Ava and Lana BFF
Faryn is making a wedding dress for a friend (she's a better man than I am, gotta tell you) and the friend is looking for a pattern for a dress like Ava Gardner's in this picture:

No, no, I'm totally kidding you. She wants Lana Turner's dress. What I want to know is what kind of event accommodated both outfits ... Ava's dressed for a day at the office where she may just have to move some file boxes, and Lana is dressed for, well, a wedding. Possibly a wedding in an Old West Saloon, where high kicks may or may not be involved.
It doesn't seem to have affected their friendship, though:

I know nothing about Lana Turner and only slightly more about Ava Gardner, so I am relying on you film buffs to enlighten me.
And in the top picture, there's a guy in what looks like white tie, and in the bottom there's a guy in what looks like an Eisenhower jacket. Go figure.
As for the dress, you should be able to modify a fairly standard off-the-shoulder gown to be like this. Add a slit and some ruffles, sprinkle on some bling, and you're done! But if you have a link to a similar pattern, please leave it in the comments for Faryn ...

No, no, I'm totally kidding you. She wants Lana Turner's dress. What I want to know is what kind of event accommodated both outfits ... Ava's dressed for a day at the office where she may just have to move some file boxes, and Lana is dressed for, well, a wedding. Possibly a wedding in an Old West Saloon, where high kicks may or may not be involved.
It doesn't seem to have affected their friendship, though:

I know nothing about Lana Turner and only slightly more about Ava Gardner, so I am relying on you film buffs to enlighten me.
And in the top picture, there's a guy in what looks like white tie, and in the bottom there's a guy in what looks like an Eisenhower jacket. Go figure.
As for the dress, you should be able to modify a fairly standard off-the-shoulder gown to be like this. Add a slit and some ruffles, sprinkle on some bling, and you're done! But if you have a link to a similar pattern, please leave it in the comments for Faryn ...
Labels: AvaGardner, findthisdress, LanaTurner, wedding


55 Comments:
At Nov 17, 2009 9:36:00 AM,
sarah said…
I'm thinking they're all at work? I'm blanking but Lana's dress looks very familiar, as in "I think I saw that movie" familiar. But right now, I couldn't even tell you what Lana Turner movies I've seen.
At Nov 17, 2009 9:53:00 AM,
Jen said…
"Merry Widow", c. 1952, Helen Rose designer.
Helen Rose was a genius at draping, with a staff of experts to construct her designs. And what's really fun is that after this movie came out, the fashionable long line corsets by Warner's lingerie were called "Merry Widows" after that movie (I still use the term).
At Nov 17, 2009 10:00:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
Love the crossover construction of that dress (how the right angles point to just under the waist with all that tulle spilling out from where the two sides part). What would be technical name for such garment construction? Might help in the research for something similar...
At Nov 17, 2009 10:07:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
that's obviously a studio photo where two stars are shot together while they are both in costume for two different films.
At Nov 17, 2009 10:07:00 AM,
Jen said…
OK, I'm back.
For the base of the dress, I would marry 2 current Vogue patterns:
Vogue 2903, this has the right upper bodice with V neck and wide shoulders, just leave off the sleeves.
to
Vogue 2717, this is your average princess seamed torso and bridal skirt model.
Actually the V2903 might make it all the way, just close up the skirt pleats and you would have it.
I sure hope they try this first in muslin, and hire the best costumer in town to construct it. The draping is a free-for-all you decorate after the dress sample has been constructed, I think.
p.s. that waistline definition is all in the right corset, she'll need a >tight< grosgrain ribbon in there to keep it defined.
(no cake eating for her!)
At Nov 17, 2009 10:14:00 AM,
lsaspacey said…
I definitely think she should look through the "vintage" (1980-90s)Vogue designer patterns, especially the designs from Bagely Mischca (sp?)and Belville Sassoon. Here's one that's pretty close with a slim skirt: Vogue 2802 at Lanetz Living
At Nov 17, 2009 10:29:00 AM,
Lisa Simeone said…
Wow, Lana Turner was a knock-out. Just stunning. And that Helen Rose gown equally so. Gotta love old style glamour!
At Nov 17, 2009 10:48:00 AM,
Sara said…
Love those old pix!
