I have a Halloween birthday which I think is the best! Obviously I love dressing up so Halloween gives me an extra excuse to do so. On a rainy Portland day inside while my husband cooked me the traditional yam sauce veggie lasagna, I played dress up.

I started the day with a 1920’s feedsack type print dress in black and orange. What I love is the extra deco styling, asymmetrical details on the shoulders and wave like zig zag trim on the hem. Fabric is thick and sturdy so I choose this to wear in the morning taking my 3 year old son to preschool.  I bought a black and orange bakelite necklace on etsy to go with the dress. It’s one of those unique color combos used in the 1920’s not just on Halloween so I know I can use it again day to day. Shoes by Chie Mihara, duh! I wanted to pose with one of my boudoir dolls as the flappers of the day used to. This one I bought years back around Halloween and sure paid the price for it! She is in perfect condition and I couldn’t live with out her. She has sultry eyes and a playful halloween pierrette costume. My dolls to me are like little time capsules capturing the fashion and look of the day. Where as we might wear our human clothes to rags, most likely these dolls and their costumes will outlive them all. You can learn so much about textiles just from dolls. I wouldn’t be a seamstress if it weren’t for them!  

Another dress I was dying to wear for months and months was a dress I actually had listed on etsy for the longest time. After not selling the second time around I came to my senses. This dress is meant for ME! Vampy black velvet and gold metallic lace, luxurious as can be. Shoes were found from another vintage picker who found these at the Goodwill “bins”, to think! My rhinestone headpiece was actually found locally on a 1920’s boudoir doll. Sorry dolly, I’ve stolen your crown. 

Last but not least, I opened my birthday present from my husband. I got a coat from Ralph Lauren. It’s brown silk velvet with a big brown fur collar. It makes me feel very elegant and 1930’s. I paired it with some gaberdine pants from Allure Originals and new fall season Chie Mihara’s.