Magical Vintage Dresses

Despite my best efforts in picking the right needle, my swingin' 60s McCalls dress ended up not so McCalls. Just to refresh your memory this is what it was supposed to look like...

I was so focussed on pinning and stitching properly that I missed the ginormous stain happily sitting on the back of the fabric. Nappi San was not helping so I had to shorten my poor little dress to teeny-tiny-only-wear-with-leggings proportions. It then had to lose it's eat-all-you-want-pasta A-Line shape as the new shortened version made me look like a Houndstooth Lollipop thanks to my long legs. I admit, not the worst alterations.

And what about my first attempt at sleeves? Well, I have something to admit. It's something I only figured out myself in making this dress but I, well I don't know how to say this but... Well I'm a magician. I can take 2 identical pieces of fabric and make 2 entirely different sized sleeves! The left was perfect (and I am quite proud of it) but the right sleeve nearly cut off my circulation. I wore the dress out to dinner with my boyfriend and the whole time I was having fantasies about running to the bathroom and ripping it off at the seams.

I even had to measure my arms just to make sure I didn't have freakishly large right biceps (Just for the record no; biceps are nearly non-existent on both arms). Unfortunately I didn't take many pictures (when will I learn?!) but you can kind of see the difference in this one.

But through all of this I've figured something out. Just like the Pendrell Blouse I'm a second-time-round kinda gal, and this dress won't keep me down! I'm doing it again, and this time sticking to the pattern (and checking for stains thoroughly!) It's even nautical themed! Will post when I'm done but here's a sneak peek.

Gucci's Fall Collection

Imagine a gangster movie (think Dick Tracy?), all female cast, and let's get Tom Ford to direct it because A Single Man was beautiful and we need someone who knows women. And every outfit is going to be from Gucci's Fall collection.

It's going to be a sensual film where the baddies are bad - there's no moral conflict about why they're doing what they're doing - they're just bad. They do secret deals in back alleys with hats casting shadows over their eyes so their identity is always just out of reach. They're suave pimps and gangsters, they wear fur collars and have multiple lovers who they treat with little respect.

The villains all have strong personalities and MO's, but their henchmen are faceless and wear a uniform of black. Instead of the boys in blue, there's the girls in blue fedoras. But no gangster film is complete without the seductive lounge singers; the double-crossing women who have thigh-high splits and plump lips.

How empowering would it be to watch a movie where women aren't just the temptress, the ditz, or the bitch? But the hard-hittting fast-shooting detective, or the insanely brilliant and power-hungry bad guy? I really hope someone makes that movie, I would very happily watch these colors wash across a screen for hours on end.