surprise (and as I said I love surprises). I have a request: Would you post a tutorial about buttonholes? Mine are terrible and they look really crafty (or should I say crappy...)
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Very cute! I love the shirt. I love how you changed the collar. Those bows were definitely...different.
ReplyDeleteI love gingham! Both the skirt and blouse turned out so well - a nice combo of vintage and modern patterns.
ReplyDelete-Melanie
I LUV this outfit on you! The blouse looks so much better on you than me. I made one last summer and the waistband thingy just doesn't work if you're high waisted.
ReplyDeleteSkirt version of a mullet! haha! love it. looks like a perfect summer top for work. i love the belt and peplum too and your mix of velvet and gingham.
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT! awesome shoes, too! i'm glad you chose to go with green rather than red, despite the cool wizard of oz theme. the green is refreshing.
ReplyDeleteOh my...who must I kill to get those shoes??
ReplyDeleteI pretty much love everything about this outfit. I really like how the skirt gives you the illusion of business in the front, almost like a pencil skirt and then wham, it's flirty fun in the back:o) You rock this outfit!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. Well done, you!
ReplyDeleteYour version of that blouse is pretty much something I've been dreaming of - except I'm thinking of a small portrait collar instead. Now I'm going to have to go find that pattern and come up with my own version! Thanks for finding it!
Cute outfit! Love the shoes!!!
ReplyDeleteHi there--I just found your blog from Colette. And what a lot of fun this is! But I have laundry to fold. It can wait!
ReplyDeleteREally cute outfit. Not sure about the mullet comment - I like my back of skirt details, now I will think of them differently ;(
ReplyDeleteI would love a how-to on how the collar was drafted, as I also really like this pattern but feel that the bow was a really weird touch.
ReplyDeleteOoh, the peplum detail has me as green as your shoes--speaking of which, your chosen color combination is one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteHappy wearing!
The clothes are great... but I WANT THOSE SHOES!
ReplyDeleteI actually heard somewhere recently (I forget the article, but it was on my Yahoo home page) that a re-imagined Wizard of Oz movie might be going into production. So you're already well-prepared for the ensuing Oz craze! ;)
ReplyDeleteAlso, ditching the weird bow-collar was a great call.
Honestly I think if the skirt length were a little closer to what was intended, you'd have the 'drama' back!
ReplyDeleteI'm a ridiculous bow-loving lady but the bow collar illustration really does look strange.
You look so retro. I love that outfit, shoes and all.
ReplyDeleteI just made that blouse pattern a few weeks ago WITH the biZAAH bow-thingie. I used a print, so it is not quite so visible. I debated whether to draft a new collar. Yours looks fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Andrea-my main objection with the blouse is that the waist band sits oddly. I need to adjust that buttonhole for maximum comfort while sitting.
This is DOLL cute! The fullness in the back of the skirt is not something I would have imagined, but it is so cute! Congrats on a great new outfit
ReplyDeleteLove the whole outfit! Great shoes.
ReplyDeleteSkirt mullet. Haha - I love it!
ReplyDeleteSuch a cute outfit. Now I REALLY want a pair of lime green shoes.
ReplyDeletethat is fantastic. Love the skirt. Skirt-mullet! fabulous new term. great job on the top too. g
ReplyDeleteI'm kinda freaking out right now because I'm pretty sure you're in my brain. I've been looking for a month now at that exact skirt pattern, and that exact blouse pattern, and pondering, pondering, pondering... wondering how they would look together, what fabrics to use, if those collar-bows were just TOO much. And right from my brain into the blogosphere. Can I just say that I'm really glad it was you who reviewed these? I totally trust your judgment, so yes, I bought the skirt pattern right away... I like that the back flare is more understated than the pattern design. I just wanted a little poofy oomph, and less swishy-fish... and if I also take the plunge with the blouse pattern, I'll go bowless. Now if your next post has the perfect pair of summer wedges, I'll really be freaking out! ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm making this top right now! But I love the bow. It's so Emma Pillsbury. :)
ReplyDeleteCute skirt too...did you shorten it? I haven't delved into vintage skirts much yet and the illustrations are always so LONG.
What a fabulous outfit. BTW, i love those shoes :-)
ReplyDeleteHey, I AM in Kansas and like it here! I also love that blouse but especially the shoes. Thanks for putting up the tute on the collar because that change was perfect.
ReplyDeleteOh, that skirt is so fun! The whole outfit is adorable together, but I'm really head over heels in love with the skirt pattern.
ReplyDeleteI love your blouse! The tiny gingham is so cute.
ReplyDeleteThat is a gorgeous blouse! Definitely agree with you on the collar redo--I like it better your way.
ReplyDeleteFunny, but from looking at the photo I thought the blouse was a vintage pattern and the skirt a modern one. With so many patterns, it comes down to a tweak in the making or the styling that puts it in an era (or takes it out of one!)
Love this outfit! The blouse is so adorable. It is so great to read up on what you're doing. I love your blog! Sending you some lovin' via the "I Love Your Blog" award. :) http://bit.ly/9S08A5
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ReplyDeleteSuch a cute outfit. Love love loving those green shoes!
ReplyDeleteI love it! This post inspired me to get that pattern. Thanks for helping me see past the dorky collar treatment they used on the original. :)
ReplyDeleteAdvance 3037 (July 1942).
ReplyDeleteI'm just curious why it seems you usually alter a modern pattern to get your retro era look instead of buying one the zillion of vintage patterns on the internet, esp when it comes to 40s blouse patterns that I see everywhere fairly cheap all the time, often for under or around $10. And 40s skirts I've seen auctions end with no bids with $1 starting bids. I've seen for around $10 to $15 patterns with the skirt and blouse or suit pattern. I was just curious why someone who loves vintage seems prefer take a modern pattern and make some change to it and then call it vintage. 40s blouses have a very distinctive construction of lower darts just used to tuck the blouse neatly into their skirt or trousers and then the blouse is loose and shirred under the shoulders, which were long and padded and often the sleeve was one with the body of the blouse, whatever that is called. I think you're blouse is totally cute, I'm just not really getting why it is a 40s blouse. I just think everyone goes on these blogs to pat everyone on the back about everything they do. If I have a blog I want hear people from different opinions, not just oh I love everything you make. I just can't find the blog yet where you've made an entirely autenthic vintage outfit.
ReplyDeletejenfromzen, I'm not sure why you're so hostile! I like vintage fashion with a modern fit and I've never claimed to make "authentic vintage" outfits, whatever that is. Jeez.
ReplyDelete