At Nov 17, 2009 10:51:00 AM,
nuranar said…
she's a better man than I am, gotta tell you
Thanks for the laugh! Unashamed Kipling references for the win! :D
At Nov 17, 2009 11:10:00 AM,
Evelyn said…
Looks to me like Ava is wearing a blouse and a skirt, not a dress. But what do I know?
At Nov 17, 2009 11:17:00 AM,
deb said…
This post has been removed by the author.
At Nov 17, 2009 11:21:00 AM,
deb said…
Ava was probably filming for 'Lone Star'(1952) in which she played a news-paper editor. I haven't seen the movie in ages... but the outfit does look familiar from it.
Lana's dress is indeed from 'The Merry Widow', as a poster above also mentioned.
So this is probably a studio-photo and they're both in costume for 2 totally different movies.
At Nov 17, 2009 11:43:00 AM,
Lizzy said…
Very nice dresses! And I think Isaspacey is right about the pattern V2802, it is VERY similar to the one in the photo.
At Nov 17, 2009 11:47:00 AM,
Cookie said…
I don't think Gardner is actually costumed for a movie here...I believe that's pretty much how she dressed off screen (note the loafers) and she's visiting Turner on the set of "The Merry Widow"...a rather brave thing to do before going through Hair and Makeup, yourself! (Both actresses were under contract to MGM, and its employees used to drop by each other's sets at lunchtime, etc.)
Notice the wide bracelet Turner is wearing. Throughout that whole movie she wears either those or long gloves to cover up bandages on her wrist from an attempted suicide, a result of Tyrone Power breaking up with her.
I think Ava Gardner was pretty much the most beautiful actress, ever. I have been swayed by Liv Tyler and Kate Beckinsale before (I like brunettes), but if I could magically transform myself into someone else's body, I think it would be Gardner's. She was also very confident about her own merits as a human being. She whacked Howard Hughes over the head with a handy pewter pitcher or something (SERIOUSLY injuring him) when he was trying to buy her affections with trays of jewelry, and she'd been to typing school before a talent scout spotted her portrait in a photographer's window. She always said, "I would have made a damn fine secretary."
The critic Pauline Kael said Gardner's persona was "impossible not to like, as she was entirely without pretense." A lesson for us all!
At Nov 17, 2009 11:54:00 AM,
JuliaR said…
Both men in the second photo might be wearing uniforms, so it might have been something to support the military.
I found this site
http://oracleofbacon.org/cgi-bin/movielinks
when I was looking stuff up about "six degrees of separation" and so I looked the two actresses up and they were both in "Du Barry was a Lady" 1943, which of course, was right in the middle of the war for the US.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035829/
They seem to have had tiny cameos in the film.
At Nov 17, 2009 1:08:00 PM,
~Bon Vintage~ said…
V2802 I also recommende Bellville
they are the current BEST a draping! The shoulder wrap neckline point in the photo looks like individualized rhinestoned sequined or pearlized "leafings" that can be layered on organza attached as to the bodice and the front curve.. so elegant. Many Bellville Vogues are available on line and have great couture structure.Those patterns are advanced though so get those sewing caps on!
At Nov 17, 2009 1:49:00 PM,
Anonymous said…
Here's a video clip of the dress in action from the "Merry Widow" film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb1hVAwNquw
At Nov 17, 2009 2:26:00 PM,
Birgit / Stitches and Loops said…
Love that dress! Sadly, there are only two Helen Rose designs on the wiki.
There is a Philip Hulitar Prominent Designer pattern that would make a nice start for the bodice, although the skirt would need serious modifications.
http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com/wiki/Prominent_Designer_M284
Thanks for the nice insights, Cookie!
At Nov 17, 2009 2:27:00 PM,
Cookie said…
Oh, that's interesting! Imagine if you could see all pattern illustrations in actual movement.
But after seeing all that swirling satin, tulle and rhinestones, I'm having bad Say Yes to the Dress flashbacks.
At Nov 17, 2009 2:38:00 PM,
Cookie said…
PS: Speaking of elaborate period costumes, I watched the 1974 Peter Bogdanovich adaptation Daisy Miller last night. The young Cybill Shepherd kind of flounders in it, but at least looks absolutely exquisite in the gorgeous costumes, which were nominated for an Oscar.
