Bells Are Ringing (plus new wiki charity challenge)

Rita at Cemetarian sent me this over Labor Day (pattern sellers: not unionized, don't get major holidays) and I think it's really sweet.

Even though pointy seam lines on a skirt always make me think of Tinkerbell (who has been COMPLETELY RUINED by Disney, thank you very much), I still think this would be a fabulous dress for a midday wedding (for the bride). I love that little jacket, so (I'll say it again) sweet. I want it to be made in champagne-colored silk faille, which would weigh ONE METRIC TON, but it would be gorgeous.

I like the non-wedding-y versions, too, but they all seem to require the wearing of massive girdle-type garments to get that smooth waistline, which I think is a bit much to expect of a gown that's NOT a wedding dress.

This also reminds me what a fantastic resource our Wikia Vintage Pattern Wiki is for brides -- here's the link to all the dresses tagged "Bridal": 179 patterns and counting! I think we should have another wiki contest: If we get to 500 honest-to-goodness wedding dresses uploaded and tagged by Oct. 1, I'll make a donation of $500 from A Dress A Day to Women for Women International, to help women around the world so they have the freedom to get married because they want to, not because they're forced to -- a freedom most of us take for granted. What do you say?

For a June (2010) Bride

I was just at a wedding where the bride's dress was *slightly* prettier and more elegant than this, but it's a close call. :-)

This is definitely a wedding dress for grown-ups; I wouldn't put this on someone in her early twenties. Or on someone who was getting married at noon; this is an evening dress. I might even consider making the front ruching and back swag in organza, and putting a few -- VERY SUBTLE -- tiny sparkly bits in it. Possibly. They'd have to be very subtle, though, or you'd go from Grown-Up Bride to Glinda The Good Witch in an eyeblink.

(The best part, though, is that I think you could just possibly hide a pocket in that back swag. I'd have to see the pattern, but I don't think it's entirely out of the question.)

This is listed by Michelle here, and it's sized at bust 34, hips 37 -- very reasonable. (It's listed for $150, but when you think of what wedding dresses go for, that's not out of line, either).

If you are a June 2010 bride and think this is your wedding dress, congratulations! And mazel tov! And hurry up, you've only got a year to get this thing made!

I always cry at weddings (research projects)

(Photo by lovedaylemon, used by permission)

Gail at the V&A emailed me to say that the museum is organi[s|z]ing a new exhibition on wedding fashion for 2011, and they need some help in creating a very large database of wedding fashions. They're looking for photographs of clothes worn for weddings from all cultures between 1840 and the present (and by "weddings," they include civil partnerships, yay).

You can upload up to three photographs from any wedding and the V&A would like the emphasis to be on the fashion (although they already have some lovely pictures of flowers and cakes).

Their only stipulation is that the couple should be named and the date of the wedding should be included. There are also some optional fields, such as location, religion of ceremony, and dressmaker/designer. The V&A would love to see some handmade dresses added!

I think this is a fantastic project (and I hope to be able to upload some photos myself)! Check it out here!

APB on 4743

I don't usually put out pattern calls (because otherwise that's all I'd do, and because putting out pattern calls often alerts folks that a particularly desirable pattern EXISTS, which usually leads to even more people looking for it, benefiting the original pattern-coveter not a whit) but I am making an exception in this case because 1) it's for a wedding, specifically Shannon's wedding, and 2) it is completely freaking gorgeous.

So, if you have a line on this pattern, will you let me know? Or if you know of a modern equivalent, or something that could be altered into a reasonable facsimile of this pattern ...

Oh, and on a completely unrelated note, I don't know how many of y'all Twitter, but I have decided that it would be a Very Funny Idea if I were to twitter as Fake Diana Vreeland, sending out "Why Don't You ..." tweets (both some of her original ones and new ones in her "style") at irregular intervals. If you are on Twitter and want to follow Fake Diana Vreeland, she is here. (I also tweet random words at this Twitter account.)

Also: to come later this week: the return of the Meet Our Advertisers feature!

Nice Day for a White Wedding (Dress)

These GoodOrient folks sent me a very nice email this morning, and I went to their site to browse around. It's been ages since I've worn a qipao (mostly because they don't have POCKETS) but I've always loved how elegant they are ...

This is in their clearance section. It is available in sizes 4 or 14, and looks to me like a wonderful no-budget wedding dress. It's long, it's silk, it doesn't feature the patented Shelf-o-Cleavage that seems to afflict so many wedding dresses today, and it is TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS. (Yes, you read that right. $25.00.)

The non-sale price? $38.99.

