New Attire for the New Year

When I first bought my mannequin I dressed her in a pretty vintage aqua jacquard dress. I loved it and loved the color in my studio - it was so much prettier than it looks here - but the dress was too small for her and had to be left open in the back. No one saw, but still...

So, I sold the aqua dress and tarted her up in a "girls just want to have fun" red party dress with gold sequins.

This one was much too big and had to be clipped in the back. Plus, I don't love red. It stood out like a sore thumb in a room full of neutrals with touches of aqua and pink. The dress was fun, but it annoyed me every time I walked into the room.  

So...I've been on the lookout. A few weeks ago there was an estate sale at the former home of a local antique dealer. I found lots of pretty things, but my favorite was this vintage dress.

It's a bit stained and has a large tear in the skirt but it's on a seam and can be mended. The entire dress is rows of lace stitched together. The ribbon is black velvet. There are no labels, so I'm guessing it was home sewn but don't know for sure.

I think this dress is pretty amazing. It fits my mannequin perfectly, and the price was so low I gasped when they told me.

I'm thrilled with it, and now I smile every time I walk into the room and see my Southern Belle mannequin.