An excellent and highly wearable 1950s cotton day dress in a really nice print. And, of course, it has a Peter Pan collar … B34, W26, which is about a modern 6-8. Click on the picture to head to the auction.

The buttons are non-functional. I know lots of folks have a beef with non-functional buttons (they're probably the same folks that demand language be 'logical') but I don't mind 'em. Sometimes you just need things whose only function is to look nice. In this case, the function of these buttons is to provide a path for the eyes to follow up to the collar. That's their job, and they do it nicely. Don't ask them to hold something together, too!

(Note to regular readers: I'm traveling this week and next and may be late posting some days, but I do intend to post every day …)

I, like every other mid-thirties vaguely-retro girl in the ENTIRE WESTERN WORLD, has had (okay, does still have) a thing for cherry print. I probably have ten yards of various cherry-print fabrics waiting around for the perfect confluence of patterns and time to present themselves, plus myriad cherry accessories … so of course this dress caught my eye.

I'm not saying that I would ever wear this dress (I'm not big on halters, although I think they're lovely, they're firmly in the not-good-on-me column) but it's certainly … eye-catching. And right now it's 20% off at Pinupgirlclothing.com if you use this code: ccSummer20. (It's normally $59. Click on the picture to go to their shop.)

What I like best about this dress (besides the cherry print, of course, and the fact that it is sized up to 3X) is how blatant it is. Everyone should have one dress that is overtly sexy, intentionally sexy, malice-aforethought sexy, deliberately, cartoonishly, "look-at-me, damn-I'm-sexy" sexy. (And, of course, the confidence to wear it out of the house!)

Do you have a "damn, I'm sexy" dress? What's it like? When was the last time you wore it? I'm still thinking about whether or not I even have one, and if not, what I ought to do about that.

From Ebay, a knockout of a dress. A little on the small side (25" waist), but in great condition and a truly marvelous print.

A "wiggle" dress, for those of you unfamiliar with this locution, is a dress with a tight, tapered skirt that doesn't allow for normal-sized steps. So when you wear it, you wiggle. (At least, that's my folk etymology for it, but it makes sense …) Think Marilyn Monroe and the "sexy secretary" trope. Searching for "wiggle dress" on Ebay will get you many, many excellent examples.

Is it the girl or is it the gown?
Which one of the two do you love?
Is it her hair that makes her so fair?
Is it her lips you long to caress
Or is it that exquisite dress?
Is she the dream of all you desire
Or is it her frock
That happens to knock you down?
Is it the girl you love so dearly
Or is it merely her beautiful gown?

"Is It The Girl (Or Is It The Gown)?" (1944)

(complete lyrics here)

Blocks walked: 4 crosstown, 10 uptown
Total number of dresses seen: 3
Dresses being worn by children under 12: 2
Dresses being worn by me: 1

It looks like I have my work cut out for me.

(Oh, and I forgot to add: Yards of this fabric purchased: 4)

That's what I blame for the lack of pockets in modern women's clothing. Somehow the handbag manufacturers got to the garment industry and made them an offer they couldn't refuse. "No more dresses with pockets," they hissed, "or else." Then they smiled evilly and tossed a lit cigarette onto a bolt of silk chiffon.

Thankfully, patterns such as this still exist, passed from hand to hand in a kind of sartorial samizdat.

I haven't made this one yet as I can't decide whether to make the main body of the dress in plaid, and the shoulders in stripes, or vice versa. Or perhaps the main body in pink with white polka dots, and the shoulders in white with pink polka dots. Either way it will be an eyesore, of course, but a happy eyesore. (Besides, if you're going to defy the handbag-industrial complex, you must do it with brio.)

Click on the picture to see the whole pattern envelope in a new window.

I did eventually make the dress I mentioned here — in the fabric at left.
The colors are a LOT brighter than this scan shows. And it is a very large-scale print, which might not be apparent from the scan, either. The fabric makes me unreasonably happy, and the dress turned out pretty well. I didn't have to let out the waist (always a cheerful situation) but, as usual, I forgot how short-waisted I am and had to do some last minute alteration to the shoulder seams. And by "last-minute alteration" I mean "increase the seam allowance by 3/4 inch", which is what it needed to not hang off me. I did write it on the pattern envelope for next time.
I wore it at the wedding I went to this past weekend and will wear it again tomorrow. There's nothing like the pleasure of a nice new dress!

