Works in Progress – Short 50′s Ivory Satin Dress
Fifties Short Dress
Shown here is the construction of a typical “tea dress.” To ensure that there is sufficient flare, two main methods can be employed, gathering or circle cut.
Gathering does not work well with heavy materials such as duchess satin but works extremely well with finer materials. Some manufacturers use gathered designs which are easier to mass produce, using one or two long lengths. Volume can be introduced solely by the use of voluminous petticoats and corners are often cut on the amount of material used in the skirt construction. Better designs use separate panels, up to 8 or more that give a better look and give more volume without underskirts and much more with, giving a really luxurious look and feel to the dress. this multi panel design works well with dropped waists as seen here on this blue silk dupioni dress, made for our model from a Vogue pattern
Our favoured option for the tea dress style is the circle skirt, seen here after being interlined or “flat lined”
.
This cut can also be seen on our brocade skirt here, the folds starting more gently.
Here the bodice can bee seen before assembly; in this case the bones and strengthening layer of coutil are assembled as the lining, leaving the outer layer free from excessive stitch lines. Note how the silk is prone to rolling over, a feature of this material that can be rather frustrating!
This bodice is supportive and has spiral steel bones set in bone casings. This provides a smooth line and comfort despite how it sounds!
The top seam is understitched on the inside to avoid any distortion of the bustline and the bodice hand finished to the waist seam with invisible stitching
The hem is reinforced with horsehair braid or similar to avoid twisting and distortion, finally hand stitched inside to the organza interlining so that no stitching shows through the outer layer.
A custom petticoat completes the outfit.