At Nov 17, 2009 2:41:00 PM,
Anonymous said…
It probably won't be hard to replicate the dress -- but where are you going to get the corset? We're not talking Spanx, here, ladies. A realio, trulio corset, that really cinches your waist to the extent shown in the photo, pretty much has to be custom-made these days. VIctoria Beckham, in her autobiography "Learning to Fly," talks about how legendary corsetier Mr. Pearl made hers for her wedding dress. But as far as I know, there's only one Mr. Pearl (Vogue once did a story on him; he sleeps in his own corset and has like, a 17" waist).
Here's another consideration: I've never used a real corset, but I have worn waist cinchers (a company called Squeem or Squeam makes them and thy're great for lifting the boobs as well; you can get them from Amazon).
A good waist cincher will do great things for your figure -- though it won't create the extreme hourglass effect pictured here. But even a garden-variety, modern-day waist cincher is really uncomfortable to wear all day.
Wouldn't you want to be comfortable on your wedding day? You want to dance, talk, hug people, greet your guests, and enjoy yourself. You don't want to spend the whole day miserable.
And then there's the after-effect. After even a short time in one of these contraptions, you end up with ugly deep red grooves in your belly where the skin has been folded over and pressed down. I don't know about you all, but I wanted to have sex on my wedding night, and the only thing less sexy than a post-Squeem groove would be a huge, fresh surgical scar.
I'm just saying, I think there are good reasons why that cinched-waist look has gone out of style. I should know, having tried to recreate that effect myself. -victoria
At Nov 17, 2009 2:45:00 PM,
Amy A. said…
Look at those waists! Did they eat nothing?
At Nov 17, 2009 3:13:00 PM,
Cookie said…
Depending on the bride's figure, a good all-in-one foundation garment in the correct size would give additional waist definition, and not mark up the poor victim too badly. (I imagine a hard thing about making wedding dresses, in general, would be that prospective brides tend to either lose or gain weight as the big day approaches.)
At Nov 17, 2009 5:51:00 PM,
Lisa Simeone said…
Oh, my, Miss Anonymous, there are MANY places where you can get honest-to-god corsets, off the rack and custom-made, beautiful, beautiful corsets, that don't make you miserable, that don't squish you beyond recognition (well, depends on how tight you cinch them), that make you look and feel like a queen. It's not a thing of the past!
But don't have time right now to post all the links, so will have to return later tonight to do so. Believe me, you'll be bowled over by the variety.
At Nov 17, 2009 6:14:00 PM,
Theresa said…
Exhibit A: Vogue 2890
http://www.voguepatterns.com/list/evening_bridal_includes_designer/page-4.htm
Exhibit B: vogue 28880
http://www.voguepatterns.com/item/V2880.htm?tab=evening_bridal_includes_designer&page=4
At Nov 17, 2009 6:28:00 PM,
Anonymous said…
For the Anonymous poster who wanted the term for the crossover style of this dress, it is "surplice".
At Nov 17, 2009 6:30:00 PM,
Cookie said…
Real Life Corset Tragedy: When Vivien Leigh was filming Anna Karenina, she kept complaining that the costumes were uncomfortable, to which designer Cecil Beaton repeatedly told her to pipe down and get on with it. WELL, it finally turned out all her corsets were being put on her UPSIDE DOWN! Poor little Vivling.
At Nov 18, 2009 2:05:00 AM,
baju muslim zahra said…
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At Nov 18, 2009 4:53:00 AM,
ed hardy said…
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At Nov 18, 2009 8:59:00 AM,
Sheila / Out of the Ashes Collectibles said…
Hi Faryn - I have a ton of wedding dresses but two jumped out at me: Butterick 4235 and Butterick 4288 which both come in a couple of sizes. These two look similar IMO / http://risingfeenix.com/inc/searchresults?s=4235&ss=4235&n=679772
and
http://risingfeenix.com/inc/searchresults?s=4288&ss=4288&n=243413
At Nov 18, 2009 10:26:00 AM,
Hilary said…
Interestingly, they were both married to Artie Shaw.
