I’ve seen many classic house dresses like this one in the rural mid-west. I’ll bet the woman who made it had sewn lots of them for herself over the years. It’s got decorative vintage buttons and a waist seam, but no pockets.

And, it’s a BIG size – the sleeveless style turns into cap sleeves – much too big for size 2 Stella, but look what happens with the addition of a belt. Belt around the waist seam at the hip level and it’s a 1920’s day dress. Cinch the waistline and it’s stylish in the 1940’s and 1950’s. So much can be done with a classic design. Leave it to those farm women to make the most cool and comfortable frocks for daily household chores, with a quick shopping trip into town thrown in.

Next, we’ll look at a dress for a city gal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM