Replies

1. 
   kswolff | Aug 25, 2009 09:28pm | #1

   Thank you so much for this link! I have lived all over the world and am constantly looking for just this sort of reference to fashion from outside the US. Since every country and even every city has its own style and we don't get to see much of it in our media, it's great to have a reference like this. If you find any other resources like this one, please, please, please post it so we can all see what's happening around the rest of the globe. Language not withstanding, it's just marvelous to see what women (and men) are wearing elsewhere. I'm already inspired to try my hand at reproducing a version of the Lanvin bias dress!Thank you again.Kirsten

1. 
   katina | Aug 25, 2009 10:13pm | #2

   You are most welcome - I'm very glad you liked it. Actually, I do post links like this when I can

   Katina

2. 
   sewelegant | Aug 26, 2009 12:46am | #3

   I guess I am old fashioned!  I expected day dress to mean something to wear around the house in comfort and not to worry if it got dirty with AODL.

1. 
   katina | Aug 26, 2009 08:56am | #4

   I guess these dresses are a change from jeans; some good ideas there.

   Katina

2. 
   Ckbklady | Aug 26, 2009 05:31pm | #5

   Me too! My Irish Mum used the phrase, "day dress'" to mean a "housedress" - a dress somewhat "apron-ish" to wear to vacuum and do laundry. I can't imagine doing that in those grey silk numbers, although they ARE gorgeous!

   Mum also often wore a "housecoat" - a thin, patterned cotton "overcoat" she'd put on and button closed OVER a housedress to go out and collect the mail at the road. Two layers of what we would now call quilters' "repro fabric" - how unlike the designer stuff today, and a niche that no longer seems to exist.

   Ckbklady

3. 
   Tatsy | Sep 03, 2009 08:33pm | #25

   My take on the title was "not about evening gowns." In other words, something to wear to work.

1. 
   sewelegant | Sep 04, 2009 02:39am | #26

   Yes, it makes sense when you look around and see how pants have taken over the casual scene.  I just had never heard the term day dresses used in any other way than how I knew it.  (But, I don't get out much!)

1. 
   Tatsy | Sep 04, 2009 02:53am | #27

   My mother came from a totally different background. She wore evening dresses when she was a young lady and would comment on them when she saw them on television or in the magazines. But that was before her family lost nearly everything in the war. When we were small, she wore housedresses.

1. 
   sewelegant | Sep 04, 2009 03:05am | #28

   Housedresses, yes, I think I remember that is what my mother called them.  I don't remember just where or when I started calling them day dresses.

   edit:  maybe it comes from reading all those English "gothic" novels?

   Edited 9/3/2009 8:07 pm by sewelegant

2. 
   Tatsy | Sep 04, 2009 04:32am | #29

   Ah, but there the distinction was between dresses worn to visit other ladies and dresses worn to attract/distract gentlemen.

3. 
   coolingcollections | Sep 04, 2009 02:43pm | #30

   If I may ask, what exactly is a House Dress ?  I assume it is an outfit that you only wear at home? (clue in the name..).   Isn't that like a dressing gown? when you are ill and unable to dress?  Or is it something you wear to clean the house in?

   Could be lost in English to US translation - or vice versa... 

4. 
   Tatsy | Sep 04, 2009 06:47pm | #31

   A house dress is indeed a dress you wear to clean the house, something women would wear to save their good clothes for wearing for company or going downtown. This is where socioeconomic class comes in: upper classes wore day dresses which were still attractive but not as expensive as their evening clothes, and probably not as revealing, but in no way meant for work. Women who had to clean their own houses wore house dresses which were meant for all the work they had to do to keep a family fed and even a farm running. Mom would wear Dad's old pants tucked inside her boots to work outside in the winter, but otherwise she wore old dresses even out to the barn and sometimes for haying. Still she had a sense of style that made her a knockout when she dressed up.

5. 
   coolingcollections | Sep 04, 2009 06:52pm | #32

   Very succinctly put.  Thank you for that..

6. 
   Ceeayche | Sep 05, 2009 09:34pm | #33

   Yes, the women in my family wore them.  Some are still hanging around.  They were washable, dropped below the knee. As I recalled in the 60's they were fitted at the waist, but as we moved into the 70's they were yoked and fell from the yoke to the him, cool and easy.  While they may have worn them to take the clothes off the line, they rarely left the property!

7. 
   gailete | Sep 22, 2009 02:10pm | #34

   I seems incrediable but up until a certain point in many of our lives only VERY liberated mothers wore pants. Women wore dresses/skirt & blouse for every activity, I was in late junior high school before we were permitted to wear pants to school. Hence house dress, designated the dresses women wore at home to do chores, etc. but she would normally change into something nicer to go to the store and something even nicer for church and even nicer for party affairs. Many women only had 1-3 house dresses, a shopping dress and a Sunday dress and that was about it. Of course those that sewed tried to make their house dresses as pretty as possible. I still like making aprons to match what I wer at home and that usually is a skirt and blouse. Now that I found a dress pattern I really like, I may make a couple of house dresses too.

   Our society has become one big clothes hog. I think that is why I like the idea of SWAP-Sewing With A Purpose. Where everything coordinates and you will have a limited bunch of clothes but your wardrobe covers everything you need to be doing.

