Vintage Style Underwear ~ Part 2

The bra is done. I got bored with it yesterday so finished it up quickly before I was tempted to shove it to the bottom of my sewing drawer and forget about it.

It came out better than I thought it would. I really do like it but it's just so darn ugly. ;P I wish I had used prettier fabric. Or a different color. I forgot how much I hate white bras. But I bet I can dye this one if I want to. And now that I know how easy bras are to make, I can whip up a new one whenever I feel like it in whatever fabric I want.

I sewed the binding on:

And added the hooks:

And added the straps last.

It gives a nice shape under my dresses and tops. It is so different from my modern t-shirt bras or the stretch sports bras I usually wear. It lifts and defines each breast into a kind of cone shape, but it actually makes them appear smaller than my modern bras do - which in my case, is a good thing.

Making a bra really forced me to evaluate my body. That can be scary but now I have been reinforced strongly in my theory that I am really very terribly short waisted, and that a higher bustline like the one  my new bra gives is actually better for my shape than modern bras that give a lower, fuller, more rounded line. There is not much space between my underbust and my waist so any hanging boob flesh that obscures my mid-section just makes me look top heavy and fat all over. : / Did you know that when I wear a soft molded cup t shirt bra there is literally ***1 and 1/2 inches*** between the bottom of my bust and my actual waist???

For comparison, here is a picture of a plain sweater I like to wear. This picture is with my "best" modern bra, that is, the one that I feel is most flattering to me. It gives a pretty good lift, but a very rounded shape.

And here is the same sweater with the bra I just finished making. Definitely more pointy in shape, and my midriff area is more visible and less curvy. I doubt I will wear this bra with this sweater, though, since there is too much nipple effect going on. :P (forgive my horrible hair).

But I do like the vintagey silhouette it gives. It seems trimmer, tidier, more put-together. I am so pleased with how it works underneath this white blouse.

I got this blouse, and the silk/linen stripey skirt this summer at a fill-a-bag-for-$1 day at the thrift store. I love this blouse, but with  my modern bra, the pleated midriff section sat across the bottom of my boobs. And then the waistband of the skirt was just below that. It was ugly and horrific and dumpy. To make it work I had to pull down the blouse so the midriff section settled at the proper place, but then I had excessive boob crack issues from the neckline. Now, I don't need to tug or pull anything into place, and the midriff section sits where it is supposed to sit. And because the midriff band isn't straining to encompass boob flesh, the side zipper zips up easily and I don't feel like I'm trying to squeeze into something that is too small for me. And yeah, I gotta loose my belly pooch. ;) No, I am NOT pregnant.

Now I need to finish up my undergarments and make a real vintage style dress to go over my new bra! I'm thinking something fun and twirly and totally girly from the 1940's would be just the right thing!

Love,
Sarah

The Nancy Drew 1940's Dress!

The past few weeks I've been re reading the Nancy Drew books I adored as a child. I haven't read them for years but my mom was getting rid of a big pile of books and asked me if I'd like to go through them before she did. I snagged some Nancy Drew books, Hardy Boy books and some Boxcar Children books, for good measure. (Yes, I loved mysteries as a child. Still do.)

So, when I realized I had a wedding coming up and had nothing to wear, I was inspired by the adventurous, courageous, intelligent young ladies in the Nancy Drew books who, no matter what kind of situation they found themselves in, were always feminine and charming and properly attired. No man suits or t shirts and jeans for these women, people! They piloted airplanes, rode horseback, explored underground caves and tunnels and haunted houses and deciphered codes, all while being decidedly feminine.

In my previous post I shared the vintage 1940's pattern I was inspired by. I finally finished the dress today and am really happy with how it came out. I was really afraid of the fabric being too plain and ugly to wear to a wedding, but now I'm having second thoughts. I did buy a modern outfit to wear in case this one didn't work out so I'm not sure yet which one I will end up using. Ladies, your opinions and advice is needed! Would you wear something like this to a wedding? For comparison purposes, the modern outfit is an ankle-length black pig suede A line skirt, very flared and twirly, and a silky black and pink floral blouse with a V neck and flutter sleeves and a handkerchief hem, with black leather dress boots.

Since becoming interested in the 40's I've been looking around for red lipstick. I don't usually wear make up (well, besides clear powder and chap stick) but red lipstick is kinda a 40's thing, you know. Like the hoop skirt in the 1860's. It's the sign of the times. So, I've found it really hard to find a basic, red lipstick. There are so many options available it seems. I have a few different shades now and the one I like best is called British Red, but it still is a bit orangey, it seems. So I'm still on the hunt for The Perfect Red Lipstick.

David usually is not that interested in my attempts at historic recreations but he did like this one. He seems to like the vintage styles I've toyed with better than, say, the regency or Romantic period. He told me that it looks "like something Susan would have worn before she came to Narnia." From him, that is definitely a compliment worth having.

I still need to figure out a better hair style. My hair was NOT cooperative today! It must be the changing weather. All our snow from a few weeks ago is nearly gone and today it is supposed to get above *60* degrees!!! Spring is on the way!

Love,
Sarah

Inspired by the 1940's. . .

I've been thinking a lot about summer dresses lately. Maybe it's because I am really getting tired of seeing the old, tired snow outside and maybe it's because I'm excited about the prospect of visiting my grandfather in the East this summer and want to be appropriately attired for such pleasures as beach-walking and historic-site-touring. Whatever the case may be, I've been encouraging my interest in vintage styles because 1) I have come to realize that, much as I may adore Victorian and other similarly "outdated" styles, I hardly ever wear them once I have made them because I don't like being stared at and 2) vintage styles from the 30's and 40's usually take much less fabric than Victorian styles and are cooler to wear, easier to care for and sew up quickly.

I came across this lovely pattern and decided I loved the style. I draped a pattern last week and started work on a dress right away. I used a mystery fabric I got from the thrift shop; I believe it to be a linen/cotton blend based on how it feels but it may be pure cotton. I am almost done with it and since this first dress is rather plain and severe, will be making another one in a prettier print with a more swirly skirt. For my version, I shortened the skirt to just below the knee as that seems a standard 40's length for daywear and changed the neckline to a V (more flattering to me) and put sleeves on it. I love the little gathered straps on the original pattern though. . .I may have to try that for my vacationing dress!