So yet again I was lured into buying one of these from my favourite vintage clothing emporium.
I’m not sure whether the correct term for it is a dressing gown, robe or possibly even housecoat? Anyway, whatever they are called, I now have three of them.
My only defence is that they come in such lovely fabrics – and at such bargain prices – that I find them impossible to resist.
Here’s one of my other ones…
My latest one was bought with the intention of turning it into a dress, but my plan has come unstuck…
It is the sort of robe that demands nightwear beneath, because there are insufficient buttons to protect one’s modesty.
If I am to turn heads in it for the right reasons whilst wearing it as a frock, this – ahem – gaping problem must be overcome!
I thought this would be just a case of sewing up the bottom half. Or adding extra buttons. Or maybe both.
But upon closer inspection this won’t do after all, as it just won’t look right. Nor will adding press studs between the buttons.
I also think the cut may be a little too… robe-y… rather than dressy. I don’t want to mess about re-shaping – and ruin it.
So I’m wondering whether I should just cut the bottom off altogether and turn it into a nice, smocky shirt instead, to make the most of that lovely peter pan collar.
I could wear it with jeans and a vest underneath and not worry about showing off bits I shouldn’t.
But I’m just not sure…
So, in the spirit of This Old Thing, any dressmakers out there – could you help me decide what to do please?
Should I get dressy, or shirty, or just stay enrobed? ♥
It’s a housecoat. Definitely. My mother wore something exactly like that in pale blue and white striped seersucker, over her nightie. She’d do the housework in it, it was decent enough to answer the door to the postman, and could be slung in the wash easily. I think it would be a pity to cut it up. Wear it open, over a Tshirt and jeans, as a lightweight summer, well, coat, I suppose. If you were feeling fancy you could line it with something gorgeous to give it a bit more drape.
I have tried it on over various combinations of t-shirts, jeans, skirts and dresses and alas, it still looks like I’m wearing a dressing gown over my clothes. I am just not sufficiently eccentric and arty-looking to carry it off – it has always been my ambition in life, but I am just not good enough at it, or as sartorially brave as I would like to be!
Ah well, then it’s probably best you shorten it to a jacket and do something fabulous with the bottom bit!
If you alter it into a smocky blouse/shirt then you also have some lovely fabric to get creative with.
That thought did cross my mind Mona, I will admit!
In fact, I actually bought a couple of maxi skirts which, being short, make me look like a 1920’s granny, just so I can shorten them and get a skirt and a nice bit of fabric as well.
I think maybe a bit of rouching at the back ant hem wear it open as a coat as the first lady suggested, the rouch could be taken out later if needed or wanted.
xx
Hmmm, I’m not sure about the ruching Ruth… The back is gathered at the yoke, like the front. To cinch the back in with ruching would, I think, spoil it’s essential smockiness…
oooooh its gorgeous ; ) definitely keep it as it is, jeans and a tee or a plain straight dress – perfect!
I like the idea of a smocky shirt with jeans – you could wear it with long sleeved tops in the winter and get more wear out of it 🙂
absolutely no answer to the query but have to say I love your decorated wall behind the housecoat – how did you do it??????
It’s my wardrobe Alison! I covered it in photos from old Observer Magazine gardening pages that I had collected over several years, mixed with illustrations from an old RHS diary. They are stuck on with spray mount. I should probably varnish it to protect them, but I don’t want them to go all yellowed, so I haven’t.
You can see more photos of it in my cupboard love post here: https://www.modflowers.co.uk/2014/02/23/cupboard-love/
I must have missed that post Sharon! The wardrobe looks great, magazine pics explain why the colours are so bright & clear – here’s me thinking you’d got an amazing printer lol!
I have several that I wear as dresses. Some shortened (more of a robe than housecoat) and others not. I just safety pin the bottom, add a belt and go. Prefer them in winter with tights and boots, since they are heavy polyester.
I have come very close to wearing that other one pictured (the purple, swirly-patterned one) as a frock. It has long sleeves and looks much more frocky than the orangey one. I still might, if I can find a cardi to go with it.
I’d definitely go smocky to wear over a vest and jeans/leggings. Lovely soft looking fabric, and plenty of colours to choose from – would go with so much!