Making the 1959 Gown

I made this dress from a border printed polished cotton. I beaded the bodice heavily over the print. Because of that, I also boned the bodice using feather-weight boning. I recommend boning the bodice of this dress since the tie straps make it difficult to wear a bra. I made my straps a little wider at the ends because the fabric was not going to hold up to tying the ends in a knot. I also inserted a silver braid at the neckline to give a smoother finish with the beading. Because of the weight of the bodice, I also did not hand stitch the straps in place but inserted them when sewing the bodice to the lining. Since there was a nice full skirt, I added pockets! I have included the pockets and instructions for adding them in the pattern as they are a little tricky with the side zipper.

This dress is simple to make but some extra touches like adding boning and a waist-stay (recommended since the skirt is full and heavy), take a little extra time but are worth it. I also made a matching fascinator to wear with the dress. The fun belt buckle I found makes the dress a perfect complement to my orange heels.