Vintage Outfit Post-Carefree Dress From Time Machine Vintage

Last Thursday I wrote about one of my favorite old films, the Astaire and Rogers musical comedy Care Free from 1938.

This delightful film features a dress I have dreamed about owning since Junior High when I would watch Fred and Ginger on AMC after school.

 

The adorable dress is more 40s then 30s in style, but the heart and arrow detailing is just the sort of whimsical touch that draws me to vintage styles.   When I discovered Time Machine Vintage on Etsy last year I thought that maybe the incredibly talented Kim could make my dream dress.  For obvious reasons I was thinking of the dress as a Valentine's dress but due to this years record snow falls the package was some what delayed, not a problem since the best things in life are worth waiting for.   Kim worked with me to make the dress perfect and its exactly what I wanted, I'm afraid my pictures don't do it justice.

 

 

 

I wore the dress with a little 1940s hat from the vintage hat shop on Etsy.  Its a cute hat, but eventually I want a larger brim portrait hat that is more like Ginger's.  The fur wrap was my grandmothers and the Bakelite bangle is one I found in Jersey City, the shoes are from Mod Cloth.  I absolutely love the dress and its got me wanting some more applique dresses, maybe a 1950s full skirted navy number with hearts, or something with dogs on it!  The possibilities are endless.

 

This dress also taught me a very important lesson about vintage style clothing, certain styles demand certain underthings.  In my quest to expand my vintage wardrobe I had neglected to think about underwear because I was more concerned with what is on the outside.   Plus I worried old style underwear would be extremely uncomfortable and I am active in my clothes: going to work, walking the dogs, I don't wait for special occasions to wear them.  On Kim's advice I ordered a corselette from What Katie Did and I can recommend it more.  Its very comfortable, smooths out lumps and bumps, and lets you wear the seamed stockings that really complete a vintage look.  I'm a complete vintage style shape wear convert now.