Nancy Drew, Girl Detective

So why have I been spending all this time researching the 1920s?  Well, the original impetus for heading back to 1928 was the most recent Sew Weekly Challenge.

As I have previously mentioned, I love the old Nancy Drew books.  When I was looking for a little "Literary Inspiration," the famous girl detective seemed a great place to start.  And with the books first published in 1930 and continuing until today, the possibilities were endless. 

My favorite illustrations from the series come from the 1940s (big surprise, I know!), but since the idea is to challenge oneself, I thought something a bit different would be best.

I figured that the 1928 silhouette would work perfectly for a story based in the year 1930.

Nancy Drew is often pictured in the color blue (perhaps because it contrasted so well with her titan hair?).  Unfortunately, I did not have any blue fabric with sufficient drape for this pattern.  And I just knew that the garment was not going to work in a stiff cotton.  What I ended up choosing was some rayon crepe that I have had in a drawer for over 10 years.

In a perfect world, I would have made myself a matching cloche hat to complete the ensemble.  

A quick (read: lazy) substitution was a matching scarf.

And now I am going to have to find a silk kimono so I can lounge around the apartment à la 1928.

[More information about the construction of this dress may be found here.]

Dress & Scarf:  Made by me, Vogue 2535

Shoes:  Nine West

Necklace:  Gift

Earrings:  Judith Jack

Pattern Tissue TLC & Some Hand Stitching

My 1920s pattern, Vogue 2535, comes from the lovely Sew Weekly Pattern Swap I attended.  It is one of the Vintage Vogues that I initially missed because I was not buying Vogue patterns back in 2001.  I recall seeing the image in the pattern book at JoAnns, but the style did not interest me at the time.  Since then, I have kicked myself for not picking up each and every one of the Vintage Vogues that were available.  Every once in a while I come across one that got away and develop severe pattern envy.

A previous owner of the pattern did something extraordinary, if the style lines drawn on the instruction sheet are anything to go by.  But this also meant that the pattern tissue was cut apart in quite a few spots.  Lucky for me, most of the scraps were present, and I was able to tape things back together.

The hem was the first thing that I completed!  I used a hand rolled hem because I love to hand stitch.  The cape is also hand rolled.

One thing I would change about the order of construction is attaching the capelet to the bodice pieces right away.  I generally like to follow the directions, but having all of that extra fabric flopping around was a bit of an irritation, especially when attaching and fiddling with the gathers on the skirt.

The pattern calls for double seams and leaving all of the edges raw, but you didn’t think I was going to leave it like that, did you?

I have some lovely dusty pink rayon seam binding from Mattiecake’s Etsy Shop, and I love the way it looks with the gray fabric.

The piping trim along the waistband is a fun bit of added interest – I will have to remember this technique in the future.  I did not have any cording on hand, so I substituted a length of yarn from my stash.  As I recall, the yarn is acrylic, so it probably would not shrink, but just in case, I washed and dried a length before encasing it in the bias fabric.  There is no sense going to the extra trouble only to have the seam go wonky!

And while I generally avoid side snap closures, this dress is not fitted, so I decided to use the vintage technique.  I did add one hook and created a thread loop at the hip (the only place that might have a tendency to pull) just to make sure those snaps did not open up.  One thing that this opening has going for it is that it is created with the dress fabric, so there is no weird polyester zipper buckling on the soft rayon.

Now I just have to go through my pictures of the dress so I can show you the finished product!

The Dropped-Waist Dress: Très Chic or Terribly Unflattering?

Today I thought I would continue with my 1920s fashion research.  I know that there are quite a few people out there that avoid the dropped waist look because they believe it is rather unflattering.  And to a certain extent, I agree.

Seeing as I have a rather long torso, the silhouette actually makes me feel right at home – a design that accentuates what is already there!  However, I have wide hips and a relatively small waist, and I like to accentuate the smallest part of my body.  The flapper look does NOT accomplish this.  

But why should I let that stop me from enjoying a wonderful part of fashion history?

Yes, it is arguably one of the least flattering looks for most female figures, but seeing these illustrations side by side makes me appreciate how amazing the fashions really were.

It amazes me how many different looks can come from the same basic silhouette.  The addition of a ruffle or some lace here and there, or a section of pleats and pintucks does wonders for the drop-waist look of the 1920s.  Or how about a sash and a floppy bow?  Buttons, buckles and brooches also add extra flash to the look.

When I think about the amazing fabrics that they were made of, I wish I had an entire closet full!  And these are just day dresses - the evening looks are spectacular.  One day I will have to make a gown based on one of the amazing designs by Erté.

I think it is interesting to note that these fashions look the same on children, young adults, and adults alike.  In fact, it is hard to tell which pages are catering to the young and the not so young unless you read the fine print. 

The Victorians were the first to create fashion specific to a younger generation that looked nothing like what adults of the time were wearing, only to have designers make an adult woman look just like a young girl with no curves a couple of decades later.

The pattern I have been working on is Vogue 2535.  A bit shapeless, yes, but it is also unlike anything else I have, which is making for a fun project.  

What I did not find were any scalloped hem dresses in the 1928 Sears Roebuck Catalog.  But perhaps Sears was not quite as up to date as Vogue?  Makes sense to me!

[Images from the 1928 Sears Roebuck Catalog]