1920′s Day Dresses

Fashion Sense is timeless. Although written in 1925 it is amazing how the 1920′s fashion concepts discussed in this article are just as applicable today.  The patterns referred to in this article are 1920′s patterns that you can sometimes pick up on eBay.

So then, let us think for a while about dresses for a whole day—simple ones, for they are smartest, and stylish ones, for we must admit the importance of style.

A dress that the schoolgirl can wear to her classes, the business girl to her office, or the home woman to market or for sports or motoring is popular at present. Every item about it is stylish—the epaulet shoulder, the closely fitting long sleeves, the little turn-over shirt collar, the inverted back plait, and the misleading tuck in front that gives it the effect of being a two-piece dress, than which there is no more popular style at the moment. Of course, it is essentially youthful, and so must not be worn by one whose figure is definitely mature.

The materials that are suitable for this dress make quite a fascinating array. Balbriggan, a very light-weight, fine quality of wool jersey, is a typical fabric for the model. It comes in plain solid colors and in silver-flecked heather mixtures, all very lovely. Among the popular and youthful fabrics is velveteen in gay sports colors. The light-weight tweed, called pheasant’s eye, is another new and appropriate material.

As for the pattern, you will probably be unable to duplicate it exactly. But if you purchase a plain foundation pattern with epaulet shoulders, such as McCall 4182, you will be able to make the necessary changes. Simply lay an inverted plait in the material where the center back of the pattern comes, before cutting the back. In the front, lay a horizontal tuck, 2 1/2 inches wide, low on the hips, and cut as usual.

In making the dress, first stitch the back plait and the front tuck. Then gather the shoulder fulness in front, and sew both the front and the back to the sleeves. Finally, fold the dress for stitching the under-arm seams, keeping the ends of the shoulder seams together. Stitch the dress and sleeve under-arm seams in one, as for a kimono sleeve. Face or bind the front opening, hem the skirt, apply collar and cuffs, and the dress is complete.

Much is said at present about lines that run down in front and up in the back, or vice versa, over the hips. These bear no relation to the waist line, which is frequently missing, and are used in conjunction with the molded lines that follow, quite subtly, the natural lines of the figure.

A dress of the afternoon type should feature these points and possesses, in addition, a popular detail in its tiered skirt. Crepe-back satin, supple and lustrous, is the ideal material for such a dress, though crepe faille, flat crepe, or the sheer crepes of the Elizabeth and Roma order are quite acceptable.

Here again you may use a plain foundation pattern, one with set – in sleeves this time, such as Pictorial Review 2850. Fit the underarm seams in nicely so that the dress molds the figure very slightly. The tiers are perfectly straight pieces of the material, cut so that the lengthwise grain goes across the body. It is wise to cut these from muslin first, as expensive material may frequently be saved in this way. Cut them 8 or 10 inches wide, and determine the length by measuring over the hips, following the line shown. Allow about 8 inches additional length for shaping at the front,

Finish the ends and lower edges of the tiers with narrow self-fabric bias bindings. Locate them so that they overlap slightly and so that the amount of the skirt that shows below them at the center back equals them in width.

Detailed instructions to make a 1920′s dress can be found in the One Hour Dress, a booklet by Mary Brooks Picken.