Monday, January 16, 2012

Vintage + 1 Cute Chihuahua = True Love



While I adore vintage, I own very few vintage pieces.  What I generally find is too small, or is so delicate I would be afraid to wear it out of the house, or the price is just too high.  Not to mention the dry cleaning bills.  To get around this problem, I just make my own!


This is one of the exceptions.


This dress and matching jacket were given to me by my mom.  Her aunt gave her the outfit years ago thinking they were hers.  However, the outfit would have been huge on her super slim teenage frame.  So, to be honest, I have absolutely no idea of the origin - but I like to think that someone in the family wore the outfit at some point.


The colors and print are not something that I would have picked out for myself, but they have grown on me.  And it is made of a mid-weight cotton, so it is an easy hand-washable garment.  In fact, it gets more wear than quite a few of my self-made clothes!


I have a feeling the original dress probably had a belt, but it disappeared at some point over the years.  To help break up the linear design of the fabric, I just threw on a length of grosgrain ribbon tied into a bow. 


The tag has seen quite a few washings, but it is clearly a Jerry Gilden design.  


I am not finding that much information about the label online except for a few lovely frocks listed on etsy, and a couple of examples over on Couture Allure.  I would guess that this particular dress was made in the mid 1950s, mostly because of the fabric, but I could be wrong, so don't quote me on that!


And here is a few pictures of my little guy – he is super camera shy, and does his best to turn away the very moment the picture is snapped!



Dress and Jacket:  Vintage, gift from mom.
Coat:  Banana Republic
Fishnets:  Hue
Earrings:  Kate Spade
Shoes:  Banana Republic, “Patti” in Brown Comb

6 comments:

  1. I couldn't agree more with you on the ribbon - The dress looks lovely too :)

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  2. Lovely dress and I just adore the jacket too! Your little guy is SO CUTE! What a sweetie!

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  3. So pretty!!! :D The last grouping of pictures are my favorite; that is just adorable. ;) hehe!

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  4. Have you copied the pattern of this dress for future reference? It is timeless and flattering.

    Now it's time for me to carry on a bit. "A simple length of grosgrain ribbon! She is able to make a belt, and tie everything together, with not so much as a second thought or wasted moment. THAT, Laura Mae!"

    Your dog is adorable.

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  5. What an excellent dress, and it fits so perfectly!
    You have an insanely cute pup. My chihuahua does the same thing - she'll be cute as all get out until I get the camera, and then she will turn around so I can only get pix of her butt.

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