The Green Dress

In May, after I graduated with my MA (self-congratulatory pap-on-the-back), I decided I wanted a new dress to wear to the opera. The opera was about two weeks away and I was recovering from two years of graduate school. I had bought this pattern:

Butterick 5708, a 1953 reproduction, many moons before and added it to the stockpile of patterns I keep. It was rated easy, so I figured what the hey. I bought some green crepe back satin at Joann’s. (I know, not always the best store for brand-variety, but I have a need to feel the fabric. Plus, the coupons!)

Here is a picture of the color:

Not the best picture. It looks yellower than it really is. Anyways, it was fairly easy like the pattern says. As with all Butterick patterns, there isn’t an excessive amount of ease/hem allowance, so when they say 30inch waist, they mean it. I would recommend making the armholes a little deeper if you want to wear it tied like the middle picture. I made the armholes to the pattern and they were a bit shallow. As a result, it looked a bit wonky towards the top when I wore it.

There is a crazy amount of gathering around the waist even though it doesn’t look like it. The bodice is lined, the skirt isn’t. Although crepe back satin isn’t one of the recommended fabrics for the pattern, I loved the look and feel this fabric. I can kind of see why it isn’t recommended though, the shoulder ties are rather thick with it since the bodice is lined with the same fabric, just turned to the inside.

Here is the end result:

I wore it to the opera (The Barber of Seville!) complete with petticoat to give it that 50s look. Some lady even stopped me after the performance to compliment me on my dress!