May

BOTH of my sons are getting married next year!  My youngest son honored me by asking me to make their wedding cake to help with expenses.  I’ve decorated my share of birthday cakes, but a wedding cake?  As fate would have it, I passed by our local cake shop and noticed they were doing decorating classes.  For the first time in my life, I didn’t procrastinate and signed right up!

The first class was this past Saturday.  Having had 25 years of birthday cakes under my belt (pretty much literally!) I did pretty well but I learned so much.  Guess you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!  But if I don’t gain 10 lbs. doing this, it will be a miracle.

Which brings me to the vintage tie-in.  When Youngest Boy and Sweet Fianceé came home to show off The Ring, we girls naturally started talking about The Dress.  I don’t have a lot of wedding dresses in my inventory – not my thing, I guess – but we went to my studio and she tried on a couple of dresses.  One too frilly and one too plain.  The Dress must be JUST RIGHT!  Then I thought of my wedding dress that had been properly packed in acid free tissue paper and box … then shoved to the farthest corner of the attic.  We have squirrel issues in the attic (oh, the stories I could tell) so I expected to open the box and find a huge pile of walnuts and a shredded dress.  Proper packing materials can do only so much – you still have to store the box properly and I hadn’t.  But, considering that most women burn their wedding dresses at their divorce party, the fact that it still exists says … well, I’m not sure what.

I’d always wished for my mother’s or grandmother’s wedding dress to wear and neither one had been kept.  So I saved mine in case my daughter would want it … for parts, if nothing else.  Then I had boys.

Sweet Fianceé is a size 6 and my dress is a size 5.  Should be a good fit!  She put it on and I saw, once again, why I’d chosen that dress.  It really is pretty.  I went to the back to zip it and got to the center of her back and … NOPE.  No way.  She did discover that she liked the general style, so we accomplished something other than a case of my self-loathing.  (I USED TO BE THAT TINY!)

Here’s your vintage lesson of the day:  Never, ever buy a vintage dress based on the size printed on a tag in the dress.  Today’s size 6 is not yesterday’s size 6.  As our population has steadily increased in size, clothing manufacturers have accommodated us by adjusting the measurements upward but not the actual size number printed on the tag.  To get the best fit when buying vintage – know your measurements:  Bust, Waist, Hips, and Back Shoulder at minimum.  When shopping in person, I like to consider the waist measurement first.  Vintage waistbands, generally, will be the hardest part to fit and don’t have much wiggle room, so to speak.  Remember, women were still wearing girdles!  And then, look at your largest measurement – for instance, if you have larger hips, check that measurement next.

When buying online, look for the part of the website that explains how the seller takes the clothing measurements – usually a FAQ section, like this, or it might be given a section of its own.  Then follow the same method to measure a dress that fits you well and use those measurements to guide you.  Never purchase a garment based on your exact measurements – you might get the garment ON, but you’ll never be able to move.  You’ll need at least an extra inch, maybe more for pants, to allow for ease of movement.

One more thing:  Don’t be afraid to have your vintage purchase altered to fit!  In this respect, vintage is no different than modern clothing.  For instance, more athletic body types may have wider shoulders and/or smaller bustlines.  Buy to fit your largest measurement because it’s easier to make a garment smaller where necessary.  (As a preservationist, I do encourage trying to make any alterations reversible.)

One of these days, I’ll probably start on my rant about changing sizes and fashions over time but I’ll save that for later.  In the meantime, will someone PLEASE get these cupcakes outta here?

Diana

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