I have sourced the holy grail of vintage fabric - mint condition Ken Done off the roll! I cant tell you how excited this rare discovery made me and I'm so pleased to share it with you!
Of course I love using reclaimed materials and their unique history that imbues a softness into the fabrics, but this one is truly special for the intensely saturated colours and smooth silky sheen.
Dressing for joy! What a playful print, designed by Australian artist and icon Ken Done. His bird print is well known, but this slightly smaller scale version is quite rare.
The Lucy Dress is a style you'll live in all year round - beautifully relaxed on warm days with sandals or sneakers but also layers up easily in cool weather, making for a wise wardrobe investment.
Over the years I've seen so many lovely women of different shapes and sizes wear this popular style, all feeling feminine, comfortable and confident.
- Soft, free shape with a looser silhouette designed to sit just off the body.
- Much care has been taken to finesse the fit, ensuring a clean and flattering form so it is not oversized or boxy.
- Comes in a little at just the right spot on the waist and lower back.
- V neckline.
- Cap Sleeve.
- Hem falls just on the knee cap.
- Of course there’s pockets in the side seams too!
- Only a few made in this fabric
Made from genuine vintage fabric in mint condition off the roll. This is a unique one of a kind piece. Even if I make another garment from the same fabric, yours will have it's own carefully considered print placement, making it truly individual and special. It really feels like you are wearing a piece of art.
Cotton poly blend, likely an 80/20 ratio. Midweight with a smooth sheen. Cold hand wash or machine wash in a wash bag on delicates cycle using mild phosphate free detergent. No need to iron, just air dry in the shade on a coat hanger. Hand cut in my studio and sewn by a small business in Sydney’s inner west. Ethical and Local.
SIZE & FIT INFO:
Average to generous sizing. First model is tall with smaller bust wearing 10. Second model is average height with larger bust wearing 12.
To check your size, lay a favourite dress flat, run a tape measure over and compare your measurements at the same points to those below. Shoulder and hip measurements not included due to the free, flowing nature of this shape. Just to clarify, these are of the dress itself, NOT the body.
Size 6
Bust: 44cm
Waist: 40cm
Length from top of shoulder to hem: 92cm
Size 8
Bust: 46cm
Waist: 42cm
Length from top of shoulder to hem: 93cm
Size 10
Bust: 48cm
Waist: 45cm
Length from top of shoulder to hem: 94cm
Size 12
Bust: 52cm
Waist: 47cm
Length from top of shoulder to hem: 96cm
Size 14
Bust: 54cm
Waist: 49cm
Length from top of shoulder to hem: 98cm
Size 16
Bust: 57cm
Waist: 51cm
Length from top of shoulder to hem: 100cm
Size 18
Bust: 60cm
Waist: 57cm
Length from top of shoulder to hem: 103cm
ABOUT VINTAGE FABRIC:
These special materials are sourced as cut pieces, mostly a treasure from someone's personal sewing collection or linen press usually ranging from the 1930's to 1980's. It is very rare to find them on a roll like a new fabric, so once cut and sewn, the garment cannot be repeated, making it truly unique. They are getting harder to find, particularly in good enough condition for production and are also increasingly expensive.
Vintage fabrics all vary so much in texture, weight and drape, so the task of washing, sorting and saving for just the right project takes time and effort plus a discerning marriage of resources with design to create each piece. They form part of our resourceful ethos from an of an environmental perspective but also our genuine investment in handmaking pieces of high quality, with character, history and rejuvenation imbued within.
