#sagecollection

Coffee Bean Ensemble at Indiana University

I would wear this outfit today because of the print which says something about its appeal. This is a part of the Elizabeth Sage Historic Costume Collection, at Indiana University and dates from the 1930s or possibly late 1920s. Dresses slowly regained normal waistlines after 1930 having lost them entirely during he 1920s or moved them down to the hipline. I got to see it when I visited with the Director/Curator of the collection, Kelly Richardson,  which is held down in Bloomington, IN. I got to see their 1930s dresses and I will be sharing more of them on the blog.

This is a jacket-dress combination, a softer ensemble than the tailored suit which means it could look much less serious. The jackets were always loose, like this one, sometimes collared,like this one, sometimes not, and then the dresses could be loose or more fitted. This coffee bean print does make it playful. You can see the the dark cream and brown were reversed, making for two prints, and a harmonious whole.

Taking a closer look at this, we realized that it was of rayon, loosely cut, so that it needed no opening to put on. The front placket with buttons is a trompe l’oeil as it has neither an opening nor buttonholes. Then the neckline is finished with a bias-cut strip of fabric. The skirt flared out from the shaped midriff piece which allowed plenty of room for your legs to move. And then the dress cuff echoed the point on the shaped midriff piece. I always enjoy a close look at vintage fashion because I found them full of choices and techniques that are no longer part of our fashion vocabulary.

The Floral Bouquet on the 1930s Fairy Dress

The appliqué bouquet at the center of the front bodice is clearly the highlight of this charming dress found in the Elizabeth Sage Costume Collection at Indiana University which I got to see when by courtesy of the Director/Curator of the collection Kelly Richardson. It has the long, leanish, floor-length silhouette which marked the evening dresses of the 1930s and is made of silk netting with a contrasting slip.

The main elements are the flowers and leaves made of silk chiffon which have had their edges rolled--probably by a process of stretching the bias and a bit of water and a bit of simple hand manipulation. Then their little edges were tacked down with thread. We tend to think of appliqué as fabric bits with their raw edges tucked under, and these rolled examples are less usual. Only a tiny bit of fabric was needed to make them. A good reminder that bits of fabric remnants can serve many purposes.

Look closer and you will see that the centers of the flowers and the stems of the yarn were made with chenille yarn in dark red and green. But wait, there is more. Tiny plastic flower, probably originally buttons, were given red bead centers, and then sewn down around each of their little petals. It is a mix of materials in an asymmetrical that coheres as a whole.

I give you the back of the appliqué bouquet as well, so you can see that it was clearly created prior to the dress on a separate piece of netting and then applied over some of the seaming. A smart way to allow yourself to work closely on a small section without having to cram a whole dress into your lap.