Deco Flair

One thing about vintage clothing even the casual vintage shopper knows: larger sizes are difficult to find. Indeed, even
standard sizes can be difficult to find. A really nice standard- or larger-sized vintage dress in good condition can easily hit three figures! That makes it hard for me to feature pretty vintage here; I'd love to do so, because the quality is so much better than today's clothing and the styles have more personality - not to mention the fact that the chances of someone else showing up in your dress at a party or restaurant is a lot lower.

Needless to say, when I find an attractive larger size vintage piece I can feature here, I'm pretty excited. And lucky you, today is such a day!

This art deco vintage dress not only features a very interesting Indian-style design, it's just plain out well-designed. There's a tie at the waist, but better than that is the way the dressmaker used the fabric - that 'V' hitting right at the waist/hipline is very flattering and slimming, and will visually give the waist more definition to create the illusion of an hourglass (the measurements on this dress are a 'boyish figured' 40-38-41, and I am thinking this may have been a custom piece - smart designer!). Notice too - I say this because it's a pet peeve of mine - the main focal point of the print doesn't have to focal points centered over each breast - it's at the center instead (can we please call a moratorium on flowers on each 'girl' and writing on the bum? Please?). The slight 'v' neckline broadens the shoulders, again tricking the eye into thinking it's looking at an hourglass figure (despite the fact that most women aren't shaped that way, it seems to be the 'standard' - even inverted triangle J-Lo dresses to make it appear she's a Sophia Loren instead of...well, J-Lo). This also slims the waistline by making the shoulders look a little more broad. Overall, it's a very pretty design and flattering, too - the dressmaker was quite clever with this unique print.




This pretty is listed as being in 'mint' condition. It's a lightweight, sturdy cotton with no show-through (hooray!) It is meant to slip over the head, so I'm thinking there's another flattering 'V' in the back; if you're more comfortable with a zipper, any good seamstress can add one for you.

This is a really pretty dress that's growing on me more and more as I look at it. In these colours and in this style, it's wonderfully versatile and just about seasonless: wear it to church on Sunday, to the office in the summer and fall, out to a nice dinner or a barbeque. Pair it with nude or red pumps (you know you have a pair buried in your closet, crying to come out) or skin-tone sandals. Throw a fitted denim jacket over the top and a pair of chocolate-brown leather boots on and you are good to go to work, that funky art gallery show, or a friend's housewarming. And for some reason, I keep seeing this with a really wide-brimmed straw hat that has a wide red ribbon wrapped around the crown. The possibilities are endless, and the right woman who finds and buys this dress will probably be a very happy dame! This dress has a lot of personality and is definitely going to garner the wearer some flattering attention.

Happy shopping!