A Pear-fect Outfit

We all have our vintage wardrobe wish list. One of the things that has been on my list is a hat with fruit on it!

Generally fruit bearing hats have cherries and are quite pricey due to the popularity of said cherries.

So when I spied this darling pear hat over in Poppycock Vintage's etsy store, I had to snap it up.

Originally, I had planned on saving this hat for Easter to wear with a green sweater but when I pulled out this vintage dress to wear, the pear-ing of hat and dress was too perfect to pass up!

The hat is made from a green straw type material and is decorated with some netting and the pear.

Given the extra awesomeness the pear adds to the usual fabulousness of hats in general, my husband naturally thought it was very silly. *sigh* Men.

But hats and fruits and blooming flowers have me all pumped for spring, which has mostly arrived here in Ohio.

And Easter is coming up this weekend and I now have to pick out a new hat to wear!

Sometimes you just have to accept reality

As much as I wish I could live somewhere like southern California or Florida where I could wear pretty summer sundresses most of the year, I do not. I live in the midwest and it gets cold! And the weather is often uncooperative.

What happens in March is that the weather will be gorgeous for a few days and then go back to cold and rainy/snowy for a few weeks. At this point in time, I was so over winter especially since last winter was super mild. In an attempt to combat the winter blues, I set out to sew up a chilly weather appropriate dress and promptly purchased two lengths of corduroy from Jo-Anns (on sale too!)

This dress is the result of one of my fabric purchases! It's short sleeved so it won't be good for the dead of winter but it's going to be great for spring and fall days that are chilly in the morning and during early winter.

Fabric: 3 5/8 yd red corduroy ($4.50/yd), 2/3 yd black wool blend crepe (leftovers from another project)
Pattern:  Simplicity 2851
Year: 1949
Notions: Buttons (from Costume College $1), zipper ($2), belt is from a previously made dress
First worn: April '12
Total cost: ~$20
Wear again? Yup, I love it! It's very comfortable and much warmer than my summer dresses. I love the length and flattring late 40s silhouette. The only thing I don't like is that it's a lint magnet! 

I really want to make up this pattern in the other view in a more summery weight fabric but this dress is just perfect for posing in front of the old red storage barns!