Hello everyone! It's Catherine here from Sewingthe60s - a blog dedicated to sewing and all things 60s especially the fashion! The wonderful Lauren of Rosie Wednesday has kindly invited me to join in her shift dress sew along and also to shed some light on this simple yet striking style of dress.
At the beginning of the decade shirtwaist and 'wiggle' dresses were the styles most worn by women, but as the 60s drew on, waistlines became looser and looser until around 1963 when shift dress patterns became available to home sewers. This was largely through the work of designers like Mary Quant and Jean Muir.
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| Mary Quant in one of her own shift dress designs |
Celia Birtwell, textile designer, and Cathy McGowan, British journalist, in Biba shift dresses
They, among others, continued to drive its simple beauty by using different colours, patterned fabrics, adding applique shapes and ruffles and changing up the sleeve style. By the late 60s the shift dress was still popular with most women especially those who worked, as the style is modest while still allowing for personalization with scarves, brooches and jackets.
Shift dresses were initially popular due to their simplicity - some darts around the bust and shoulders are all that is needed to fit the shape. The dress then hangs from the shoulders down to just above the knees. The pattern itself is so simple that it's very easy to modify and add to it. Shift dresses are a favourite still today, perhaps due to their simple shape and wearability across all body types!
Be sure the check out the shift dress inspiration board on Pinterest for more ideas!
