Sewing engineering

[flummoxicated]

This pattern (Simplicity 8125, from the 1960s) is a marvel of sewing pattern engineering. It's a reversible dress with a little capelet thingy! And the envelope claims there are only three main pieces to the pattern! So that must mean that the back flap / cape thing is a part of the dress! It's blowing my mind.

Comments

[indywind]

I can totally see how that works. It does make me wonder what's covers the bum when the capelet is blowing in the breeze, though. "ties in back with ribbons" makes me think of hospital gowns.

Hospital gown, exactly!

[flaming-mo.livejournal.com]

It's an adorable and innovative dress (pre-von Furstenberg even!), much like a tabard that ties in front for closure. I need to get a copy of that one somehow!

Modest gal that I am, I personally would wear it this time of the year like a mod jumper, with a turtleneck and tights. Otherwise for spring/summer, it's for a flirty gamine with great gams who's also sporting upscale g-string/rhumba panties.

Re: Hospital gown, exactly!

[flummoxicated.livejournal.com]

I would definitely want some extra coverage with this one.

[sarahbellem.livejournal.com]

It makes sense when you realize that the cape isn't a cape, but the back part of the dress that wraps around the front. It's a spin on a lot of those mid-50s wrap dresses, but with 60s styling. So, like indywind mentions, the front only ties around the back (looks like at the shoulder blades) and then the back piece comes around and ties in the front under the breasts. So yeah, essentially, your rear is liable to be exposed if a stiff wind happens to catch you. And I, for one, only manage to wear short skirts and dresses on windy days, so I'd be worried about tempting fate with this one...

[julifox.livejournal.com]

I agree with sarahbellem. I think the pictures on the pattern envelope are to show how the dress works. Neat idea.

[flummoxicated.livejournal.com]

{smacks self in forehead}
How on earth did I miss the opening in the back?
That makes sense, I figured it was like the 50s wrap dresses but I couldn't see exactly how it worked.

I guess the 60s were a little more free and easy, I don't think I'd want to leave my assets out in the air like that.

[sarahbellem.livejournal.com]

You shoulda seen what my mom used to wear in the 60s... Talk about leaving very little to the imagination. She was a big fan of the micro-mini skirt, which was really only enough fabric to cover the very bottom of her bottom; which, I must say, was pretty vast. Hips, mai mom haz dem. No 20 year old girl these days would deign to wear a skirt with so little coverage unless they were 20lbs underweight... Not my mom. No, she climbed trees, rode motorcycles, drove muscle cars and flaunted her fleshy backside with complete confidence.

I'm really quite impressed, honestly. But maybe that's one of those "You had to be there" sixties moments...

[moizissimo.livejournal.com]

That is so super cute! Wow. I think I need to keep an eye out for that pattern. :)

[flummoxicated.livejournal.com]

I've started collecting wrap dress patterns, mainly from the 60s. They are so cute, but I don't know that I have the build for them.