At Nov 18, 2009 11:06:00 AM,
Gidget Bananas said…
Ah, Lana; bad acting, great clothes, as I said here.
At Nov 18, 2009 11:12:00 AM,
Gabriella said…
Though not an exact match, Lana's dress reminds me of Simplicity 3410 from the 1950s. I just tried to add it to the Wiki, so you could see, but I'm getting no Wiki love today.
At Nov 18, 2009 11:56:00 AM,
Cookie said…
Not to diminish any one else's opinion, but I am not a Lana Turner fan, either. She has the onscreen personality of a marshmellow. They've been talking for years about making a movie about the later, gangster-related scandal in her life, called Stompenado. The last I read, Catherine Zeta Jones was going to play her. If the film had been planned earlier, I think Kim Basinger would be a better choice, because she can give off the same sense of "removed" vulnerability. (To be clear, I think Basinger is a far superior actress to Turner.) It's a very interesting story.
At Nov 18, 2009 12:48:00 PM,
Anonymous said…
This dress looks like one of the plus size evening gowns in the latest issue of Burda (11/2009 - dress 138, page 51). That might work if the person the dress is intended for is a Euro size 44 or bigger.
At Nov 18, 2009 3:31:00 PM,
Lisa Simeone said…
I really liked her in 'The Bad and the Beautiful.' Great movie, and great score by David Raksin.
Very sad about her time with Johnny Stompanato, but I'm sure somebody will make a movie of it someday.
(I know I still have to post those corset links -- I will!)
At Nov 19, 2009 1:29:00 AM,
Linda said…
Re corsets - I don't sell these, and don't think I'd subject myself to wearing one, but a younger friend of mine (with a very nice figure already!) wears one of these and has a va-va-va voom look, reminiscent of Lana's. Btw, in my fantasy life I AM Ava.
http://buybodymagic.com/
At Nov 19, 2009 6:14:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
Did anyone else note the three inch hem in the skirt and the non-tight fit?
At Nov 19, 2009 9:55:00 AM,
Lisa Simeone said…
Okay, sorry, I know I'm way overdue on this.
Here are some corset links, which will, in turn, take you to other links. Sorry I don't know how to do all the HTML "href" stuff, so you'll have to copy & past these URLS into your browser.
First off, story I did on corsets when I was hosting WATC on NPR several years ago:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1137842
Le Chateau Exotique's home page -- gobs of gorgeous corsets of all types (don't let the URL scare you -- there are many beautiful, elegant, modest corsets here as well):
http://www.fetishwear.com/
Dark Garden in San Francisco, one of the best makers/purveyors in the country:
http://www.darkgarden.com/index.asp
Romantasy -- lots o' links:
http://www.romantasy.com/index.html?BodyURL=ZXQ/second-level-pages/products.html
Vollers -- high-quality corsets:
http://www.vollers-corsets.com/
Okay, that's enough to get you started, especially because, as I said, their links lead to other links.
Have fun!
At Nov 19, 2009 3:29:00 PM,
anthrokeight said…
I think Ava Gardner looks like a pattern-woman in the first picture. Head up, looking at... something or another. Her left arm is out from her body, all she needs there is a pair of gloves. If we could just get the right arm to disappear into nothingness in a trail of pencil sketches, she'd look like a background pattern picture (and she'd have been a damn fine pattern picture, too).
Lana Turner is too much with us to be a really good pattern picture person. She clearly hasn't got the acting chops, or maybe the acting desire, for the job.
At Nov 19, 2009 9:05:00 PM,
Charles said…
i agree that i super tight corset is absolutely necessary for that look... ^.^
At Nov 20, 2009 8:41:00 AM,
Miss Amanda Jones said…
I think they just met on the street! Ava was going out from her office work and Lana was going to a party!
XD
At Nov 20, 2009 8:41:00 AM,
Miss Amanda Jones said…
I think they just met on the street! Ava was going out from her office work and Lana was going to a party!
XD
At Nov 20, 2009 9:55:00 AM,
Jen said…
Corset or no corset, that dress probably had a shape of its own, made possible with a strong muslin flat lining against the silk satin face, with metal stays down each princess seam. Throw in a good measure of buckram behind the skirt, to keep the silhouette smooth under the faux surplice trim and skirt drape. Then there's the inner waistband to create the cinched and defined waistline (with out it, the corset shape wouldn't be molded by the dress). Finish this off with a tough metal zipper up the back (the camera won't dwell on that area).
