The Truth is Still a Lie - Vintage Sizing and the Modern Image

I am sure you have all heard the story.  Marilyn Monroe was a size 16.  It is touted out by every woman feeling bad on a fat day by herself her friends or internet memes....

The fun bit about this pearl of wisdom is it is true.  Marilyn (at her biggest) was a size 16.  That is she was a 1950's 16.

To illustrate my point I have made the following collage of pictures taken from a vintage pattern I have from 1957.

As you can see the size 16 is clearly printed on the front of the envelope, the size chart clearly printed on the back which indicates that a size 16 has a 36 inch bust and a 28 inch waist, which in modern standards makes a size 10 Australian.

So why is it that Marilyn has those famous curves an the modern 10 often has a more "skinny" look. Well in my opinion a lot of that has to do with style of the time.  I won't be the first person to tell you that cutting your body at its widest point will make you look wider (hello swimsuit picture above) and that the opposite is also true.  So when fashion cut at the smallest waist it helped to emphasis bust and hips (when the full skirts weren't taking care of that emphasis) and that modern fashion by comparison cuts lower on the wider part of the hip giving a more rectangular and less curvaceous look.

This is all very important to remember when working with vintage patterns.  Just because you are a size 10 doesn't mean a size 10 pattern from 1945 will fit you off the bat.  In fact you will likely have to add anywhere up to 4-5inches on all dimensions.

It is also important when looking at body image in this world.  When we let ourselves believe a falsehood like Marilyn Monroe was a size 16 we buy into a belief that we too can look like her in that swimsuit, which just leads to disappointment when we don't.

Now it is important to love yourself whatever your size and if you find you can't make the changes to get there.  If you look back to 2011 you will see I made this pattern and wore it (once only) my goal for 2014 is to get back into these size 16's.

I am aware (and I think this illustrates it beautifully) that size is only a number - however in my reality size is also a wardrobe full of home made awesome dresses just wishing they could zip up.

The Onsie Project - Complete

Wow Busy day at the Angelic Cow Headquarters!!!!

So as promised earlier this month the onsie project now complete and it's final review and posting of pictures. First though let me say that I will likely retake these after September which has been dubbed the no junk food month.

The onsie project started as this at the beginning of the month. Making it was actually quick once I got going - tracing it was a different story and I still have not gotten over my hatred of double ended darts, I am however finding them easier (there is a total of 6 in the onsie).

This project was made much easier by the acquirement of the machine of awesome, because it does one step button holes. I LURVE MY ONE STEP BUTTON HOLE-R!!!! It is too easy, push a pedal and instant button hole - if this machine does nothing else my old one didn't I don't care. I can not stress my love of this enough.

I am really quite proud of this as I stash busted EVERYTHING bar the buttons (I just didn't have 7 or so blue buttons lying around) but the rope, material and zip all came from stash. I was really happy to accidently find the rope as the shade and the size, everything about it is a perfect trim for this outfit.

I cheated on the skirt a little and rather than sewing by hand and whip stitch the inside waistband I attempted to stitch in the ditch, much easier but I will also have to get much neater. In this incarnation it isn't too big a problem - I mean who is going to get close enough to see my stitch work anyway?

The shoes, I think are awesome. I got them on a buy one get the second half price at payless shoes, so I have them in navy and black, but seriously how awesome do they go with this outfit!!!! It's a steal, it's a deal, it's the sale of the century. Particularly as I wanted to wear this to the 50's fair, but I did not (after the pain of last year) want to wear heels to the 50's fair.

Things I would change on this project if I were to do it again, well an extra inch or so in the body length of the onsie would probably help to alleviate some unwanted wedgies. The Hem on the skirt needs some work as it is slightly wonky but I can't work out why so that is now on the I will care about it later pile. To put more roping on the onsie or to not put more roping on the onsie that is the question - i am still pondering and don't expect to answer it for a while yet.

Stash bust project one

So project one of stash bust is this McCalls Pattern (4031) from the 1950's.

I bought this pattern from the Etsy Store The Selvage shop, who had good pricing, good patterns, and great service. I actually got the pattern a year ago (literally 19th of August I bought it in 2009), at the time I had a huge thing for onsies, short onsies, as apposed to anges thing for long onsies. In any case I love the style but don't have the legs really to pull it off. Finally I have gotten to the point where I think screw it and I am going to make it anyway.

Right away when I ordered this pattern I thought it needed a nautical type theme - something you may notice as I stash bust, I kinda have a thing for nautical themed stuff. I bought the nautical like material in a "wow they are selling stuff cheap at spotlight lets buy anything" spree, that seemed to be the fashion for Ange and I at the time. I put the two together but that was as far as I got.

Fast forward a year, I have traced it all, cut out the onsie, and am now contemplating the skirt - should I creat an inbuilt petticoat, since I have to line it anyway - and I do have (something I forgot to photo for the stash) about 75m of white cotton, in which I can make the petticoat. I am also contempating do I do a piping on the onsie to tie it into the skirt fabric.... so much to choose.In any case I have a few days to think cause I am waiting on my new machine.

The fabrics are:

Onsie - (using view without the elasticated legs) a navy blue poplin, it came out much more royal in the photos but it is actually quite dark.

Skirt - the skirt is a cotton in an off-white/creme, with navy starfish and anchors on it.

I am hoping to have this one done by the end of next week - so hurry up machine.

(as a side note I have also increased my exercise reseme in order to try and get those legs that will look great in this come the warmer weather - in the southern hemisphere we currently have winter and it sucks.)