First Glance for Spring Attire

“She shows her curls and wears a ruffle on her sleeve. Her skirts are long-but not too long. She knows cotton is a smart fashion fabric but not expensive-so she wears cottons and cottons mixtures that are flattering but kind to her purse. She buys cotton with a reputation and a future-cottons that keep their shape and color, no matter how often they are tubbed and and sunned. She dresses her children in them, and makes herself a dozen cotton frocks for morning, noon and night. She goes forth in the new Fruit of the Loom cottons and cotton-and-rayon mixtures! She looks and feels-and is-a very smart lady!”

I’m not a great lover of cotton frocks. Although, there are the cotton dresses for sports and those that are for day wear that are attractive and pleasing, yet some that remind me of humdrum house dress For my most undesirable of the regular ol’ tasks, but one has to admit, this fashion illustration is inspiring. With the right fabrics sewn in the perfect designs they’ll be so lovely to wear. I have plenty of cotton fabrics and Rayon-cottons, so as a design challenge I've decided to make all four of these amazingly beautiful frocks. The key here is to use only the things I have and recreate the designs as exact as possible. 

Aren’t they lovely, all of them! Such perfection for Spring 1931....So now to the design table!

Julia's Report on Paris Fashion

     Here for you my dears is a little treat. And quite a treat! But not before a little background story. Julia Coburn, our author here for the article, an important figure in the fashion world and I'm certain you'd know who she was and become instantly thrilled that the latest fashion magazine had her article. She also co-wrote books on how to dress, and how to act in certain clothes and the proper things to wear and when. These books I'll share a little later! 
     A Kansas City native Julia was born in 1898, studied at a ladies' college and later lived in New York. Her letters to magazines indeed claimed to be straight from Paris and this is true. She lived in Paris for three years and often went to and from quite often, and with children and a husband. The articles she supposedly wrote were in a way her articles. She would send her notes to the magazines fashion department editor (she too was also a fashion editor) and someone would write the article on her behalf. I do wish we could see those notes of hers! 
    So here is another article by the great Julia Coburn. Enjoy!
           *I gathered my information from "The Smart Way To Dress" by Julia Coburn and Alice Blinn 1937

    For those dog days when sometimes I don't feel like changing to go out I like to create for myself dresses like these..

Now, we haven't come upon these days in Utah just yet, it's been raining so wonderfully much, but I know they're upon us. It's my gorgeous desert after all. And these types of dresses, in a sturdy homespun weave, are perfect for tasks around inside and outside of the home and still look suitable for going out to the shop in. And to go out I just tuck nicely my hanky in my pocket, put on my hat and go. So easily is the dress  dressed up to go out. 

           I'm a real sucker for button down costumes. It's becoming and very easy to jump into. How easy it is to unbutton a couple of buttons at the base for hikes or tennis. This dress I've made about a month ago but has already been on sever hikes up the mountains, over waterfalls.
 And let's not forget the robe qualities these types of affairs have. For the beach or poolside, wear under it your bathing costume or top and shorts for other places where it may be suitable to "shed" some layers. The uses for this dress are near endless!
                             Do you see now why I love this style of dresses!

I'd like to also note the shirtmaker style dress that it is. So elegantly mannish but so feminine. This design and fabric I chose to make it in was a nod to my wild west legacy. The belt is original 1930s leather belt and leather covered buckle. I love pocket squares but handkerchiefs are much more useful to me and I still insist upon having it in my breast pocket! But yes, sometimes I do shove it down in the other pocket. This one I made is made up of a scrap of Italian linen leftover from another dress I previously made. I narrowly hemmed the four corners and crocheted a lacy border in fine thread and hook. 

Well, there it is. Simple, yet so useful. And in its beautiful simplicity it becomes one of those that one is most fond of. 

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