Today\’s dress is Simplicity 1795, a kimono-sleeved party dress from 1956 (and available on etsy if you want one too). I made this a while ago and wore it to a sorority formal:
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| sewing blogger tip: blogging is easy when you just use weird facebook photos from 2008 to display your creations |
Hello, 2008 me! Hello, barely visible dress!
It was one of the first dresses I made all by myself, and I wasn\’t really thinking about rewearability…this was back when the terms cake and frosting only applied to baked goods. It is navy poly satin and loooong (for me) and altogether too fancy for me to wear very often. It has languished in my closet ever since. UNTIL NOW.
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| looking at these pictures i really like this dress |
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\”What shall I wear to my graduate program holiday party?\” I thought. I briefly considered wearing something totally different than what I wore last year (a navy blue dress) and decided against it. Navy blue it is!
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| spins! i wish i had a crinoline/were brave enough to wear it in public. |
Good news: this dress still fits and hasn\’t fallen apart despite the total lack of finishing. Plus, it requires no ironing since it is made out of plastic. Inside peek!
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| zig zag hem finish aww yeah |
I find the inside of this dress endearing. This is what a garment looks like when you just follow the instructions and don\’t try to \”improve\” it. Pinked seams! Zig zags! How retro! Is 2008 retro?
For my rewearing, I didn\’t alter it at all. I paired it with a sash in the fabric that we originally bought for it rather than the silk j. crew sash I wore the first time (the lighter blue that you can sort of see). Aaaaand actually I lied when I said I made it by myself up there I guess, because I know my mom made the sash, at least. I have no memory of finishing that much poly chiffon. Also, a note on this pattern: the cummerbund seemed impossibly tiny. That\’s why I ended up with this gathered sash rather than a real cummerbund.
Has anyone else made Simplicity 1795? It is a very easy make with the kimono sleeves, and its a very classic shape. Did you run into the same cummerbund issue, or did I misread my pattern pieces?
I always look back at my projects from years ago a groan at how terrible they are and all the shortcuts i used to take. Its so good that you can pull out a dress which still looks excellent and still fits! You did a really good job with the seams too, I love seeing the insides of dresses!
Ooh, looks lovely on you! The back is gorgeous!
Loooooove!! I'm putting this dress on my \”To Sew\” list! I think your seams look just fine 🙂
It is definitely worth sewing!