Repairing a 1960’s Cocktail Dress

I was traveling in another state when I came across this dress in an antique shop called Ye Olde Ugly Duckling. There was a tear by the back zipper and the hem was coming undone, but it was only $10. I tried it on in a dimly lit bathroom/storage closet. It didn’t quite fit, but it was close enough. It was coming home with me.

The dress was homemade. I removed the large statement bow to be able to work with the dress more easily and prevent unnecessary creases and wrinkles. For the main dress, the first order of business was to fix the hem. Then I realized that the hem that I thought was falling out was actually a modification someone had made to shorten the dress. The original hem length worked better for me so I simply removed the stitches from the shortened hem and ironed it.

I next needed to repair the zipper. The tear was not an easy fix, but I used a patch on the inside to reinforce the shredding fabric and then ever so slightly took in the seam in that section. It worked!

Next, I need to make it fit. The top fit well, but it was tight around my hips. Even though lines and holes from old stitching can show up on silk (or silky fabrics), I decided to take the risk and let the side seams out. Again, I saw some evidence that the seams might have already been changed once. Before I restitched the sides, I carefully steamed them to take out as many of creases and needle holes as possible. Lastly, I reattached the bow securely.

It now fit! Time to wear it out! To give myself an occasion to wear a cocktail dress, I decided to celebrate my birthday at a rooftop restaurant downtown. It was such a special evening! We had beautiful weather, great food, and enjoyed a walk to get ice cream. To complement the dress, I wore my great grandmother’s costume jewelry. I also practiced the French twist (so iconic in 1960s film) for my hair.

It might be a while before I have another occasion for a cocktail dress, but I’m so happy to have this gorgeous dress ready now!