#1950ssewingpattern

Cousin to The Seven Year Itch Halter Dress, Butterick 6938

There is a famous scene in the 1955 film, The Seven-Year Itch, a movie set in a hot summer in New York City when air conditioning was still rare. Marilyn Monroe is standing over a subway grate and the whoosh of a train blows up the skirt of her white halter dress giving some relief from the heat.

This re-issued 1950s pattern from Butterick is the cousin to that famous white dress. There are differences--Monroe’s dress by Travilla had a pleated skirt, a waist-tie, and no buttons in front--but they share a silhouette of fitted bodice with a halter neck and a full skirt.  Indeed, you could alter this pattern to make it look more like the iconic dress, but the ensemble here is both charming and practice.

The buttons on the front bodice appear on the little jacket as well. And the jacket is a nice addition since air-conditioning can create a chill on many a summer evening out.  While the buttons are functional, you get into the dress with a side zipper.

The dress and jacket take 6-7 yards of 45″ fabric, and they suggest crispy cottons like chambray, broadcloth or pique, or fancier silks like taffeta or shantung.  I  would either test muslin the bodice or add extra-large seam allowances (3/4″), so that you can tweak the close fit. You need to take into account the shape of the shoulders, the bustline and the waistline and how they relate to each other, are you long-waisted, short-waisted, etc.

Realize the skirt will be WIDE, and you may prefer to pleat it rather than gather it at the waist to reduce bulk. The 1950s designers loved the fitted bodice with the enormous skirt, but many of us find it overwhelming to the eye.

Ginormous Blue Button: What Was It For?

I found this button in an antique store and pondering its size. It came as a single button which probably meant it was supposed to be used as one. Although it had some gleam to it, it wasn’t particularly shiny and it came in navy blue which was one of the standard colors for women’s daytime clothing for much of the 20th Century. All this told me: coat button.

And indeed, when I took a look at my collection of patterns, I found this reissued 1950s pattern from Simplicity 8509. This style of swing coat or swing jacket was popular through the 1950s. It could be worn with the long, straight skirt which was as much part of the the New Look style by Christian Dior from 1947 as the better-known long, flared skirt. This version has both single button, or 3 buttons or none at all. Each time the buttonholes are bound which suits such a large button as it has more structure built into it.

Of course, single- and no-button coats are not the most practical, of course, as anyone who has worn one in a chilly breeze can tell you. They do give you the air of a woman with a private car waiting for her at the curb, so even the breeze has no time to mess with her. For those of us who need to hurry down the street without the private car, we can opt for as many buttons as we like.

Variations on the Date Dress in the 1950s: Simplicity 9738

At first glance, the green and the red-orange versions of this dress from the 1950s seem identical. Both create the hour-glass silhouette which was so popular during the decade. Both use princess seams to shape the fitted bodice and waistline and then flare to a long and wide hemline, over 2 yards in diameter. Both have ties at at shoulders to hold the dress up and both can be worn with the the little bolero jacket with cut-on 3/4 sleeves, with a small, rounded collar.

But the green version offers the slightest bit more coverage. See how instead of the notched front alone at the top center of the bodice, a little strip of contrast fabric runs along the top of the front and back underneath the notch. It is such a small change, and yet for a woman who felt self-conscious about how the notch might expose more than she liked, it would make a difference.

The designer imagine this dress in a range of woven fabrics. So cottons, linens, even rayons, which strike me as having too much drape were recommended. So, cottons and lines are perfect for a summer dress that was not too fancy. But then, you might also use fancier silks, including taffeta which has a stiffness which works well for a flared skirt. The jacket could match, of course, but it could also be dressier and warmer in brocade or velvet which are much thicker.