DIY You: July 2023

By Elizabeth Humphrey

"I would like to dress more femininely, but I don't sew."

"You can't find modest things in the stores to wear, and unless you sew you just have to take what is out there."

"Hopefully the pretty styles will come back someday. But for now, I'm wearing what is current. Wish I could sew like you."

Do you relate to any of the above? Well, you needn't fall into any of those mindsets. I knew that if Miss Humphrey and I went shopping, we could find SOMETHING for the lady that doesn't sew. You just have to develop your discerning style so that you know what to look for when you are in the shops!

What We Would Buy

We recently popped into to Ross and Marshalls (on our way to another store) to look around. In keeping with the standards of this blog, we only looked at examples that were modest, feminine and of course pretty. This was a quick look in the shops --we weren't there to spend the afternoon!-- so we went to the clearance racks first, and then moved on to the "in season" sections. We tend to spot gorgeous sleeves, then check for length. Upon pulling the dress off the rack, the bodice determines whether it is a "go" or not. This method lets us sift through a lot of dresses quickly.

All of these selections are at least mid-calf length (it was difficult to get a proper photo in some of those spaces, so they are a bit out of proportion) and have feminine features. Most of them feature elements that we do not sew at home: smocking, lace insertion, or special fabrics. All of them would be "classics," meaning that they would be part of a permanent wardrobe (when you wear "classics" you don't have to overhaul your closet every time the latest style changes or the wind blows).

This selection of "what we would buy" from only two stores could serve seasons from spring to autumn, and be suitable for many occasions including homewear. If we were without a sewing machine or time to sew, we think we could survive quite elegantly. Bonus: none of these items were over $40.00!

Everyday Feminine Dresses for Home

Classic Shirt Dress

First we have this pretty shirt dress, which at $14 would have come home with us had the size been right. Done in a blue-and-white striped sturdy but lightweight cotton, this dress is a classic. Feminine elements include the puffed sleeves and deep ruffled hem. Tailored elements include a yoke with pleated back and sleeve cuffs with buttons. The loose structure with the matching belt equals comfort and fit. This dress needed no adjusting, no additions, no alterations. At mid-calf length and with appropriate buttons for the proper neckline, it is already modest and useful. I know Miss Lillian would have accessorized with cowboy hat and boots, but it would be equally suitable to wear a hat of soft white straw and sandals. Paired with an apron, this dress can go from DIY projects to cooking to hanging the laundry on the line. It belongs to the girl who is a busy bee at home!

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The Sea Breeze

Next we have a dress in (if I recall correctly,) rayon with a soft drape, lovely trim details and slightly ruffled tiers in the long skirt. The mandarin collar also features a ruffle. The small, calico-style print of white flowers keeps the deep teal color from being overpowering. This can be a day-at-home dress but works very well for going out on errands or to visit. A perfect picnic dress.This style is a classic retro style ('70s), and can be worn no matter the trends.

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Coral Dreams

Another clearance aisle find, this lovely pink dress is made in a soft polished cotton so it had a bit of a sheen. Its first attraction are the beautiful puffed sleeves. Smocked waist, yoked skirt and tasseled ties are feminine elements of this dress. This photo was a bit hard to get, as I was squished in the aisle and people were trying to get through, but the skirt is at least mid-calf length. This dress would require a chemisette to wear under the bodice (see below). It is the perfect dress for a day in the country, but dressy enough to wear to an event.

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Church and Event Dresses

Prairie Sage

Prairie breezes blow through the sagebrush and you look a picture in this dress as you gaze at the setting western sun. Smocked cuffs on the elbow-length puffed sleeves and a deep ruffled hem give this dress a pretty prairie look. The sage-green fabric is a thin, textured overlay and the dress is fully lined. As with the previous dress you will need a chemisette (see below). This is a great dress for going to daytime events!

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Porcelain Paisley

Another fully-lined, flowing chiffon overlay dress perfect for a stroll on the beach. This tea-length dress has many Edwardian details, such as a tiered skirt with lace insertion between the tiers. There is also lace insertion at the shoulders and in the lightly puffed sleeves. Worn with a chemisette this dress becomes ready to go to wear to church, teas, and summer outdoor events. This one was found on the clearance rack.

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Wildflower Day

I regret that I became distracted and forgot to go and fetch a blouse to display with this dress. Just remember, that every "sundress" that you see can be a jumper just as well. As a matter of fact there is less chance of sunburn if you use them that way. With a ruffly sleeved blouse from the $10 top section, this turns into an outfit reminiscent of a 1930s formal for teas and other occasions. With a simple t-shirt you turn it into a very wearable but elegant every day dress to wear about town.

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More Formal Dresses

The Hibiscus

Fully lined chiffon again, but this color makes it seem better for more formal occasions such as a wedding. Features a gently gathered bodice, pleated sleeves and a tiered skirt done in an elegant magenta print. The construction is a "peasant blouse" style with elastic at the shoulders, which does not always work with every figure, so this dress would require a try-on to see if it fit correctly and modestly. However, don't discount this style of dress immediately, because it looks lower on the hanger than it is on a person. This was in the current section of the store, but was still quite affordable.

