Peacock 1930s Gown--Inspiration

The peacock gown is nearly finished. All the major seams have been completed, and all that's left is setting the zipper, hemming, and binding/finishing the neckline. The neckline is taking some tweaking; despite the muslin turning out perfectly, the drapey charmeuse is doing things that I hadn't expected around the bust and will need some extra reinforcement. And perhaps a decorative drape...with a peacock feather.

So, until the final unveil, the idea board for the gown:

A few notes--the ladies featured are Jean Harlow, who embodies the 1930s silky, sensual spirit so well, and Carole Lombard, who I happen to adore because she's a fellow Hoosier (and Clark Gable's self-reported one true love...despite his 8 marriages. Who can't admire that?)

The pattern is Vintage Vogue #2859. The silk is from (no, I'm not kidding) Happy Good Buy on ebay. It is, indeed, happy and good.

And the place? The location of the gown's debut, an early twentieth century resort in Indiana. Throughout the 1930s it was a fashionable retreat not only for Midwesterners but for politicians and Hollywood stars (including Clark and Carole). The ambience inspired me to create something vintage-esque and luxurious but also timeless.