What does it mean to dream of a dress? Well, thanks to Zolar's Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Dreams, you can find out. (Have I mentioned lately how much I adore Google Print?)

receiving a dress: you will be helped by an unknown man
changing a dress: you will suffer because of your own foolishness
closet full of dresses: a constant love of social pleasures
designing a dress: you will receive a proposition and turn it down (I dream this ALL THE TIME, yet I cannot think of the last proposition I received)
buying a new dress: health and happiness
nice dress: efforts will succeed
tight dress: you are being unrelenting your control of others
purple dress: happy marriage and death of a friend (huh?)
a partially sewn dress: you will be disregarded by friends
a dress in a shop window: your ambition is inspired, follow it
taking off a dress: trust only your own counsel
sewing up a torn dress: you are neglecting your own children
washing a dress: be more financially frugal
wearing a daring evening gown : your selfish, presumptive personality shines (I dream this fairly often as well. At least I'm a SHINY jerk.)
someone stepping on the train of your dress: you will have a new love affair

Even though no less an authority than Nelson Algren said "Never eat at a place called 'Mom's'" I don't think that stricture applies to other retail establishments. Anyway, I just ran across MOM's Patterns on eBay (The MOM stands for "More of Macajero's") and I think I'll be spending some money there (well, more than I already did yesterday).

Check out this pattern — it's a tiny pic but you should be able to see the really cool detail of the bust seam intersecting with the shoulder seam. Now, granted, it's a tiny size (B28), but do you know how much MOM is asking for it, through Buy It Now?

$6.00. Which is nothing! Piddling! Trivial! She's got lots of great early 1960s sheath and wiggle dresses, as well as a bunch of 1950s full-skirted shirtdresses, plus tons and tons of Boho 1970s, and I didn't see much that topped $6, with most patterns being in the $2.50-4 range. So go browse!

She also says you can email her if you're looking for a pattern that she hasn't got listed. I may try this out next week, once I dig up my wishlist. Her shipping is reasonable, too — buy five patterns, get free shipping — and her email manner was extremely pleasant, so I'm very happy to recommend her to you all!

Isn't this a stunner, from Ballyhoo Vintage? It has a little jacket, too, that has a darling petal collar and three-quarter sleeves. Click on the image to take a look at that.

It's deadstock–never been worn–and it's B36/W28. And it's only $85, which is great for something this nice. There's a lot of good stuff there, well worth clicking around.

Oh, and some housekeeping–I've set up a Dress A Day Flickr account, and will be uploading images there. If you want me to see your dress pictures, tag them "dressaday." Here's the link.

I'm just resting my eyes for a minute on this coral dress on the right. Isn't it nice? Look at the roll of the collar, the little extended sleeve, the gathering of the bust to the waistband. So soothing!

I've always loved that color, too. I'm pretty sure I had a coral dress in junior high, although I'm having trouble visualizing it, which is odd. Perhaps I only wanted a coral dress in junior high. I wore all sorts of crazy stuff back then. (Quelle surprise, I hear you saying.) I remember one outfit — a particular favorite that I wore to shreds — which consisted of a white floaty angel-style blouse, very loose and floaty, low-cut, with a collar and front tie, worn with a pair of very full, white, mini-length skorts. (Hey, it was Florida! In the 80s!) With my short hair I'm pretty sure I looked like a demented escapee from the Vienna Boy's Choir.

This dress would not make you look like a demented choirboy. This dress would make you look elegant and unhurried. It's on eBay; B34; click on the image to go bid on it.

I try not to post things that aren't wearable, but this is something I'm making an exception for (thanks to Joanne!). Take a look — the color, the lines. It's on eBay for a another day or so, from the seller tiptoemole, who has a wonderful listing for it.

It's not wearable because of damage to the underarms — the silk is splitting, which is always sad. But part of the beauty of dresses is that they are ephemeral; every time you wear them their lives are shortened. Dresses are consumed, slowly, by their wearers.

Okay, now that I've made myself maudlin and melancholy on a bright November morning, go look at this dress. Go bid, and then you can have it as an objet d'art. You can even do what I do, which is have a crazy dress on a vintage dress form clutting up your living room. Mine is pink with a beaded sweetheart bodice. With a monkey mask on top. (Monkey mask optional.)

I was going to make the picture a really annoying animated one so that you could see the back, which is low cut AND double-breasted (and sadly, missing buttons) but I refrained. Which means now you HAVE to go check out the auction listing. Go on. Go see!

Everyone's seen this guy's dresses, right? I mean, they're in each fashmag each month, on radically different people (okay, radically different in the fashmag world, which means models AND actresses AND socialites AND random people employed in the fashion industry). So you've probably seen them. What I don't know is if your eye is caught by them the way mine is. Obviously the large, clashing patterns push my buttons, along with the higher waistline and fullish, knee-length skirt.

In fact, you already that I really like this style, because I posted about a very similar vintage one a few months ago.

I wish one of the big five pattern companies would come up with a knockoff of this, or better yet, hire him to do a pattern with his name on it. This would be easy to sew, and it's very easy to wear. (I know it might make bigger-busted women look pregnant, but I think the fear of looking pregnant is overcomeable. Or ought to be. Really, what does it matter if someone thinks you're in the early stages of pregnancy? It's not like being a leper, and as far as I can tell, nearly everyone who is pregnant looks better pregnant than not. I know I did. So perhaps it should be taken as a compliment. "You look great today! Are you pregnant?")

