One Hour Dress and matching slip dress
If you're into vintage fashion, you've probably heard about the one hour dress. It was a simple style of dress that was popular back in the 1920's. While they rarely only take one hour to make, they're beginner-friendly and highly customisable thanks due to their simple shapes.
The one hour dress is a simple dress that's usually made out of a woven fabric. It's nice and loose, which means it doesn't need any fasteners.
The top part is a simple T-shape while the bottom is a wide rectangle, extending far beyond the top's margins. This extra fabric would be gathered and sewn into a cut inside of the main dress to create room for the hips.
If you'd like to find out how to make these, check out these tutorials by The Closet Historian, Festive Attyre and The Vintage Dancer. They'll show you how to draft a pattern according to your own measurements, and how to put the dress together.
Check out this original 1920's drafting guide by Mary Brooks Picken to see how it was originally done.
(Image source) [ID: a peach-coloured one hour dress with colourful floral embroidery and pearls.]
(Image source) [ID: a page out of a 1921 edition of the French magazine "La Femme de France", showing instructions on how to sew a one hour dress.]
(Image source) [ID: a hand-drawn diagram showing how to draft a one hour dress pattern from scratch. The torso is a simple t-shape, while the skirt part is a wide rectangle.]
Sometimes, one hour dresses were made from sheer materials to create different effects depending on what slip dress was worn underneath them.
These slip dresses are even easier to make than a one hour dress. The principle's the same, but the top's a rectangle instead of a T-shape with sleeves. Check out this tutorial by Sew Historically to find out how to make your own 1920's slip dress. This tutorial by American Duchess shows you how to make a version without the gathered hips.
You can easily turn these slip dresses into a playsuit by adding a rectangle at the crotch, turning the skirt part into shorts. Check out my 1920's playsuit project to see an example.
(Image source) [ID: off-white silk slip dress with gathered hips, lace decorations, and a flap at the crotch.]
(Image source) [ID: page out of a 1922 edition of the French magazine "La Femme de France", showing instructions on how to sew a dress and a matching slip.]
(Image source) [ID: pattern drafting instructions for a 1920's slip dress as shown on a piece of green fabric. Text: "1920s slip. www.sewhistorically.com".]
This type of dress is a lot of fun if you're looking for an easy, highly customisable project. Add whatever trims you want, mess around with the neckline, make a sleeveless version or one with longer sleeves, turn it into a mini- or maxi-dress,... There's plenty of options.
Check out my post on 1920's sewing patterns for more inspiration. If you know how to read French, Gallica makes for a very useful resource, too.
