Going through my sewing basket of ideas, I was reminded of my need for a WWII era slip.
Last spring, when I wore my WWII dress, I simply wore a contemporary slip made of cotton and eyelet, that I liked a lot and seemed vintage in style.
Apart from the elastic in back, I liked it a lot.
INSPIRATION SLIPS
WWII 1940s pattern imagery yielded a great start to my research.
At 1StopRetroShop I found lovely vintage white cotton eyelet full skirts with original labels, exactly like my desired slip.
FREE VINTAGE SLIP PATTERN
While I researched WWII era slips, I found a free vintage slip pattern at House of Jo, which reminded me of my contemporary slip that I wore it under my WWII dress last spring.
Labeled simply, vintage slip, it fit the required fabric rationing elements of WWII:
- it comes just below the knee
- slim skirt like early 1940s instead of full like 1950s or cut on the bias like 1930s
When I showed the pattern someone who grew up during WWII, she confirmed that it was a good choice, and that eyelet cotton, which I wanted to use, was indeed available in her girlhood.
DOWNLOADED PATTERN AGONY
Although I appreciate the ease of downloading a pattern from the internet, the process of printing then matching up endless sheets of paper is not on my patience radar. 😉
Confused by all the lines while trying to figure out my proper size, I took an easier (for me) way out.
I merely cut around the largest size and drape from there!
SEWING PROCESS
As I sewed each section, I held it to me for a fitting of sorts and everything was good!
Since the dart for the bodice was way off for me, I merely pinned the excess fabric down and that worked!
Piece by piece everything nicely worked together for me.
ADORNMENT
After digging through my lace stash, I found this eyelet lace…and some white satin ribbon…fun!
At the end I slipped it over my head…and it fits!
Is anything contemporary this feminine?
The eyelet in itself might be more of a contemporary design, creating a bridge from the vintage to current times.
In fact, I am so pleased with this slip that I’m going to sew more for both me and my daughter to wear with contemporary dresses!
I’ve not liked contemporary slips for years, but this vintage slip reminds me of what was popularly available in the 80s!
For more photos, check my Flickr set.
COMMENTS FROM MY OLD BLOG
The Quintessential Clothes Pen – February 1, 2015 at 12:37 PM – Nice! Lovely that you found a project you could tackle and that it counts for two projects you’re participating in. My mom always told me that I had to wear a sip with my skirts and dresses, also, so I continue to wear them except with tight mini skirts (which, as I approach 30 I wear much less often than when I was close to 20!). I think I’m unusual these days, though, because most women in their 20s that I know do not wear slips with dresses and skirts. Ah well, some of those ladies should learn that light allows those around them to see right through their dress/skirt fabric! 🙂
Best,
Quinn
Lahbluebonnet February 1, 2015 at 12:43 PM – I agree! Light shining through reminds me of the Princess Diana photo from before she married Prince Charles. Oops!
Laurie
Black Tulip – February 1, 2015 at 5:00 PM – So pretty, and so useful as well. I can see why you plan to make more of these.
