I made a dress using this 1950s shirt dress pattern about 8 years ago, and it was the second garment that I had ever made myself (my first being a 1930s wool skirt). I struggled with the collar of this dress at the time and found that the armscye of the bodice was very tight, so although I loved the fabric and the style of the dress I very rarely wore it. This summer while quarantining after getting Covid I finally decided to remake the dress, with a few adjustments.
The biggest adjustment that I made on the pattern was making the armscye larger, and making the curve deeper under the arm since my shoulders curve in. I also added a bit of width to the bodice so that I could add a few more pleats in at the waist, and wider sleeves. I decided to make the sleeves wider all the way down so that they were not very tight around the forearm. I find this more comfortable, and that way I don't have to unbutton the cuff every time I get dressed. I also completely ignored the pleating instructions that the pattern gave (which I always do, quite frankly) and did more smaller pleats in the skirt and the bodice. The project went by smoothly and I am so happy with the result!
One of my biggest inspirations for this dress is the TV show Pushing Daisies, which was a quirky murder mystery show starring Lee Pace that aired in 2007-2009. I found this show about 5 years ago and it is still one of my absolute favourites. If it wasn't so difficult to find, I would rewatch it constantly! My favourite part of the show (other than the great cast) is how colourful everything is. The show runners and set and costume designers were inspired by vintage/retro colours, styles, and patterns. The show is filled with so much visual interest, and they have some of my favourite costumes. One of the main characters, Chuck, has the absolute best costumes throughout the show with many of her dresses being inspired by the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.
The cast of Pushing Daisies. Chuck is in the center, in the yellow dress. Her costumes are my favourites throughout the series, especially her 1960s styled outfits.
This fabric is by the designer Tula Pink, and was a part of her Alice in Wonderland collection. I have already made a dress with a different pattern from this collection (since Alice in Wonderland is one of my favourite books, I have quite a few Alice dresses already), but this one has such a different feeling to the last dress. As soon as I saw the bright colours and the quirky teacup design, I was immediately reminded of some of the themed outfits worn in Pushing Daisies. Chuck often wears dresses that reflect the case that they are working on, such as bee dresses when they are investigating a company that makes honey-based makeup. Lee Pace's character, Ned, is also a pie maker, so teacups seemed to go well with that. I am an emormous fan of shirt dresses, so a 1950s/60s styled shirt dress in this fabric seemed like the perfect homage to a fabulous show.
Pushing Daisies has been called a "forensic fairy tale" and the costumes absolutely represent that! Each episode has a narrator and the script is so quirky, relying on word play and ridiculous metaphors. Ned is a pie maker who has the ability to bring someone back to life just by touching them, but if he lets them live, someone else will die in their place. Chuck is Neds childhood friend and crush who dies, and Ned brings her back. They spend the next few season solving crimes with Emmerson Cod, a private detective. However, Ned and Chuck can never touch or Chuck will die again. The show has such a vintage story book feeling to it and it is so fun (despite being a murder mystery). Each scene has so many details included, I wish I could walk around the sets!
If you have ever wanted to live in a world where everyone has a fun job (like a synchronized swimmer, pie-maker, circus performer, lighthouse keeper, a 'frescort' (friend-escort), or a horse racer), where people wear bright, patterned clothes and speak as if they were in Amelie, this is the show for you. It is exactly my type of whymsical, and I find myself wanting to have more fun with my clothes and makeup whenever I watch the show. I can be pretty traditional when I am picking out outfits (often matching my socks to my shoes to my purse, a la Midge Maisel), but I always love the idea of having fun details that might not be easily noticeable but that make me happy. For example, I am in love with the buttons that I chose for this dress and I am so glad that I didn't go with the more conservative option of navy buttons to match the navy hearts and outlines of the teacups.
I hope that the fun I had making this dress is as evident in the finished product as I think it is! I am so thrilled to have a comfortable, fun dress that I can wear in any weather. I am sure that this dress will have an honoured place in my wardrobe from now on!
Thanks for reading!
~Katherine
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