advice regarding graduation dress

[wowandflutter]

hi ladies !

i'm graduating next week & need some advice. my mother bought me this dress last year. it's from the late 30s and in perfect condition, right down to every sequin. i adore it so much & i have yet to wear it because it is ankle length. i'm only 5 1" & i dont find the length to be flattering for my height.

i would like to wear the dress under my gown for graduation as well as to my graduation party, which is in the late-afternoon. my mother & i were contemplating having it professionally shortened so that it is below the knee, but initially we agreed that this would alter the authenticity of the original garment. yet, the dilemma still lies in that i have not had the opportunity to wear it as i rarely attend events that require long evening-wear. & i'm not necessarily attached to the idea of keeping it at its original length.

i took these pictures so i could perhaps get some feed-back from you gals... one holding it up so you might get a crude idea of what it would look like shortened. i think it looks sort of cute... thoughts ?

p.s. my apologies for the poor photos. (you'd think that i'd be able to take better photographs, graduating with a degree in photography...)

& a detail so you can see the lovely sequin work.

 

[Kim_B]

My, that is a lovely dress! And congratulations on your graduation! :eusa_clap

I'm no fashion expert, but I think it looks fine shortened...maybe not even that much - mid-calf, maybe? Like I said, I'm no fashion expert!

 

[jitterbugdoll]

You can always alter the length without cutting the dress. I have an evening dress in my closet that I purchased as a cocktail dress, only to discover later that someone had neatly folded and tacked up the hem. I was able to let the hem out and the dress was back to its original condition.

That is a great dress, and the outfit you are wearing in your avatar is really pretty as well.

 

[Amelie]

I would follow both advices that were given :
shorten it without cutting the fabric by just having it fold
and shorten it about midcalf lenght, knee lenght is a bit too short for the period it comes from and a bit longer would probably make the dress a little bit dressier

(just my opinion though)

 

[Leading Edge]

:eusa_clap The dress is fine, very fine.

I am no fashion maven, but below knee to mid-calf (which I believe from the picture is the original length) is traditionally the day occasion length. My best friend often says, "I thank God for my extraordinary ability to accessorize." With that in mind, I need to know how you intend to complete the outfit. If the heel and style of the shoe complement, the current length will work well. If you are planning to wear a flat sole, then, shortening it is the way to go.

It would trouble me no end to cut cry such a perfectly gorgeous dress, but, then again, imagine what you could do with that extra fabric

 

[wowandflutter]

You can always alter the length without cutting the dress. I have an evening dress in my closet that I purchased as a cocktail dress, only to discover later that someone had neatly folded and tacked up the hem. I was able to let the hem out and the dress was back to its original condition.

That is a great dress, and the outfit you are wearing in your avatar is really pretty as well.

i dont know why i didnt think of that. i've certainly bought dresses that i've let down that have very discreetly folded-up hems !

i'm wearing one of my favorite blouses in the avatar image, thanks !

 

[Amy Jeanne]

...and shorten it about midcalf lenght, knee lenght is a bit too short for the period it comes from...

I totally agree with this! Mid-calf is very 1930s so it stays within it's time period, yet isn't so super-dressy like the longer length.

I also agree about not cutting it to shorten it.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Congratulations on your graduation!! Best of luck with your future endeavors.

Personally, being a short person, I know what you mean. I don't like that length dress on me either, I just find it to not be flattering. However, I think the dress looks lovely on you. You are thin, so I'd imagine you can get away with any length and still look great.

I do understand that you might not want to wear it that length for an afternoon graduation party. Sometimes longer dresses are reserved for the evening. I really like the length it is, but I also like it a bit shorter. Calf length is nice for an afternoon gathering. If you feel more comfortable wearing it shorter I would do as JBD suggests and not cut it. You can just fold it up and keep it in place with easily removable stitches and iron the edges to help to make it look more finished. Another option is to use hem tape. They do make it in black so it won't show through. There are a few different kinds. One is just a sticky tape that will seal the seams without heat and it is very easy to remove so it won't be detrimental to the dress. Another is heat bonded. The heat bonded type will be more durable, but be careful with the amount of bond you create, for you don't want it to be permanent or difficult to un-fuse. I've actually used this to hem pants that don't have a seam at the bottom and it works great. It does dry out after a while and will need to be redone, but this might be good in your situation for it will be easier to remove without doing damage. You never know when you might need a longer dress. So try to keep it as the original 30's length. I shortened one dress, cut off the bottom, and regretted it from the moment I cut the fabric off

It is a lovely dress and the bead work is beautiful!

