Black & White Evening Dress

This year, I made myself no new dress for Christmas. Instead, I wore an old dress which I had not fitted in for years (so I put on a couple dozen pounds…), but now do because I lost 25 pounds! (*Applause*).

This dress I had originally made in May 2002 for a Film Study Gala at the end of my first year of University, but everyone in my family happened to forget their cameras that night, so I have no picture of me wearing it at the time. The evening was to showcase the short films done by us students, and out of the two categories my team’s film was entered in, we won both! I still have one of the Trophies:

"Remstar" Jury's Choice Award, University of Montreal Film Study Gala, May 2002

Although most students attending were wearing jeans and t-shirts, the ticket called for “Evening Wear” and I followed the dress code. I used pattern Butterick 5367, which I had bought in 1999 with a couple others while looking for a pattern for my dream Prom dress.

Butterick 5367

The bodice is made of imitation white silk shantung and the skirt is black satin. I would love to tell you that I choose the colours in homage to Black & White movies, but really, it is simply that I love that colour combination.

Gwenyver wearing her Black & White Evening Dress, Christmas 2010

My dress is sleeveless like the pattern, but the back opening, which you can’t see in this picture, has been raised a little to hide my bra. In this picture, I am wearing a bolero, bought at L’Aubainerie, because this dress was made to be worn in May and I wore it here in December. This picture was taken at my parent’s house, on December 25 (and I should mention that my parents strongly believe that heating a house is for wusses – 16°C in winter is a fine temperature inside the home).

Of course, I was once again over dressed (my uncle was wearing jeans and asked when he saw me why no one had told him it was a black tie evening), but I don’t care. I can currently fit in it, so I am going to wear it!