Dress Up

/  The 1960's Decade: Mine is the one in the center /

For today's Dress Up post, instead of a dress that I would love to own, we are featuring one that I actually made. The Junior fashion design class puts on a fashion show near the end of their fall semester and this year the theme was Fashion After Five: The Clothes and Culture of the Cocktail Hour. Each Junior was assigned a decade from 1920's-1990's and created a classic LBD inspired by that decade. As you can see in the caption above, my decade was the 1960's. The show was last Wednesday November 15th at the Onondaga Historical Association in Syracuse, NY. Most exciting news of all? Each decade had two winning pieces that will get to be displayed in the museum until June. One of the winners from the 1960's decade? Yours truly. The same people in our class always win, so it was exciting to see some other fellow classmates get the chance, as well.  The other winner from the 60's is the dress second from the right in the image above. 

/ Original 1960's Inspiration Board /

My initial inspiration started with the board above. I knew I wanted to use wool and a heavier fabric and knew I wanted a high collar, and after my two rounds of 25 rough sketches, I knew what I wanted to make. Oddly enough, it turned out almost exactly as I had planned. 

/ Close-up of the collar that I beaded and earrings I made /

/ L: My dress the night before the show putting finishing touches on / R: My beautiful model, sorority sister, and friend, Brittany looking perfectly mod /

/ Lining up for the show /

/ Post-show with Brittany and my mom who surprised me with her visit /

Thanks again to everyone who came to see the show! It was really great to be able to share our hard work with people other than classmates and professors for once. I hope everyone has a great weekend. I'm back home in Texas for the week for the holiday soaking up some warm weather and family.

Happy Halloweek

Image Via

While in college, most halloween festivities start the week before the week of Halloween, here on 85 Dresses this week leading up to the 31st is going to be full of Halloween themed features. Expect lots of orange and black, spooky detailing that works specifically well for the holiday (and all year round), and maybe a few costume ideas thrown in there. As for the image above, getting accepted to study in London and working on a 1960's cocktail dress right now, it fits so perfectly for everything--even orange for Halloween--. How amazing are those coats and hats!

I hope everyone had a fabulous start to the week. What are you all for Halloween?

POI: Twiggy

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Ever since we learned about the sixties in fashion history this semester, I have been completely infatuated with the style and those involved in making it what it was. One of these influential people was none other than sixties fashion icon, Twiggy. Twiggy,whose given name was Leslie Hornby, was a British teenage model who was known for her thin lanky build, short hair, and large eyes. While many assumed her nickname, Twiggy, came from her her skinny limbs, it was also assumed to be from how she would do her bottom lashes with mascara separated like little twigs. While she was often known for her androgynous style, she was often wearing little A-line and baby doll dresses. In looking at photographs of her from the sixties during her modeling career, I love her fresh-faced look and not going to lie, I might even brave a pixie-bob if it made made me look anything like Twiggy.