Day at the beach

The absolute best part about living in Florida is the beach. I just adore the ocean and sometimes we just go there to hang out and don't even get in.

My favorite outfit for just such an activity is my 1930s beach pjs made from this Wearing History pattern. They are seriously the most comfortable thing ever but they make you look so glamorous. 

I made these pjs out of some yummy 100% linen so they are dreamy to wear and quite practical for the summer sun. (And it's Florida so our summers usually last from May through September.)

I also like that it covers me up which means less places to slather on sunscreen and less places to get burnt! I probably should have brought a hat though because the sun was fierce!

I always get lots of comments when I wear these. Beach wear fashions have definitely gone downhill since the 30s. I guess people aren't used to seeing glamor on the beach any more!

On this particular occasion, I was attending a beach baptism which was really cool but definitely wasn't going to include me getting dunked. (Fun fact: I was baptized in a hot tub.)

I did end up doing a bit of wading right before we left. Even just this bit of water helps cool you down a lot and I can imagine many beach going ladies in the 30s doing the same thing.

Even though you can't see it well because of the wind, I also got a new hair cut! My hair wasn't quite grown out enough to do exactly what I wanted but my hairdresser worked some magic to give me this 20s inspired bob! Hopefully, I can get a more authentic 20s cut in a few months when all the layers grow out but until then, at least all the unmanageable bits are gone!

What's your favorite thing to wear to the beach?

By the Sea

I adore the beach! And having moved from a landlocked corner of the midwest, I was quite lacking in the beachwear department. So way back in January, I started a pair of beach pyjamas.

Beach pyjamas were popular in the 1930s. They were worn for beach wear and also for lounging. They feature wide legs and could be one or two piece sets.

I had previously made a lounging version that was very fun to wear around the house. Unfortunately, they are made of polyester and not so great for hot days at the beach.

For this version, I knew linen was the way to go! Breathable, drapey and easy to care for. I found a great striped linen and some coordinating green linen that were oh so yummy!

The pattern is Wearing History's Lounging at the Lido pattern.  I've previously done a pattern review so you can pop over if you're interested in making up this pattern. But, really, they aren't too difficult to sew up and the belt at the waist means that they don't have to be perfectly fitted. You do have to know how to use bias binding as a facing and how to do button holes. And the pants have a huge hem because they are fabulous and full but it's worth it.

For this version, I decided to do a color blocked version instead of all one color with contrasting ties and collar. There's no yardage given for this type of fabric combination. I ended up using about 1 yd for the bodice and about 2.5 yds for the pants, collar and ties. Both were 60 inch wide fabrics.

And this weekend, I finally got a chance to take pictures of me wearing my beach pyjamas at the beach. And look! I match the sea grass.

My church does beach baptisms during the summer and this is wear I wore these. Since I had no plans to actually go in the water, it was perfect. I don't recommend beach pjs for swimming. All of that fabric in the pants would make it difficult to swim.

I did get to dip my feet in the water. One of the nice things about linen is that it dries quickly especially in the warm Florida summer sun.

I got heaps and heaps of compliments while wearing this! I was a bit surprised. Beach pjs are definitely one of the odder vintage fashions and it's always a bit scary when you wear something particularly different for the first time.

 Guess I was worried for nothing. I had several ladies ask me where I got them. Perhaps I need a few more pairs of these beach pjs.

Lounging Around

Yesterday I finished up these lovely Beach/Lounging Pyjamas!


Fabric: 4 yds floral print from stash ($6/yd I think...), 1/2 yd red shiney stuff, red ribbon salvaged from too small sweater
Pattern: Wearing History 3017
Year: 1930s
Notions: buttons ($3)
Time to complete: 6 hours (next go round should be much quicker!)
First worn: October 2011
Wear again? Yes!!!!! I'm so in love with this outfit! It's terribly fun to wear and super comfy. Much cuter than my normal pjs.

Total cost: ~$27

I had several hiccups while making this pattern that made for slow going. I didn't make a muslin and the hips hit in a different area than I thought they would. Now, my hips are 12" larger than my waist so I usually grade up several sizes in the hips. I actually made this up in size 18 which is for 1" smaller than my waist. It's a pretty loose garment and I did measure before cutting but I measured the wrong area for hips. I did end up removing 1" from the blouse portion and then it was a bit small for the pants portion. I made it work though! Next time I'll remove the length from the middle before I cut fabric.

Also, I discovered that there 4 buttons in the pattern design were not enough. So, I made a trip to Jo-Ann's for more buttons and I'm now up to 7. And, despite careful measuring, my waist ties were not level so I had to take one off and put it back on. And the fabric was slippery and required lots of pinning.

Ok, on to the things that went well.

I used French seams and bias binding so the inside is all pretty! I got my machine's button holes to look nice so no bound button holes! They are crazy fun to wear! And I've already bought some more material for a winter version as this one is a bit chilly with no sleeves.

And, lastly, tips for those of you who want to make this pattern.Do make it because it's crazy fun to wear!

• Watch the arm holes as they are kind of small.
• I made size 18 and squeezed it into 4 yds of 60" fabric though I think I'd get 4.5 yds in the future just to be safe.
• Add more buttons to the back.
• There are no illustrations in this pattern and they are not as detailed as modern directions. The sewing isn't too difficult but I wouldn't suggest this as a sewer's first vintage pattern.

I'm still on the fence about wearing this outside the house but my husband's response was "Those are pyjamas? It looks like a regular dress to me." so that's pretty encouraging.