VIntage Vogue 5643: Young Fashionables

After years of admiring and acquiring vintage patterns and amassing quite a substantial collection, I've decided that I'm finally going to take the time out to make up some of my favourite vintage designs for myself (and anyone else who may be interested). My daughter's recent school graduation dinner was the perfect opportunity to make something glam, so I promised myself that once I'd finished my daughter's dress (an original design, and quite ambitious for me) I'd quickly run myself up something new to wear to the event. I chose  the gorgeous vintage Vogue Young Fashionables 5643 (featured in Vogue Pattern Book December 1962/January 1963 and Vogue Pattern Book June/July 1963). I love the mod shape of this design, not to mention the back view - I love any dress that gives such good back!

I'd had squirelled away some very psychedelic, 1960s orange tie silk (yes, that's 'tie', not Thai - men's necktie fabric I found in a warehouse, only about 20" in width), and just knew that the fabulously architectural silhouette and seaming would really sing made up in the mad, over-the-top swirls and whorls of the brocade. I decided to eke out the very narrow brocade with some donated shot orange/pink silk dupioni, as the angled lay-out of the pattern pieces and very narrow tie silk meant I'd end up using about 7 yards of fabric otherwise! I also thought it'd be fun to highlight the great triangular central skirt panel in a contrasting fabric.

I'm really happy with the result - not least because the whole project, including pattern, cost me less than $25! The brocade gives the dress great structure and really maintains the triangular shape nicely. I did underline the dupioni panels. One thing, I was surprised to find that I had to take it in about a size, even though the original size 14 (Bust 34) of my pattern paralleled my measurements exactly. I had expected that there would be much less ease, but it seems there was really quite a lot of ease built into the pattern.
All in all, though, it was a joy to make, and I'll definitely be making another, perhaps a bit shorter, and perhaps with a nautical theme, say in red, white and blue linen!