Red "Dress"

In the summer before my senior year of high school, I went to the Athenaeum Girls' School in Columbia, Tennessee.  We spent the entire week in full 1860's costume, right down to the corsets and pantalettes.  It was fabulous--who doesn't secretly want to be Scarlett O'Hara?

My mom and I spent the previous 3-4 months preparing my wardrobe for that week.  We had a dressmaker in Tennessee make my ball gown, but made my "casual" 1860's gowns at home.  And what a lot of work it was!  One full dress took about 8 yards.  To save money while still adding variety, we made separate blouses and skirts/overskirts instead of single-piece dresses, and a wide sash to hide the waistbands.  A couple of the skirts were gingham or floral, and could be worn with a coordinating blouse and/or scrunched up into "swags" and worn over solid skirts, and solid skirts and blouses could be worn together as a "dress".

It was with this "dress" trick in mind that I put this outfit together for work last week.  And, the "skirt" here is actually a dress!  Am I confusing you yet?

Blouse & belt, Anthropologie
Dress (worn as skirt), H&M
Shoes, Buffalo Exchange


The dress/skirt is a ridiculous mini-babydoll dress, from a few years ago.  Who knows what I was thinking ;-)

Have a great week!  And coming soon: another sewing project!  This time, we'll be doing a skirt with invisible side-seam pockets.  Stay tuned :)