Julie keeps up her Dress A Day fodder streak by sending me this turkey dress (which is substantially different from "a turkey of a dress"). Sadly, you wouldn't be able to get this in time for Thanksgiving -- the auction doesn't end until midday Wednesday.
I'm not, you understand, recommending holiday-themed clothing here. I think my stance on holiday-themed clothing is pretty clear -- at least, for the major holidays, I am against it. (If you want to go all out for Arbor Day, however, be my guest!) The farthest I am willing to go is something like this, which, while it may be covered with turkeys, also has more than its fair share of llamas. Llamas are pretty holiday-neutral, as I understand it, unless you are celebrating a llama day (also known as a corduroy day.)
If you already have a turkey-themed Thanksgiving dress (those of you in the States, at least, it's a little late for Canadian Thanksgiving at this point) more power to you! I am not trying to universalize my experience of holiday-themed clothing. However, don't, if you can help it, go this far ... I beg you.
Yes, nothing says, 'I've given up' like a holiday sweater. I would absolutely wear that dress to Thanksgiving dinner though.
Posted by: Robinson | 11/20/2006 at 02:19 PM
As a group, elementary school teachers are given to the wearing of theme clothing - denim jumpers with buses, crayons, "1=1=2", and the like, in September. October brings us jumpers appliqued with pumpkins, witches and ghosts, plus Halloween themed sweters. I could go on, but you get the picture. I could never tell if the cuteness was for the children or for the wearer.
Posted by: Anonymous | 11/20/2006 at 02:27 PM
Are we sure they're not alpacas? or vicunas? I LOVE the Corduroy Appreciation Club! I just found out about them this morning before I read your entry. Too bad I missed corduroy day. The beauty of corduroy, IMO, is it fills a nice niche between denim (so ubiquitous) and velvet (so impractical), and thus dresses up or down with ease. I really want to make a corduroy dress, but I don't know if I have an appropriate pattern...
Posted by: nora | 11/20/2006 at 02:52 PM
I've made a corduroy faux wrap dress. I can't seem to bring myself to wear it though. It seems like corduroy + dress must equal shirt dress.
Posted by: Anonymous | 11/20/2006 at 03:01 PM
Yes! I saw the corduroy article on Sunday and immediately signed up. On the registration form, you must name your favorite article of corduroy clothing. I named my pincord polka-dotted skirt.I mean, of course.
Posted by: India | 11/20/2006 at 03:17 PM
Hey Erin, when do I get Dress a Day Minion status?It is a great pattern.Just kitschy enough to allow one to break any rulesyou might have aginst wearing holiday themed clothing.Corduroy has never been my friend, could be all those widewale pants I wore as achubby kid. The noise they made just bugged me and as an even larger woman Ican't get past the childhood corduroy trama I experianced.
Posted by: Julie The Vintage Goddess | 11/20/2006 at 05:07 PM
My favorite dress in high school (1966-70) was corduroy. My mother made it, so it fit perfectly. It had puffy short sleeves with bands, a simple round neckline, high gathered bodice, knee length. The fabric was a luscious medium golden brown, and it had tiny flowers all over it in shades of brown to pale yellow. It was perfect because it had NO waist. I wore it with orangy-gold fishnet stockings and I forget the shoes.
Posted by: Well Rounded Dresser | 11/20/2006 at 05:48 PM
First of all, I do not believe that dress qualifies as a "holiday dress". If you want a glimpse of holiday attire, come to my little piece of suburban heaven deep in the heart of Texas, where I swear the principals in the schools says y'all and they all probably own a closet full of holiday sweaters.I see the fabric of this dress as a piece of early Americana, a patriotic statement that might have been made ala Scarlet OHara: fabric torn from the curtains in my mother's kitchen in 1962.But before I digress much further, I want to weigh in on the corduroy controversy and say, that same mother of mine with the patriotic curtains also taught me to sew. Her curtains may have had yards of pom pom trim and those brass clip on rings, (God Bless America and God Bless my MOM) but the woman knew her way around a sewing machine. SO when I was in the 7th grade taking Home Ec, I did not have to make the A line skirt that beginners were required to sew. I was able to matriculate to a corduroy jumper! It was brown, and I was proud. We are family, I got my sewing mom and my sewing sister in me!
Posted by: Nancy | 11/20/2006 at 08:18 PM
Maybe South Americana. Those are definitely llamas and burros with the turkeys. Which is why it probably works as holiday wear for those of us not into holiday wear.
Posted by: Robinson | 11/20/2006 at 09:21 PM
Oh...sigh...to have a 25" waist...I can dream, can't I? :-)
Posted by: Kathyg | 11/21/2006 at 05:27 AM
Okay, so this is a knitting pattern, http://www.catirinabonetdesigns.com/index_files/page0077.htm, but I dare any teacher to try to rock this out. (From a former theme-wearing teacher.)And I'm glad to say I've overcome my corduroy fears and now embrace it, the most versatile fabric!!!
Posted by: ShannonAnn | 11/21/2006 at 07:14 AM
I made most of my clothes in high school (same years as well rounded dresser) and my favorite was a red pinwale corduroy jacket and skirt. Mind you, the skirt was a mini and worn with fishnet stockings and the jacket close fitting. I should have saved it because it would be perfect for my 20 yr old daughter!
Posted by: Anonymous | 11/21/2006 at 09:05 AM
If it has turkeys AND llamas, it's clearly a "domestic animals of the Americas" dress. Wear it with a pemmican-patterned contrast scarf or sash.
Posted by: Kate | 11/21/2006 at 07:11 PM
I am dying for this fabric...perhaps the design is in the public domain and you could get those custom fabric printers to print us some more?
Posted by: anneland22 | 11/22/2006 at 11:04 AM