 

[beaucaillou]

w&f,

that really is a lovely dress, and seems to suit your personality really well.

i hate to say it but: i love the original length. that said, i can understand why you'd want it shortened. the length you are holding it up at seems spot-on for your wants. have you had a tailor/dressmaker look at it yet? is it feasible?

congratulations to you!!!

 

[timorous me]

my number one rule, this goes for both my personal use and for "loans" of my collection - never cut unless absolutely necessary. I hate to irreparably change a piece. However, that dress is unbelievably adorable in the shorter length, and I am a very jealous lady! So I say if the fabric isn't to bulky to fold it up, try that, and if need be, go for the permanent alteration.

 

[wowandflutter]

the new issue i am realizing is that the dress is cut on a bias, which will make it near impossible to fold under. what do you guys think ?

 

[Paisley]

I cannot see the dress on my computer. However, I would consider leaving a dress with sequins for evening wear, and wearing a less sparkly dress during the day. (Never mind that glitter tops are all the rage.)

In either case, Congratulations!

 

[ohairas]

I love the look of it shortened, and I too know how you feel about the longer length on petite figures.

I say go for it, but don't cut! Even tho it's cut on the bias, if you get someone who really knows how to fold and menuver fabric, hopefully it could still be tacked up. May not look so hot on the inside, and could be somewhat bulky.. but that's what I'd do. OR, another option could be tacking it up from the outside, leaving layers as you go.. which of course would alter the look of the dress.

You could also cinch up the dress by weaving thread up the dress vertically in a few places, which would create a somewhat scalloped hem.. again, altering the appearance. Sorry, just brainstorming here!

Also, perhaps there is a way to bustle the dress to resemble the way you are holding it up? Leaving it a bit longer in back even if you have too.. could look darling!

Best wishes, it's a wonderful, wonderful frock!

Nikki

 

[timorous me]

just as ohairas was mentioning, a really good tailor could tack that up from the outside and i think this dress would be just DEVASTATINGLY fabulous with a bit of a scalloped-ruched-bustle thing going on.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

A long story

I've been thinking about your dress all night and day. I like it long, because I was once requested to shorten a long dress (to mini-length, it was the 90s) so I put it on my dress form to work on it. The long black column was beautiful. So elegant. Then I shortened it for my customer and it was just another little back dress. Seemed a waste to me. She was happy which was all that mattered but still. (I think I made a cute top for myself out of the cut-off fabric.) I am short too and am told I look taller in a long dress. Oh, the fact that it's bias makes it seem like it will hang nicely on you.

 

[Joie DeVive]

My 2 cents...

The long and short of it is that it is your dress, and you need to enjoy it.
BUT
It's such a beautiful example of a dress from that period, and it seems to be in such pristine condition, I hate to think of it being cut!

I agree with the other gals about seeing if a professional could bring up the hemline without harming the dress.
However, I think as an evening dress, it looks quite smart on you as is. I'm also only about 5'3", so I tend to avoid long skirts too, but sometimes they can work.

And Congratulations on your graduation!!! :eusa_clap

 

[wowandflutter]

thanks to all you ladies for your suggestions.

i had the dress hemmed but to a calf-length which i thought would be appropriate for the era.

i'll be certain to post another photo when i wear it for the party.

 

[ohairas]

Hemmed as in no cut?
Can't wait to see!
Nikki

 

[Shearer]

Your gown would look great long or calf-length, wowandflutter, but I do think it's especially stunning calf-length.

That dress is a far cry from what I wore to exit University: a black CBGB t-shirt and red Chuck Taylors lol

Congratulations and well done on your graduation! :eusa_clap

 

[katiemakeup]

I liked it long, but if you feel you wouldn't get much use out of it, I agree about the mid calf length. Even back then ladies had to have altered the lengths of their clothes! I don't care for the knee length. The dress is great, and congrats on graduating!!