Oh, Mr. Halston!

Usually, when an auction title says "ULTRA SEXY 70s DRESS", not only do I pass it by unclicked, but I roll my eyes and possibly heave a big sigh. For an era when so many people were supposedly having so much sex, the clothes are so unerotic (to me, at least, possibly because I spent the 1970s in single digits) that one has to wonder if the whole thing is just one big urban legend. I'm not sure long prairie dresses or quiana can actually EVER be sexy. However -- The Pattern Fairy, on eBay, who also has a ton of great 1950s patterns, wasn't lying. (Possibly because I bet this dress is more early-80s.) Look at this!

I think this dress is sexy because it isn't trying too hard. Sure, it's got a low neck, and a surplice effect (which always holds the promise of UNwrapping), but it's something you could wear to work. The skirt's not short, the back's not bare, and it has sleeves, even.

The only reason I'm not buying this is that it's tiny (bust 30 1/2). But it's only $10! I'll probably be looking out for it in my size. I'd like to make it in really soft Japanese geometric-print silky cotton, with an obi belt in a contrasting print ...

Comments

[La BellaDonna]

Au contraire! Ordinarily I would not contradict you, but I DID make a very sexy, very pretty dress of deep green qiana to wear to a wedding. It had long sleeves gathered at the wrist, a V neckline, and that high shaped pointed bodice that makes an "X" where it meets the V of the neckline. It was a couple of inches below the knee, and was very sexy indeed.Alas, when I met the sister of the bride, she had chosen to make her own dress, too. Alas, she chose the floor-length version of the same pattern I chose. Alas, she chose to make it in green qiana. Alas, alas, alas, she was also not the obsessive-compulsive I am, and that's not a good thing when you're sewing. So you had one dress that looked fabulous and one that looked as if had been made by Loving Hands At Home....[And yes, somewhere I have a piece of burgundy qiana waiting to be made up. I grieve for the discontinuation of qiana velvet, which was lustrous, sumptuous and machine washable.]

[Erin]

Lydia, I think I love you. You wouldn't kill someone who loves you, would you? (Or is it, you only hurt the ones you love? I can never keep that straight.)Bella, I LOVE the qiana wedding story. You should set up an ebay search for qiana velvet, it's got to be out there somewhere ...

[La BellaDonna]

Aaaaayyy. Kill me now. I have some of her quaint "vintage" patterns - only I bought them when they were new. Pardon me, I'm going to go soak my feet in a nice tar pit while I clutch the remnants of my youth.(And yes, I go through them periodically, and I'm still "planning to make them.")

[shana]

See, I love the picture, but damn, it would only look good on me if I were shaped like those models....incredibly tall and thin and long-legged...not so much.

[jrochest]

I have some of her quaint "vintage" patterns - only I bought them when they were new. Oh darlin', I hear ya. I wore this dress, ( or something very like it in a shiny teal jersey) to a grade 12 grad dance. I see your tar pit and raise you three mastadons and a brontosaur. Oh, and Erin -- yes, people did have sex in the 70's, lots of it, but mostly because they looked better with their clothes off than on. And they also did cocaine and quaaludes, often in the same night -- which combo would make even a mastadon look hot and sexy.