Lime green eyelet dress with lime green car, dress of the day 421
I bought this eyelet dress on eBay. I was looking for an eyelet dress. (Eyelet dresses used to be called broderie anglaise. Once folksy, now fashionable. In the old days only white, now also in black and all kinds of colours.) What did I want? Preferably not white, because I already have one in white and would like a change.
I bid on this attractive lime green. I won the bidding at only five pounds but the postage was over three so the total was about eight pounds. Still a bargain. The dress price ticket said twenty pounds!
As the old saying goes, you win some, you lose some. This is one that I won, in both senses of the word. I won the auction. I won a bargain.
The Dress Brand & Label
The neck label says Made in Italy.
The hip length lining's inner hem has two labels. Both say the same. The wording reveals a brand name, Euro Miss UK Made in Italy.
100 % viscose. Then the four washing symbols. Hand wash at maximum 30 degrees. Do not bleach. Cool iron, one dot. Do not tumble dry. May be dry cleaned, but only with certain products, hence the symbol P.
Surprise. Viscose. Yet it feels like soft, light, close weave, cool, cotton.
The dress has no shoulder straps. Rather revealing. I can cover the arms with a white button-less, open-front jacket or blouse.
What if the dress drops? I could add a belt. I made a belt from an unwanted man's white tie. (Unwanted tie, not unwanted man.)
But the dress is not secure over the bust. My solution was to turn up the frill over the bust and tuck it into my bra. The frill fabric is inside out, but you don't notice.
Safety Pins To Secure
If I were out and about I would have to attach it the top with safety pins. To stop the top sliding and showing my bra.
Sewing Solution
I prefer sewing if I have time. It feels more permanent and professional.
But I cannot attach the top permanently to a bra which I could otherwise wear with other items.
Safety Pin Solution
So the solution is safety pins. But this is only temporary. You risk your clothes slipping and showing the safety pin. Admittedly Elizabeth Hurley wore a dress held together with safety pins. But they were in a neat line, all of the same size. Attached at regular intervals. Big and strong enough to hold the fabric.
Besides, I don't like using safety pins. If you catch the fabric on anything, or pull your arms up, the safety pin does not pull out like cotton but makes a tear. That happened to a half slip which I tightened when the waist elastic went. I used safety pins to tighten it. The safety pins worked well for several weeks. But, finally, something bad, something sad, happened.
Maybe I sat down suddenly and pulled it. Maybe the fabric finally tore after being stretched for days on end.
The solution is to sew on two spaghetti straps of white ribbon. Maybe take the straps off an old slip. Even buy a small slip cheaply, in any size, from one of the cheapest shops, or a small bra, or one I no longer wear, just to use the straps.
The Blouse
The blouse label says Zara Basic. XL. Made in China. 55 % linen.
The Tie
The tie label says Rockfield London Made in England polyester washable
Cream Sandals
The sandals are from Hotter, UK size five and a half.
Cream Socks
The socks are airline socks, like seemed tubes.
Bra
White sleep bra, Jockey for her, size M. Cover all bra. Size medium.
Useful Websites
https://www.yell.com/biz/euro-miss-london-2751233/
eBay
Zara
Wikipedia (on eyelet, broderie anglaise and company names and brand names.
Etsy
Washing symbols
https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/washing-machines/article/washing-symbols-explained-aXkjx1J2v8nK
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