my armstreet dress that i’ve cherished since high school is starting to get too small—at the bicep! what an interesting body change. maybe it’s time to finally tackle that kirtle project (after the wedding, of course). i found modern linen too widely woven for pants (my poor beach pajamas are pilling at the crotch after only a year of wear), but the stuff this dress is made out of is just SLIGHTLY tighter and has stood the test of years as a dress.
i wear it rarely these days, but winter temperatures have reminded me just how elegant multiple layers of linen are as a solution. this dress with a linen blouse and cotton petticoat underneath is cool in summer and warm in winter, and moves between the variable temperatures of the sweltering studio and chilly sidewalks very well. and the long skirts eliminate the need for tights! it also doesn’t get stinky from sweat—i’ve worn this for several days in a row and even slept in it with no body odour. i should pull it out more often.
if anyone’s thinking of armstreet, i’ve made two linen clothing purchases over the years and am very happy with both of them. this dress is not historically accurate, but it’s well made and beautiful. the one complaint i have is that they didn’t let the bias hang before hemming it. i could move the hem ribbon and fix that fairly easily now, i suppose.
i’ve ordered my wedding shoes from them, so we’ll see if the leather quality matches that of the linen.