How to turn a discarded child's dress (Disney Princess) into an adult's dickey. Dress of the Day 242.

 

Angela wearing a dickey made from a Disney Princess Dress. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

I Was Cut-out For This
I saw this child's dress which somebody had thrown out. The dress was way too small for me.  I wondered, where should I cut it?  I wanted to keep the face-framing, colourful collar, and the fancy front, in pretty pink lace down both sides of the central neck buttons.

I cut it off at waist level. I had to slit up the sides. I had an A shape dickey with a front opening so it went over my head.

I kept the skirt for later. 

The Dickey
The dickey left a gap under the arms. It could be linked with two sections of flat elastic horizontally  under both arms. Or simply concealed under a jacket. I looked at my cape blazers. I had cape blazers in black, red and white. Black was too heavy looking against the pink lace jabot. The red jacket matched the embroidery. 

The Short Skirt
The skirt was short. Yet, surprisingly, wide. Once cut off, pleats opening up. It was too wide for my waist! I fastened it together temporarily with a clothes peg. (The Americans call it a clothes pin.) I meant to add ties or some other fastening. However, as a temporary measure I concealed the clothes peg under the jacket. 

At the end of the evening I felt a lump and thought, what's this? I had completely forgotten about the clothes peg. Of course it was not noticeable when I was sitting at an internet meeting, nor even when I stood up to talk to the lens and audience. My husband had no idea. 

Out and about town it would not have been safe. Movement would have risked making me lose the skirt and the clothes peg. A safety pin would have been needed. I could still sew on pretty ribbons. I plan to add a concealed hook and eye for security and a tight fit.

Red Shoes
To complete the co-ordinated look, picking out the red of the embroidery, I needed red shoes. Open-toed, block-heeled sandals were just the thing. 

Now, for some accessories. A red belt?

I walked passed dolly. I went back and picked her up as a prop. Perfect. Her dress included the colour dress. I have used dolly as a prop previously. She was popular. But I need something new. 

What could I do differently to update. She had her mask. Topical. Perfect.

Photo Framing Props
Over by the window I took two red plants. I placed one either side of the place where I stood. You see the result. 

The moral of the story is that you can create a dickey (false collar and attached shirt front), to enhance an outfit or create a new look. A child's outgrown dress, from your family or another, can be re-used. Children's clothes such as Disney Princess are designed with cuteness in mind. When you want a change from plain and practical tee-shirts, a little girl's outfit is just the thing. If saving money is a concern, re-using children\s clothes for adults saves money as well as the environment. If money is no object, then you can buy new from the children's department, expanding your sources, quicker than fiddling around creating collars and buttonholes, unique.

Useful Websites
Princess Dress from Disney

About the Author
About Angela The Author
The Author - Quick Quotations

Angela Lansbury B A Hons  is the author of ten books by regular publishers, plus another ten self-published books. 

About Angela The Speaker & Trainer

Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Vice President Public Relations, Immediate Past President.
Former Area Director S3. Club Coach for Nee Soon South Toastmasters Club.
Also Member of: TCA Toastmasters Club; Singapore Online Dynamic; Harrovians UK
May 5 Wednesday Garen Tee on using storytelling in business, on bha.learncool.sg
Next BHA meetings, Wednesday evening,  Previous events included May 5th, 7 pm Singapore is a regular meeting, including the workshop on storytelling by Garen Tee as well as an educational skills session on PR posters using Powerpoint and Canva and correct colours copied from Toastmasters International resources.
Angela The Blogger 

Angela has several blogs on speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:


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