1920s Sheer Floral Chiffon Summer Dress

1920s Bias-Cut Floral Print Chiffon Dress With Handkerchief Hem

Do you also sometimes refashion your clothes more than once? 😉 This 1920s sheer floral chiffon summer dress is one of my dresses I’ve refashioned twice already! 😀

1920s Sheer Floral Chiffon Summer Dress First Refashion
1920s floral chiffon dress after the first refashion

First Refashion: Two Modern Dresses Into One 1920s Dress

Because I love 1920s pink floral printed chiffon dresses like this one, this one or this one, I’ve always wanted to make one. But I couldn’t find a suitable sheer floral fabric. So I bought two modern floral chiffon dresses which had a fabric I liked! 😀 The fabric is lovely, lightweight and soft-draping.

1920s Sheer Floral Chiffon Summer Dress Wrap Over Bodice
1920s floral chiffon dress with over-bodice

I shortened one of the dresses and changed the neckline. Then I cut apart the other dress to make an over-bodice with a wrap effect, a belt, and a scarf inspired by this and this antique 1920s summer dress. The separate over-bodice has a wrap effect in front and back, is gathered at the shoulders and open at the sides. It’s also gathered into a belt at the hips. Here’s a 1920s dress with a similar wrap over-bodice.

Related: How To Make A 1920s Slip

1920s Sheer Floral Chiffon Summer Dress
1920s floral chiffon summer dress after the second refashion

Second Refashion: Bias-Cut 1920s Dress

A couple of years later I decided to refashion my 1920s floral chiffon summer dress for the second time because it didn’t fit well and therefore I never wore it! 😉 And the modern dress also had an ugly, coarse lace trim to cover the seams which I didn’t like. For the second refashion I cut apart the dresses at the seams. This left me with very narrow but long pieces of fabric. Because I only had narrow pieces of fabric I decided to make a bias-cut 1920s dress this time! 😀 Bias-cut dresses became popular in the late 1920s.

Related: 1920s Beaded Silk Dress

1920s Floral Chiffon Summer Dress Detail Close-Up
Bodice: bias-cut & pieced together. Godets at the lower waistline

However, because I only had narrow pieces of fabric, I had to piece the fabric together at the bodice. I probably don’t have to tell you that it’s not easy to piece chiffon fabric together so that it doesn’t fray but also that the seams are not too noticeable! 😉 It was very tricky but I love how it turned out!

1920s Summer Dress

After making the bias-cut bodice I added six godets at the lower waistline. This made the skirt were wide with a handkerchief hem. Handkerchief hems were also very popular in the 1920s!

In these photos, I’m wearing my refashioned 1920s floral chiffon summer dress over a bias-cut 1920s slip with a wide lace trim at the hem.

Related: My 1920s Slips

I’m also wearing 1920s-style leather shoes, my DIY knotted pearl necklace and my DIY 1920s sheer summer cloche hat.

Related: How To Make A Knotted Pearl Necklace – Video Tutorial

1920s Printed Floral Summer Dress

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