A Real 1920s Lady…Woman…Nun?

Can’t call this a flapper dress!

Remember that part in “Chicago” where Roxy doesn’t want to wear the demure dress to court because it’s so frumpy? Yup, that’s this dress in blue.

If it was anywhere near as itchy as this original ’20s home-sewn creation, no wonder she didn’t want to wear it!

I’ve had this dress in my closet for a few months. I bought it for a photo shoot that is yet to happen, and was excited to find an original day dress for a smashing price, in a fabulous condition.

It was cold. – Here you can see the seaming on the skirt. I think that makes all the difference in the design of this dress.

The dress is a lightweight glazed-ish wool with a lace collar. There is some interesting seaming on the front (which is the only way to tell the front from the back), and the seamstress made clever use of the fabric selvedge on the interior. She also decided the sack-like cut of the thing was too much frump for her, so she took it in at the side seams through the bodice to produce a slightly more feminine shape. (I’ve so done that)

In general, though, this dress is demure. I can’t quite explain why I felt so elegant wearing it, especially with the itch factory, but with the whole outfit on, it just felt so right.

Except for the scratchiness. It’s the hair shirt of 1920s frocks. It never lets you forget!

I wore this outfit to Starbucks, to meet my mom for a coffee chat. Now, I wear vintage clothing often, and I’ve worn some even older stuff into my local Sbux, but this dress on that day produced some staring. I think people genuinely thought I belonged to a religious order. I was getting side-eye, and even a few surreptitious phone pictures were taken. That’s definitely a first!

Don’t rain on my Old Lady parade!!

My mom said I looked like a nun that somebody had dumped a bucket of water over, due to the floppy hat. Thanks, Mom.

But you know what? I’d rather stand out than blend in! It’s Old Lady Chic!

I’ll just be lining the devilish thing before I wear it again. 🙂