This is a brand new idea of mine to help brides who are in the very beginning stages of working out their dream vintage inspired gown.
Each week I will share with you a different vintage or vintage reproduction pattern for style inspiration along with some of my suggested fabrics etc. As the main eras that I work within are the 1920s to the 1960s they will all be within those eras, however I do love a little splash of some of the 1910s fashions as well that are starting to come in vogue as well thanks to Downton Abbey so I may slip in the odd one or two of them.
Some of these patterns are part of my huge collection of original vintage patterns and some are not but as I can create patterns from a picture if you find one that you love and would like recreated thats not a problem at all!
To kick things off here is McCalls 9827 (which is part of my collection) - 1954
This is a stunning example of a 50s tea length gown that would flatter so many body types. The sweetheart neckline with shoulder straps that create a slightly capped sleeve looks fantastic on both full chested and flat chested ladies and the skirt starting from just below the bust is really cute for shorter brides who feel cut off with a dress that has a natural waist seam. For a more formal look the skirt could even be extended to become a floor length gown very easily.
A soft frothy petticoat is an absolute must under a gown like this and I could see it make in all manner of fabrics. I think it would be stunning in a duchess satin (either silk or synthetic) which has a bit of weight to it and you could even consider adding a lace overlay on the bodice to make it a little special and then possibly even a hand sewn wide lace edging along the hem of the gown. I would also love to see this design done in a cotton with a swiss dotted voile overlay (this is a really fine almost see through cotton that has tiny dots scattered all over the fabric). It would also be a fantastic bridesmaid design and would look super cute in a vintage style floral cotton.