I know for some people it's all about the acres of tulle, but this would be a wonderful dress for a quiet (or second) wedding or elopement. Bridal, but not Cinderellaish; elegant, but still funky. An small evening ceremony, with a reception at home? A city hall ceremony followed by a nice lunch in a restaurant? This dress would be wonderful ... you could look like a bride and still get yourself into a cab without having to have a Designated Stuffer. And at this price, you could add some truly fabulous shoes and some serious undergarments. I'd wear sapphire (or lapis lazuli or at least sapphire-colored) drop earrings for the "something blue". (For the something borrowed I hereby lend you this idea.)

You could have a LOT of extra honeymoon if your dress was only $25. I'm just saying.

GoodOrient would like to advertise here -- does anyone have any experience with them? I'm on the fence about whether to accept them, as I really prefer to accept advertising only from small businesses who do sewing- or vintage-related things. But a lot of people have been asking me where to get clothes made in Asia, and I have no answers. I'd love your feedback, folks.

Speaking of advertisers, I'm starting a new series of posts, a "meet-our-advertisers" series. I was a bit curious about all these folks -- how did they start their businesseses? What do they like about patterns and vintage? These are not sponsored posts (other than that these folks all advertise) I was just nosy, I mean, interested, and I thought you all would be, too! I'll post the first one later on today. (These will be in addition to, not replacing, daily or semi-daily posts.)

Spoiled for Choice

I'm so sorry I didn't post yesterday -- there were some internet-connectivity issues, and then there were some "I have to give a talk downtown" issues (compounded by the snow issues), and then there were the "back from a long weekend" issues. I guess I "have issues." (Except for issues of the magazine, which are the only issues I want to have. THOSE are still at the printer!)

Of course, any day on which I don't post is NOT a day in which I have NOTHING to post -- I usually have the OPPOSITE problem, as in, I could post so much every day that I would do nothing else. For instance, just in the last 36 hours or so, I was sent links to:

-- this incredibly cute squirrel-print sundress (sent by Julie)
-- a reminder that PurlSoho has new Liberty cottons in stock (from Rebecca)
-- a link to a wedding-perfect satin dress WITH POCKET (from Kai, and let's just see a picture of that pocket, okay?)




-- some paper art dresses (sent by Theresa)
-- an Anne Fogarty polka-dot midriff-emphasizing dress on eBay (sent by Robin, and let's just peek at that one, too, shall we?)





And there were several more links that I will save for another day. Aren't I the luckiest blogger in Blogdom? Thank you (and keep 'em comin')!

January: Nice Day for a White Wedding

Do you know what has always been one of my pet peeves? Brides who get married in the dead of winter in strapless or spaghetti-strap gowns. I know, I know, it's YOUR DAY, and you can do whatever you want, but is "whatever you want" to go around with goosebumps in all your pictures and a honeymoon with a brand-new head cold? (And no, a shawl doesn't really work.) I always think "Oh, she looks so beautiful ... and she'd look even better if she wasn't shivering ..."

Enter a dress like this, which is so gorgeous I almost want Mr. Dress A Day and I to renew our vows so I could get away with making (and wearing) it. (Although it's a BIT ostentatious for a vow-renewal ...)

I'd make it in peau de soie, maybe with little white velvet buttons (or, ooh, ooh, white velvet *piping* and midriff band).

If you're getting married in early 2008, you probably have plenty of time to make this or have this made (I'd wait until the weather cools off a bit before tackling velvet, but that's just me, still in Taipei, where it's 90F and even thinking about velvet leads to heatstroke).

The special bonus you January brides will get for picking a dress like this, and not something strap- or sleeveless? You won't have to spend every minute of the next five months doing (or thinking you should be doing) triceps dips.

That's Liza with a 'Z' (and Marisa with one 'S')

Robin sent me this link, from Doyle Galleries.

This is a dress of Marisa Berenson's, and was worn when she was matron of honor (!) along with Elizabeth Taylor (!) at Liza Minelli's wedding in 2002.

Me, I'm just happy that we live in a world where this is considered a BRIDESMAID'S DRESS. (Okay, okay, MATRON of HONOR.) Do you think Marisa sat down and said "Liza, I'm so happy for you, darling, but no butt-bow on the back of my dress, please" and Liza got a little vague and thought she heard "No back"?

Leaving aside my well-known prejudices about black dresses at weddings (although this falls under the Bridesmaid Exception, to be sure) I'm not sure I'd ever wear this (not that I'd ever get the chance, it's both $4K and a size 6) unless I was trying to costume a play in which all the characters were animated gothic furniture. Although maybe if I were in a wedding where the best men were Michael and Tito Jackson, I'd just say "what the hell!" and go for it. Luckily I've never been in that situation. Who among us knows what we'd choose at that point?

Click through to the news story, if you dare, just to see a picture of co-Matron-of-Honor Liz Taylor's hat. Liz Taylor, is, in my opinion, one of the most technologically advanced cyborgs among us today, and I love her for it.

Oh, Liza and David, those crazy kids! With all this fashion around them, why couldn't they make it work?