1934 Low Backed Evening Dress
Originally, this pattern was used with a very heavy and stiff satin around 2007 which did not turn out as I had hoped. (See below.)
For PEERS Murder in the Ballroom 1930s ball in October 2015, I tried again using
a floral polyester that draped with a rust satin polyester contrast. Having a better
flowing drape worked better. Still not quite right on the fit. The back is the best part of the
dress and received many compliments. The front sometimes doesn't look quite as well especially after dancing and sitting.
Completed: ~2007
Pattern: Vintage Vogue 2609 Original 1934 Design size 16 shortened.
- Shortened hem by 2.5" and shortened under bust by 2.5".
- Let dress hang a couple of days before hemming as the gores may stretch out.
- Cut 2 of pattern piece #5.
- Stitch neck collars together. Do not invisibible stitch the facing to fashion fabric.
- Used an invisible zipper instead of snaps.
- Tried to ease in bust gathers as much as possible.
- Adjust the straps to eliminate side boob. Example stitched at 2" instead of 5/8".
- Pieced in godets as topstitching turned out funky.
- The drawing shows the front capelet overlapping over part of the front side. Pattern looks like it has a join, but no overlap.
- This garment needs a low backed strapless bra. There used to be modern bustiers that worked. I used a stick on bra with underwire and a modern waist cincher which did not provide as the support and shaping needed.
- If redoing, might try size 12 neck/capelet, size 14 bodice, and size 16 waist and hips. The difficult part is if the underbust area is too large the sides gape or show too much boob. If the underbust is snug, the bust seems too tight.
Completed: October 2015
1934 Lavender Burgandy Dress
1934 silver lavendar gradiating into burgandy satin dress made in anticipation of the PEERS 1930 Hollywood dance. The back of this dress has all the elegant lines from the 1930s.
"Close-fitting and flared dress, floor-length, has bias collar, shoulder straps, front extending into capelet with contrast facing, hemline godets and side-snap closing."
Pattern: Vintage Vogue 2609 Original 1934 Design size 12.
Drawing on front of pattern more elegant looking than
actual dress. Bust is gathered along seam in pattern but
drawings show smooth lines without gathers. Topstitching of
godets would also ruin the smooth lines, so I pieced them in.
Pattern layout and pattern piece #5 says to cut 1, but need to cut 2. Back
facing seemed a little short. Usually a size 12 would be too big for me, but
bust was tight (runs small).
Problem 1: Front facing
Invisible tacking of front facing is not invisible on the satin and causes hanging/drape problems. I will remove tacking.
Problem 2: Closure
Snap closure is appropriate for 1934 (no zipper), but trying to make snap closure look smooth on satin is difficult.
Completed: ~2007