Because I would be scheming and plotting to buy it, even at nearly $700. That perfect grass-green color! Of course, a Courreges is also an investment … this is from the always astounding enokiworld. (You must visit if you haven't already. Just be prepared to fall hopelessly in lust with at least one dress of unsurpassing beauty.)

I did once find a Courreges dress (in a Salvation Army, of all places). It was teeny, and stained, but still — a Courreges! I sold it for much, much less than $700, at a time when I was both anti-60s and broke. It's not one of the dresses I regret letting get away, though. I'm sure someone out there is giving it all the love and attention I wasn't able to. There are some other neglected dresses in my closet that should be put up for the same adoption, but I'm not willing to give them up quite yet. You never know when you might lose 20 lbs in a week or have to attend a black-tie gala three nights running. Right?

This is the only Claire McCardell pattern I own; I'm almost afraid to sew with it. What if I did something thoroughly boneheaded, like cut through it? It's been known to happen. Also, I'm waiting for the perfect fabric to present itself. I would like to think that I could pull off red shantung, as in the illustration, but that would be just fooling myself, sadly.

Claire McCardell was a pioneering American sportswear designer who made gorgeous and practical clothes women could actually move in. (Check it out — this dress has pockets!) She's practically my hero. Someday I will own a copy of her What Shall I Wear? but not while it's topping $150 at Alibris …

I was lucky enough to attend a lovely, lovely wedding yesterday. The bride and groom were glowing with happiness; their families and friends were there to support them and share their joy; and the bride chose (and wore with élan) a perfectly suitable and elegantly simple gown.

I was also pleased to see how many people were following the rules for dresses at weddings (that is, rules for the dresses that are not the Wedding Dress–the Wedding Dress has its own rules that are beyond the scope of this blog). However, seeing so many people dressed beautifully and appropriately reminded me of the many weddings I've attended where many were not, so here is a refresher for those who need it.

One: do not wear black. I can hear somebody whining that she only has one nice dress, and it NEEDS to be black because she has to wear it on New Year's Eve, and besides, black is slimming. I am not listening to you. You do not wear black to weddings. You do not wear black to weddings because wearing black at weddings means you disapprove of the marriage. You do not wear black to weddings because someday, god forbid, you might actually WANT to wear black to a wedding in order to show your disapproval and your deep grief over somebody's ill-advised nuptials, and no one will know that this is what you intended because there will be a roomful of women in LBDs dancing barefoot to "We Are Family" and your grand gesture will be for naught. MARK MY WORDS. (Besides, black is BOR-ing. And not as slimming as you might think.) Black and white prints are allowable if they would be unsuitable for a funeral.

Two: do not wear red. Wearing red is an attention-grabber, and it is rude to try to take attention from the bride. (A corollary of the "do not wear red" rule is "do not wear dresses cut down to (or slit up to) THERE".) This rule goes double for the groom's ex-girlfriends. This rule goes triple for the groom's ex-girlfriends who are there as the "and Guest" of somebody else.

Three: do I even have to tell you not to wear white? And yes, ivory, candlelight, pale shell pink, and pearl grey all count as white. Better safe than sorry. If you have to ask why you can't wear white, you are no longer allowed to attend any weddings at all. If you are the mother of the groom and you wear white or a whitish shade, you will not be allowed to ask "why? why?" when the newlyweds move someplace you need a visa to visit.

Four: if you are wearing a dress with spaghetti straps or no straps at all, or one that is far enough off the shoulder to need special undergarments, AND the ceremony is in a place of worship, please bring a shawl, a wrap, or something to cover up with. Yes, I know that God doesn't care, but churches are usually cold (it's all the stone) and goosebumps are unbecoming.

The general idea is that a wedding is NOT simply a fancy party to which you wear your fancy-party clothes; a wedding is a wedding, and it has its own rules. (However — if you are a bridesmaid, and the bride asks you to break any of these rules, you suck it up and say "yes, whatever you like, it's your day." Without eye-rolling where she can see you.)

Now I can hear that same somebody asking, "Well, what CAN I wear?" Weddings, especially summer afternoon weddings, are the place to wear dresses. A simple sheath in a bright color or print is nearly always flattering, appropriate, and pretty. An A-line or full-skirted dress will be a pleasure to wear while dancing. (I myself use nearly every wedding as an excuse to sew a new dress–if they care enough to invite me, I should make my best effort, shouldn't I?) Summer weddings are one of the last places where a frivolously pretty dress is recommended, if not required — why ruin it by crowding out the dresses with sparkly cocktail gowns and business suits? They have their own turf.