Day 149 - Vintage dress revamped.

I am going to a wedding on the weekend and although I had originally planned to splurge on a new dress for myself, I found that everything in the shops at the moment is just too short. Perhaps if I were 15 years younger....From here an idea sprung.

I bought this vintage dress many years ago when I was at university, for a fancy dress party where my flatmate and I went dressed as 1950's housewives. It's been worn a couple of times since for other fancy dress parties but has otherwise sat in my cupboard. I don't like to get rid of my vintage items and this one was handmade and fabric of this quality is hard to find these days.

I love the shape of the dress but the leaves were very bold and the sleeves and neckline a bit frumpy. The belt wasn't really me either.

 

Closer look at the neckline. It's high and bulky.

I wanted to decrease the boldness of the leaves, so I dyed the dress green first. Although the colour didn't come out anything like the one on the dye packet I am happy with the result and extremely happy with the new neckline and sleeves. I cut off the collar and turned the neck under to lower the neckline, and cut a few inches from the sleeves. Just minor alterations really, but what was relegated to the dress-up box is now something I can wear out.

 It fits like a glove and I feel very much like a character out of 'Mad Men' when I put it on.