(Please note the chambray garment on the right in the above photo. Although many would think that it is a "dress," it is better off defined as a tunic to wear over pants. It is a practical idea for camping, boating and hiking when you want to be more modest but have to wear pants.)

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The Sound of Music

This is a classic 1930's style and strongly reminds me of the movie of this title. This dress definitely needs a full blouse under it, with a pretty, ruffly neckline (look in the $10 blouse section of the store) or a scoop-neck t-shirt of very nice material, and then it is "good to go." The finely pleated skirt is almost tea-length and shirred at the waistline. The sleeves are fluttery and the entire dress is perfect for many of your fine and formal occasions. I think this would be the perfect dress for the musical girl who will be needing something formal for afternoon recitals.

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The Graduate

Looking like a time-traveler from early last century, this cotton eyelet dress was definitely squealed over when we spotted it. Although it feels less formal than the others, it reminded me of the tradition of wearing white to your graduation and would make a beautiful graduation or birthday party dress. The skirt has four tiers, gently ruffled. The bodice has a rarely-seen shawl collar that is very flattering. Although the garment looked low-necked on the hanger, it was actually just below the collar-bone and we considered it modest. A "ready to wear" bargain at $17 on the clearance rack.

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Daisy Fields

Keeping with the white theme, this dress would definitely make a regency-style impression when worn with a chemisette (see below). Made in a more casual shirred cotton, it certainly looked comfortable yet special, and was another bargain at $14 on the clearance rack. I class white dresses for special occasions because I know white tends to collect stains, however if I this was my dress I would consider someday dying it and demoting it to an every-day dress, worn with a tank top.

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What is a Chemisette?

In the blouse section of these sorts of stores, you will find all kinds of odd little garments somewhat reminiscent of a shirt. Those that are ignorant of historical garments might think that pieces like the above were something to try and wear as-is. Hundreds of girls are making this mistake. What this is, girls, is a chemisette.

Observe these samples of Chemisettes that are around 200 years old. Made of very lightweight material, they are very useful: you can comfortably fill in garments with lower necklines, protecting the fabric of the dress from your skin, and change the "look" of dresses.

They certainly lend more elegance than a t-shirt, don't they?

This one seems so modern, it would be perfect under any of the dresses in this article! Perhaps we should all ask Miss Humphrey to figure out how to make this and do a tutorial on it for her readers!

Now to come full circle, as our store example had sleeves, here is an example with sleeves. You certainly cannot imagine the girl of 200 years ago wearing this as-is, with 8 inches of belly exposed to the public? Now you know what a Chemisette is and what those half-shirts in the store really are (or should be)!

Above you see an example of wearing one of the store's sleeveless half-shirts (chemisette) with one of the dresses. As imperfectly as this was thrown together in a moment in the store, you can still see that a little adjustment makes the dress acceptable to wear in public and does not look at all bad or even odd.

A few disclaimers: it appeared to me that some doggy-clothes may have been mixed up in the chemisette section. Be discerning. If the neckline and shoulders of the chemisette does not cover the gap and back of the garment you are trying to wear, you may have picked up a doggy shirt by accident. Match it up carefully with the dress if you are going to purchase one of these items. Also remember that just a plain slightly scooped neck t-shirt will work just as well, protect your dress, and be useful elsewhere in your wardrobe. Don't forget the blouse section! Sometimes there is a beautiful blouse just waiting to be rescued from the rack and paired with a dress, and they are especially beautiful with jumpers (aka "sundresses").

Now, if you had at least hand-sewing skills, you could very easily adjust any of these dresses with a bit of eyelet fabric tacked in to low fronts or backs for a permanent and one-layer solution. I have even seen ladies use crocheted doilies to this purpose, and it looks great (and would be perfect for a "cottage core" look). So you see that even though you don't "sew," it is still a very useful skill to have for store-bought clothing.

And of course, if you learn to sew you will have the more comfortable clothing that is customized for you, so become a regular reader of this blog for sewing inspiration!

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I hope you have enjoyed our quick shopping excursion! It took me much more time to write up this blog post than it did to find these dresses, so I hope this post encourages anyone who thinks they cannot find pretty things to wear at the shops. Find your style, fix your principles, and train your eye and it will get easier.

Come back soon to see which of these dresses we brought home!

Hello all!

I'm pretty excited - next week, I'm headed to Fiddle Camp! I thought I'd share what I'm planning to wear for the four days of camp.

These are not special, fancy outfits. Actually, it's a good sample of what I wear day-to-day! Comfort matters more to me than style on a 90 degree day, but that's not saying that I have to wear something plain and ugly, or skimpy and revealing.

Do you want to guess how much use this Edwardian walking skirt gets? A lot!! It's a great, everyday jean skirt, but its gores and delicate waistband save it from being boring :) It goes with the western, 1800s style that is so dear to my heart, and I can wear it with every blouse I own, which is wonderful!!

The plaid shirt is the Stillwater Supply Co. brand. My mother and I purchased them on sale at Bi-mart. These are very nice western shirts!

This is a one-piece style dress I made earlier on in my sewing hobby, and while it is definitely not perfect, I like it! I might wear it as a jumper instead of a sort-of sleeveless dress. I might improve a few things on it before I take it to camp - we'll see!