 |
| Rosa Parks' dress 1955. Smithsonian collection, Black Fashion Museum |
The elegance of a 1950s dress is pretty unrivalled, even now. After so many decades, who's cut a garment so beautifully flattering? The dress made by Rosa Parks has something of the Biba style to it in its gorgeous colours. The narrow lapels are one of my favourite touches - hard to achieve, but very elegant. They're like the lapels I struggled with on the coat I made for Giya's wedding.
Parks covered the belt buckle herself, put in the eyelets. I remember when that was done but I haven't ever reached that level, or rather have chosen not to. I love the way it hangs and the V neck like this suits every woman with or without a bust.
Since I was brought up with sewing as an everyday occupation I'm surprised to find relatively little writing about sewing, although as my research continues one of the most satisfying finds was an interview with the poet Rita Dove for the Stitch Please podcast.
The interviewer is wonderfully enthusiastic and starts with an anecdote about meeting Dove in a fabric shop.
Dove, of course, as an older woman, was brought up with sewing. She talks about sewing being a "sensation of inventiveness", remembers the dresses her mother made out of coat linings and making a velvet cape for Venice carnival with a matching waistcoat for her husband.
I could talk about fabrics, learn about them, their quirks and difficulties all day. In fact, as I write this, I'm missing that.
Comments