3. 
   gailete | Aug 27, 2009 03:01am | #6

   Thanks for the link although as the other ladies mentioned, I also expected a house dress and was getting all excited to see what other women wore at home. I can't help thinking that a dress costing over 1,100 Pounds would be instantly and forever in my very good clothes section of my closet not ever to be considered a day dress. Isn't it funny what certain words become in our brain?

   I too would love to see more links like that. Thanks again.

1. 
   katina | Aug 27, 2009 07:24am | #9

   Hello Gail

   Seems 'housedress' as we know the term means nothing to my daughters' generation. I asked an older friend - a delightfully spry 90 year old - and she replied: "I don't care what they call it, I'm just glad I can still get up and pull some garment over my head each day"!!

   Glad you liked the link.

   Katina

1. 
   sewluving | Aug 27, 2009 08:42pm | #10

   That is too funny.  I really like your 90 yr old friend.  :)

1. 
   katina | Aug 27, 2009 09:03pm | #11

   She's a marvellous lady, yes!

   Katina

2. 
   gailete | Aug 28, 2009 02:50am | #12

   I'm an arthritic 53 year old and I too am happy if I can get up and put clothes on too. I favor skirts and tops as they are more comfortable for me. I love making aprons that match my clothes. It makes me feel like June Cleaver. Anything that makes me feel happy is good at this stage of my life!

1. 
   katina | Aug 28, 2009 08:06am | #15

   Ah yes, aprons - I remember making one at school. Embroidered with parrots from a transfer in a magazine, and the whole thing stitched by hand. Amazing I wasn't put off for life!

   Katina

2. 
   katina | Aug 28, 2009 12:51pm | #16

   Hey Gail

   Here's a pic of the aprons I remember; the article is very interesting too.

   The store has seen an annual increase of 17 per cent in haberdashery sales, with fabric sales having their strongest year in five years.

   Yarns are up 9 per cent, wool by 9 per cent, craft materials by 36 per cent, buttons by 37 per cent. Sales of sewing machines have soared by 30 per cent.

   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1209530/Make-mend-Thrifty-tips-help-ride-recession.html

   Katina

1. 
   gailete | Aug 28, 2009 04:28pm | #17

   I'm always fascinated by articles like that as I try to incorporate those types of things into my everyday life. I've always been a little low on dollars and so try to be frugal. It makes me wonder though, when times are tough why ADULTS are still needing to buy clothes they can't afford. You even see all these many ways to get them cheaper. What happens do peoples clothes fall off after a month or what? I have some clothes that I'm still actively using that are close to 20 years old (falling off me now that I lost a lot of weight). I haven't bought any new clothes, shoes or garment fabric in well over a year. So it seems funny that some people are constantly out shopping for clothes. What happened to what they bought last month and the month before?

   The other day my hubby found a pair of shorts in the rag bag and tried them on and we realized the only thing wrong with them was the elastic (sewn in) was shot. He wanted those shorts, so I replaced the waistband with a remnant I had and he has another pair of shorts to wear in his shop.

   Clothes are expensive and making your own insures quality and long wearing. Can't say that about many store bought items from the cheaper stores.

3. 
   KraftyKandi | Aug 30, 2009 05:34pm | #19

   I'm with you! Same age, same problem (RA) - it's a good day when you can get dressed by yourself! (giggle...)

4. 
   MaryinColorado | Sep 01, 2009 08:19am | #23

   Joy is the best "pain" medicine and it's free!  Kicks in those endorphins.  Now if we could just figure out a way to bottle it so we could take a sip in the morning before getting out of bed!  Mary

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

4. 
   Jacquie09 | Aug 27, 2009 04:47am | #7

   Greetings to ALL,

   Thankyou for sharing; however, I don't think i like them.  What am I missing?

    

   Be Blessed

   Jacquie

1. 
   katina | Aug 27, 2009 07:19am | #8

   Hello Jacquie

   You're not missing anything - I guess the concept of a day dress is different now that jeans, etc are such an indispensable part of most women's lives. I'm informed by the sweet young things that dresses such as these are worn as an alternative to the business suit. Some nice details to give one ideas.

   Katina

1. 
   Jacquie09 | Aug 28, 2009 06:00am | #13

   Greetings Katina,

   Your point(s) are well taken; I guess Iam old fashion......i still am looking for someone to teach me the art of tailoring.

    

   Again, thank you.

   Jacquie

1. 
   katina | Aug 28, 2009 08:02am | #14

   This forum is a wonderful way to communicate ideas!

   Katina

1. 
   Jacquie09 | Aug 28, 2009 11:13pm | #18

   I agree.....jn

5. 
   khsstitches | Aug 30, 2009 09:57pm | #20

   Well, I must have lost my biker chick boots somewhere.....if I ever had them! But I really like a few of those. Just wouldn't work in the rural area where I live. Necks would be on a swivel.....jaws would drop and tongues would wag.  But I can see them in the city...creative and unique. Thank you for sharing.

1. 
   katina | Aug 31, 2009 08:44pm | #21

   Oh yes, lots to like there. I'm glad you enjoyed it

   Katina

6. 
   rodezzy | Sep 01, 2009 05:28am | #22

   Hi, Katina...love those dresses....most of them.

1. 
   katina | Sep 01, 2009 10:52am | #24

   Yes, indeed. I've been in some European cities this summer and it's dresses, dresses, dresses. And do they dress up beautifully for an evening meal! Floaty frocks and wraps - I've always been the only one in pants.

   Katina