Questions About Day Dresses

Elaina · Apr 24, 2007

I tend to make skirt ad blouse combos. With a belt, they look like dresses, and I'm more comfortable that way.

Also because of the cost, I can further my wardrobe. I have a mint green with forest tulips and olive vines print, that makes one outfit, but then I have the same weight material in a slightly different style in a forest green. Then I have other prints that can use the same thing, and for about $35 I wound up with abut 16 outfits...all which can look like a day dress, or not.

Miss Dottie · Apr 24, 2007

Boy Lady Day, those dresses are stunning. I love the yoke. How long does it take you to make a new dress?

Lady Day · Apr 25, 2007

Thanks! MD

I made all three of these in one day.
They are not hard to do at all. It took me about an hour to cut all the fabric (cut all 3 at the same time), and about 12 to sew them all. I did all the buttons the next day. Now I cant pick which one to wear first!

LD

goldwyn girl · Apr 25, 2007

Lady Day, you are a sewing demon

Daisy Buchanan · Apr 25, 2007

Wow LD, I'm am thoroughly impressed! Well done:eusa_clap They are all so lovely, and the fabric is so pretty. Perfect for summer! You should go into business. You make three of those lovelies in one day, that's a lot of dresses in a five day work week, which in turn would be a very nice living. You've got the skills and you seem to enjoy it, I know a lot of ladies out there who would buy a dress like that. You could name your company "Lady Day Dresses" Get it, littl play on words

Ok, it's late and I'm loopy, that probably isn't as cool to you as I think it is!!

doghouse · Apr 26, 2007

Any suggestions on shoes to go with it?

Elaina · Apr 26, 2007

Black peep-toes or Ivory ones until Labor day.

doghouse · Apr 26, 2007

Thanks Elaina, thats what I was thinking too.

texasgirl · May 23, 2007

Have a question and did a search and didn't see anything. I have a couple of day dresses with belt loops but no belt. Would it be OK to just cut off the belt loops? I am really short waisted and never wear belts anyways, and the belt loops are those super thin ones-like reinforced thread.

KittyT · May 23, 2007

texasgirl said:
Have a question and did a search and didn't see anything. I have a couple of day dresses with belt loops but no belt. Would it be OK to just cut off the belt loops? I am really short waisted and never wear belts anyways, and the belt loops are those super thin ones-like reinforced thread.

Cut them off if you're never going to wear a belt with it. However, those dresses were meant to go with a belt to complete the look and usually (at least IMO) it looks more polished with a belt. I have a lot of dresses that no longer have the belts. Often I'll just pick a black, red or other appropriately colored belt to accessorize it with, and match my shoes or jewelry.

texasgirl · May 23, 2007

These are the 2 dresses I am referring to. The main reason I don't wear belts is I am only 5ft with a FF bust, and belts cut me off, but I am wearing them for a reenactment so I guess I could try just a black belt?

Etienne · May 24, 2007

Another idea if the length happens to be too long for your petite size, is to make a belt or sash with the extra length you cut off. That way it matches the dress and doesn't draw extra attention to your waist.

Lady Day · Sep 8, 2009

*bump*

Great info in this one

LD

kamikat · Sep 8, 2009

I personally find the distinction between housedress and day dress confusing. A while back, my MIL looked through my pictures of the dresses I've made from vintage patterns. I assumed they were all day dresses, as they weren't fancy, but more attractive than what my grandmother called "housedress". My MIL said they were house dresses. Could there be a region difference in the terms? I always thought of a house dress as being somewhat similar to a housecoat, as this is what my grandmother referred to as a house dress.

Viola · Sep 8, 2009

Hmm... what I've always thought of/heard called a housedress by my mother/grandmother is more of a...sleep-shirt, almost? Long, usually mid-calf length, but just a basic shirt shape, no belt or wrap or anything. It either buttons down the front or it pulls over like a jumbo-length T-shirt. In cotton or flannel or similar. Floral patterns sometimes but nothing particularly adorable about them.

My mom considers them highly unfortunate to be seen out of the house in. It goes with wandering around with curlers in, to her, another mortal sin in her universe. I have seen old ladies wearing them to take out the trash or to (with galoshes!) rake leaves.

Wheras a day dress would be an actual dress, maybe cheap but sort of more fitted and flattering? I don't know. I'm rather confused now.

LizzieMaine · Sep 8, 2009

It may well be a regional dialect difference -- what I think of as a housecoat is basically a light bathrobe: mid-calf length, wrap front, but in percale or flannel instead of chenille or corduroy.

I know exactly the type of garment Viola is talking about, but I don't know exactly what to call it -- I have one hanging on the back of my bedroom door right now, but it has a zipper front. It's heavier than a nightgown but not as heavy as a bathrobe, and could easily be worn to do household chores in. But I wouldn't answer the door in it without throwing a robe on first. And I definitely wouldn't go outside in it, even though it's awfully picturesque when worn with a boudoir cap and a ratty pair of slippers.

A house*dress* I've always known as an actual dress -- always cotton, slightly fitted but not excessively so, with a little-below-the-knee skirt with a button front (or occasionally a button *back*), usually short-sleeved but sometimes sleeveless. You could answer the door in it or hang out the washing or beat the rug without feeling embarassed but you'd want to put on something nicer to go shopping.

Lady Day · Sep 8, 2009

Wouldnt you also consider a 'housedress' sort of a demoted day dress? A dress that was replaced with a newer one, but not ratty enough to be made into dish rags?

I never thought of a house dress as something you would buy. Perhaps those front/side wrap numbers you would buy just for around the house, but even then you might throw those on special to get the mail.

LD

ThesFlishThngs · Sep 8, 2009

I have the same mental image as most of you: house coat - a light wrap or robe;
house dress - something similar, being light, casual, loungy, to schlep about in doing chores, but not for outside-the-home wear;
day dress - perfectly fine for errands, marketing, everyday activities. The opposite of an evening dress.

ThesFlishThngs · Sep 8, 2009

If you visit Dandelion Vintage, you'll see she has a day dress category, that includes regular, everyday, non-fancy dresses.

Btw, it's a dangerous place to browse if you're trying not to buy anything else....

Viola · Sep 8, 2009

I am quite fond of those summery shirt-dresses and the khaki "safari" dresses that seem to have just come back in where they're casual button-down numbers with short-sleeves sometimes with that strap to keep longer sleeves rolled up - they and many other casual styles are what I think of as "regular day-dresses" i.e. not especially dressy dresses, not very going-to-church-y and not suits or very corporate (though you could certainly wear them to where I work - and people would say "cute dress") and they and sundresses are what I think of as "day dresses."

I would in no way be embarrassed to wear a regular day dress to the shops or even to casual parties; they're a step parallel or up from jeans or shorts and Ts and flipflops and other things like that people wear around. If it's not that level it's not what I would consider a regular day dress.

I think we're all actually on the same page on that one, though. It's the house dress (and my mysterious sleep-shirt-thang) that are the puzzlers.

Edit: Lizzie, boudoir cap? Is that one of those pointy ones like Mr. Scrooge? I've always wanted one of those. Or is it a satin cap to keep your set un-mussed? When our heat would be minimal or non-existant in winter I'd wear one of those wool hats with the pom-pom - if I ever have to again, I'm calling it a boudoir cap.

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