This is a costume I built for a production of “Moonlight and Magnolias” at Scripps Ranch Theatre in San Diego. The play is a comedy about the writing of the script for the film “Gone With The Wind”. This character is David O. Selznick’s harried secretary Miss Poppengill.
I used Vintage Vogue #V8767, which is a reproduction of a ladies suit from 1939, the year in which the play is set. I chose view A with short sleeves. Because the character needs to be dishelved at the end of the play, I modifided the bodice of the dress to be a separate blouse that she could partially unsnap and untuck. I also modified the skirt to eliminate the center front seam.
The script calls for the character to be dressed in red. The fabric for the jacket and skirt is a rayon crepe. The blouse is made from silk chiffon. Because chiffon is difficult to work with, I soaked the fabric in gelatin and let it air dry. It then had more body, making it easier to cut and sew. After construction, I gently washed the blouse to remove the geletin and it returned to its soft, chiffon texture. Both of the fabrics are accurate to the period.
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