If I made myself one, I would (of course) do it in two clashing Liberty Varuna wools, and wear it all winter long. Peacock-feather wool for the body and a geometric print for the bands. I'd narrow the sleeves a bit (I hate to have my sleeves trailing in the butter), as well as narrowing the shoulders and armholes, and widen the waistband. And, of course, I'd add pockets.

Click on the image if you want to know what the real thing costs, and where you can buy it.

I was at the library yesterday and pillaged the GT section, so there will be more gems such as this to come:

Ladies attending Their Majesties' Courts will appear in Full Dress, with TRAINS and PLUMES. For Half Mourning Black and White, White, Mauve, or Grey should be worn.

FEATHERS should be worn so that they can be clearly seen on approaching the Presence, with White veils or lappets. Coloured feathers are inadmissible, but in deep mourning Black feathers may be worn.

WHITE GLOVES only are to be worn, excepting in the case of mourning, when Black or Grey gloves are admissible.

HIGH COURT DRESS.–The King has been pleased to permit that a High Court Dress, according to the following description, may be worn in future at Their Majesties' Courts, and on other State occasions, by Ladies, to whom, from illness, infirmity, or advancing age, the present low Court Dress is inappropriate, viz., Bodices in front, cut square or heart shape, which may be filled in with white only, either transparent or lined; at the back, high, or cut down three-quarter height. Sleeves to elbow, either thick or transparent. Trains, gloves, and feathers as usual.

It is necessary for Ladies who wish to appear in "HIGH COURT DRESS," to have obtained permission through the Lord Chamberlain, unless they have already received it.

Which is quite a long-winded way of saying "no shirt no shoes no service," huh?

This is from Dress Worn At His Majesty's Court, edited by Herbert A. P. Trendell. Issued with the authority of the Lord Chamberlain. 1908. The endpapers are covered with ads for military tailors and cigarettes, and the part above is one of only two pages with instructions for women. The rest is about appropriate dress (mostly uniforms) for men at court.

If you want to see what this looked like, try this link: Mrs. George McLaughlin in Court Dress for Presentation at Buckingham Palace.

Sir Alfred: … I happen to want to celebrate. I want to be seen in your exquisite company. I want the whole world to know that I am the most fortunate of men in the possession of the most magnificent of wives. I want to swim in champagne–and paint the whole town not only red but red, white, and blue! (going toward her) I want everybody to see how much I adore you (taking her by the shoulders and looking at her)–always have adored you, revere you, and trust you. Also how much I hope you have of warmth for me. …

Daphne: But my darling, I worship you.

Sir Alfred: Then put on your most outrageous dress!

Daphne: Shall I wear the purple, with the plumes at the hips?

Sir Alfred: By all means. And let it be a purple lesson to me.

from Unfaithfully Yours.

And of course "too much" here can mean either that I currently possess too much fabric (true) or that this fabric, right here, is too much (also probably true).

This is some Liberty lawn going cheap (so far …) on Ebay. I'm not buying it (see me not buying it? See me reluctantly not buying it?) mostly because I have about seven or eight yards of Liberty en route to me from the UK already and I think if I buy any more there will be a nice man from MI5 showing up at my door with a couple of spiffy gadgets, enquiring gently what one person could actually DO with all this fabric, and wouldn't I like to let him know what my plans for geopolitical domination are, so he can scotch them? (Then, of course, we will have sex, shortly followed by explosions of a different kind. And a car chase. All of which would cut way into my sewing time, so I better cool it.)

I'm also not buying it because it's a bit short, and I've made a vow not to buy any more fabric if I can't get at least three yards of 54" wide, or five yards of anything else. I'm tired of wasting time laying out patterns to find that my fabric is half a yard short. I need that time to actually SEW, dammit, so now, it's five yards or nothing. I don't care how pretty it is. I keep saying "Oh, I'll make a blouse," but I don't really wear blouses. I wear dresses, and I wear t-shirts, and I wear sweaters. I don't wear blouses. I have four blouses half-made and abandoned in my sewing room right this very minute. I have a dozen ready-made blouses hanging in my closet, one or two of which have never been worn. (Sheer black chiffon? What was I thinking? I don't care if it does have a peter-pan collar! I blame H&M Disease, that feverish excitement that comes over you when you're there and leads you to buy unsuitable clothes, thinking that you will magically become the kind of person who wears them. Some people have the household equivalent, Ikea Syndrome, where they feel buying a container with a funny name will magically make them organized.)

Anyway, if you make blouses, or very narrow skirts, this is one heck of a print. I wish I knew the name of it as I will be looking out for more … about three yards more.

I don't know why I always start looking around at party dresses after Halloween. It's not really as if I am the belle of the galas, and I already have enough fancy dresses to meet Brooke Astor's schedule. However, if YOU need fancy dresses for holiday parties, you might want to start with this one. First of all, it's only $42! (A Buy It Now on eBay.)

It's in great condition and a good small-modern size: B34/W29/H38. And I love the unexpected yellow and brown print … I am so bored with black holiday party dresses. I know, I know, it's slimming, and it's wearable party after party, but that's because nobody remembers it. "Oh, remember the woman in the black dress?" "Which one?" Now, "Remember the woman in that yellow dress?" "Oh, sure …" If you buy middle-level vintage, you can have three or four nice party dresses, one-of-a-kind party dresses, for the price of one midrange new party dress. And the vintage will have better design and better fabric and if you spill red wine on it, well, you have two more in the closet!

Wear this one with brown satin shoes and a brown satin clutch and a necklace of big vulgar barbaric yellow CZs, if you can find one.