The One Hour Dress

The Miss Fitz-Postes are now immersing ourselves in the 1920s. I think I speak for both of us when I say one of the top priorities as we "enter a new decade" (as it were) is fashion. To that end I have been scouring the internet for lovely 1920s style dresses. Much as I would love to adorn myself in genuine 1920s silks, I emphatically do NOT have a traditional 1920s figure. Neither does Miss Emily for that matter, but whereas she is lucky enough to be tall and curvy, I am short and dumpy. So it must be reproduction fashion for me.

Unfortunately when one looks for 1920s reproduction fashion on the internet, what one mostly encounters are fancy dress-style "flapper costumes", at which I absolutely draw the line. If you share my distaste for nylon, have very limited sewing skills, budget and patience, but still want a genuine 1920s look for your ensemble, then you may want to take a leaf out of the book of Mary Brooks Picken of the Woman's Institute, who in 1923 invented the One Hour Dress.

The One Hour Dress is a method rather than a pattern, which immediately appeals to me.It is adaptable for any size or shape (including short and dumpy!) and requires only 4 measurements plus a bare minimum of materials and sewing skills. Although the Woman's Institute experts of the 1920s were able to create this dress in considerably less than an hour (more like 35-40 minutes) I found it took me considerable more - perhaps more like 2 1/2 hours on my first attempt with a bit more time for added refinements. It would seem I lack the sewing skills of the 1920s woman, but that is hardly a surprise. Nonetheless, it is a virtually foolproof method for making a dress in record time.

I have so far created two dresses (not bad going in one week!): the first is a black georgette with vaguely Oriental floral print, with wide bottle green satin sash and matching binding at neckline. The second is more elaborate, cream lace with champagne lining and binding, a double-layered skirt with cascade at the right sideand all edges of the skirt hand-trimmed to better show off the pattern of the lace and give a pretty, irregular hemline. I am leaning towards a wide rose sash and some vintage-style ribbonwork blooms on the shoulder to finish it off. I was able to wear the black georgette to dinner with Miss Emily on the very evening I made it, and she was enchanted, though I say it myself.

I would absolutely encourage you to consider this option yourself, a very modest £10 (approximately) buys you a reproduction of the original instructions plus a wealth of related ephemera.