I just recently made this dress in a swiss dot fabric (which you may have seen here), and I was so fascinated with the way that this pattern has been drafted and the shape of it that I had to make it again out of a fun cotton print from Michaels. The last time that I made this dress it was slightly too big, so I made a smaller size and took up the waist so that it fit my measurements better. I also decided to do a large hem so that the dress went to just past my knees, making it much for wearable with flat shoes, like sandals for the summer time.
What initially drew me to this pattern was the intriguing silhouette. It is not one that you see very often, with a slim front and fullness in the back (I like to call it the mullet dress in my head), but it is one of my favourite styles.
Fashion silhouettes are always changing. There are tons of images that illustrate the silhouettes of the past hundred years, or of the 19th century, etc. These infographics are very cool, but they leave out the intricacies of fashion history. For example, the 1950's are always shown with a full circle skirt, but there were actually tons of different silhouettes in style at the time. Slim pencil skirts and wiggle dresses (like Joan in Mad Men) were popular for young working women, simple A-line house dresses were functional for house wives, cigarette pants and culottes rose in popularity, and all sorts of other styles were available to choose from. The huge bell skirts from Dior are easily recognizable as 1950's, but these were some of the least functional dresses for an everyday woman, and also the most expensive.
This style of dress, which was usually found in cocktail dresses, is the best of both worlds when looking at party dresses. The simple front meant that the pattern needed less fabric, less space when walking around your house/a party, and it was more elegant than some of the more cupcake style dresses. Although most of the vintage dresses and patterns that I see in this style are fancier dresses, there are also some very elegant day dresses made like this.
Another neat thing about this style is that it has a history to it. It was inspired by the bustle eras of the 1880's, and it shows up in Dior's S/S 1948 collection. The skirt fullness at the back was called the 'Envol Line,' and the New York Times described it as 'versatile' and 'magnificent.' The bustles on Dior's gowns were held out by buckram or canvas, and often more stiff fabrics such as taffeta and shantung were used to hold the shape. This is a direct call back to the bustle eras, and I find them particularly reminiscent of the first bustle era (from the late 1860's to the mid 1870's). The first and second bustle era's both had the fullness kept at the back, but the first was softer and fuller, with a gentle bustle and loads of delicate decoration. The second bustle period was more austere, with angular bustles and high necklines.
The bustle style had been brought back during the 1940's, though with much less volume. They often used long jackets with back peplums or swagging of fabric to mimic a bustle shape. Many 1980's dresses with big bows or decoration at the back were inspired by the 1940's. This 1940's shape was dramaticized by Dior and inspired by Charles James, the master of silhouette. The bustles, along with the details at the neckline (and often the use of off the shoulder necklines), helped make the waist look smaller.
The pattern that I used is obviously a much more casual version of anything Mr Dior made, but it has many of the characteristics of his Envol Line. The high front neckline and all in one sleeves, the princess seams, and the pleating in the back skirt are all basics of 1950's bustle style dresses. The low back neckline and the bow are also common traits, used often in couture dresses.
I am so happy that I made this again with the alterations that I used. I think that I will be wearing this a ton, and the cotton makes it a super easy dress to just throw on and go. I know that some of the details are lost in the busy print, but I love the colours in the print so much that I am totally fine with that.
What is your favourite silhouette? Do you prefer the full A-line skirts, or a slimmer style?
Thanks for reading!
~Katherine