This dress would stand on its own if left there.
At Nov 20, 2009 7:29:00 PM,
Faryn said…
Erin and all of you wonderful people have no idea how blissfully much all of your ideas, suggestions, and time means to me.
As for my friend Amy's figure, she's 23 and healthily skinny so I know this dress will be beautiful on her (if I can make the dress exist) because this is what she wants...and so she will have...even if i have to break out my alchemy set with the sewing machine.
Now that I have the details of the dress, I'm wondering what the best materials would be for the new dress. Any suggestions?
At Nov 21, 2009 8:25:00 PM,
Theresa said…
crepe back satin, bridal satin? maybe?
is there such a thing as a mid-weight silk?
At Nov 21, 2009 8:25:00 PM,
Theresa said…
Faryn -- you are a good friend.
At Nov 22, 2009 9:26:00 AM,
DragonPoodle said…
Faryn,
thanks for the words "healthily skinny" in your description of the bride. This is the first time I have seen anyone feel the need to defend skinny-ness, and I hope your comment is part of a societal turn away from the glorification of thinness.
Yes, you can be healthily skinny, just as I am healthily plump! Here's to real women of any size!
At Nov 22, 2009 12:17:00 PM,
Miss Marple said…
I think they're pretty clearly on a movie set. You can see a director's chair in the top photo. The odd combination of clothes may indicate that Ava had stopped in to visit, and wasn't in the film. The guy in the Eisenhower jacket may have been cosplaying a 1920's director! Aren't there pictures of early directors looking like they're dressed for safaris?... Thanks for this great blog!
At Nov 22, 2009 3:43:00 PM,
john in nc said…
Lana and Ava were both married to Artie Shaw-
There were good friends-
I agree this is probably a shot from a movie set -
Lana working and Ava dropping by-
At Nov 23, 2009 12:31:00 PM,
Chantelle said…
@Faryn and @Teresa, mid-weight silk fabrics are available. I've been looking at a lot of silk fabrics online lately to try and figure out which is the right silk fabric to use for McCall's 7549, which I'm making for an upcoming Christmas party. The world of bridal fabrics is varied and complicated :)
Silk weight (in woven fabrics) is measured by momme (mm); the lower the number, the lighter the silk. Lightweight silk is usually under 20mm or so, mid-weight is 20-30mm, and heavy weight is over 30.
Duchesse satin and peau de soie are mid-weight silks. Although duppioni and silk taffeta are usually lightweight silks, it is possible to find them in mid-weights as well.
Based on the video, I'd say that the dress is made out of duchesse or peau de soie because it's got body and sheen but not a lot of shine. The dress could also be made out of double-faced silk satin or a crepe-backed silk satin.
There are lots of online retailers that carry a variety of silks. If you do buy online and have time, buy samples first so that you know what you're getting. These are some of the shops that seem to have a wide selection with lots of information:
NY Fashion Center
Fabrics.net
G&S dye (if you want to dye your own fabric)
Golden Silks
At Nov 23, 2009 8:48:00 PM,
raven said…
I vote for a silk duchess satin. My wedding gown was made from it and I adored it. Great body and movement, nice sheen without being too shiny, and it drapes beautifully. I think the tulle and beading would pop against it and look elegant. I also think a vintage or antique brooch at the top of the tulle would be really cool!
At Nov 23, 2009 11:17:00 PM,
melissa marie said…
i looked up both ladies after reading this and neither seemed to have a very happy life. but they both sure wore dresses well, if that counts for anything...
by the way i am rather new to your blog, and i love it and the vintage pattern wiki. awesome. thanks.
At Nov 24, 2009 8:22:00 AM,
Lynn said…
I would suggest looking at Sewingpatterns.com. They have lots and lots of pattern brands I've never seen anywhere else. If it exists they probably have it.
At Nov 25, 2009 10:48:00 AM,
wundermary said…
All I can say is: 'The hair, Darling', 'Watch the make-up'.
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