Edelweiss Patterns 
Happy New Year, dear Readers! In anticipation of the holidays I started sewing a sage green marseilles satin evening gown, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized how this 1940s formal dress is nearly identical to a costume worn in the final scene of Holiday Inn – a New Year’s Eve scene, no less, with a song chanting, “Let’s Start the New Year Right”! So I thought it would be perfect to tie together this 1942 movie costume designed by Edith Head and the new drapy evening gown I just created!
This dress which I made was constructed from a very famous 1940s reproduction pattern which I sewed a “day-dress” version of last month. Can you recognize it from the Swing Dress Pattern by Sense & Sensibility? I thought that since the first dress I made was so much fun to sew, it would be grand to make a floor length version by simply lengthening the skirt pieces! (Tutorial to come soon.) 
A Formal “Swing” Dress
I love this pattern because of the curved waist panel, the gathers above the shoulders, and the flattering cut of the skirt. It has a couple of slightly complicated steps which make it soooo fun to assemble, so if you want to sew this dress but have never tried something intermediate before I recommend reading Casey’s “sew-along” on the subject.
When made with the bracelet-length sleeve option and a rhinestone brooch to close the neckline, it makes a very glamorous sort of 1940s evening gown! The only change I made (besides lengthening the skirt pieces), was to gather the top of the sleeve cap for a more puffed sleeve look. The fabric I used was a rayon marseilles satin which drapes so elegantly. It does fray a bit faster than most fabrics, so you do have to finish your seams just as soon as you’ve pressed them.
Holiday Inn Film Costume
As for how this dress corresponds to the movie costume which Marjorie Reynolds wore in the 1942 Holiday Inn, you can see that both of them have long sleeves, the same skirts, wide waist panels, and gathers at the dropped shoulder which taper off at the waist panel that separates the bodice from the skirt. Yes, they did add sequined flower appliques for added glitz, but other than that the two gowns are nearly identical.
When you view Marjorie Reynold’s costume from the side, you will even see that it has the exact same blouson bodice in back as the Swing dress pattern has. The only slight difference between the two gowns is that the Holiday Inn movie costume has an extra draped piece of fabric that continues from the bodice itself into the wide waist/belt panel, but you could easily add that into this pattern if you’re trying to recreate the gown exactly. In addition, you would want to make the bottom of the waist panel more slightly “v” shaped rather than curved, but still someone wouldn’t notice unless they were a serious costumer, most likely.
Holiday Inn Costume Colors…
As for the color of the original film costume, that is rather difficult to determine! The film was shot in black and white, of course, but colorized photos and scenes seem to contradict one another in what the color truly was. One colorized version shows Marjorie’s dress in light pink, while the colorized cover of the most recent dvd portrays the costume in a vivid sea green, and yet another movie poster (most likely released in the same year as the film itself) shows the dress in bluish white! Despite extensive research I have not been able to uncover any pictures of the actual gown today, but perhaps someday the costume will turn up and we will know for sure.
Oh yes! And this scene also gave me the idea for the curly low-ponytail hairstyle – Virginia Dale had slightly longer hair than many girls in the 1940s, so she had a big pompadour on top with a fringe of curls at her forehead with the rest of her curly hair gathered in a ponytail at her neck. It was surprisingly simple to recreate!
The Holiday Inn finale ends with Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds and Virginia Dale singing, “So let the old year die with a fond goodbye, and our hopes as high as a kite… Let’s start the New Year right!”
Happy New Year to you all! You can be sure that my next year will be filled with lots of sewing projects, and probably some new Edelweiss Patterns designs as well! Here’s to 2013!
Happy sewing,
Katrina
It’s amazing, Katrina! It really does look like her gown from the film, and it demonstrates how the Swing Dress pattern can transition to evening wear with just a couple of changes. Well done!
I love that movie!
Beautiful dress!
Happy New year!
Aw, thank you, Jennie! I was hoping you would like it.
Thank you, Sarah! Happy New Year to you, too! (And I llllooooove the music and costumes from that film, too.)
So,so pretty! I would never have thought of lengthening that pattern, but it looks beautiful, and so similar to the film costume!
That’s a delicious hairstyle, Katrina! Loving it. Oh, and the dress too. Thanks for the bodice enlargement. Two questions. How do you get in to the dress (back or side zip?). I love your solution for closing the neckline, but I’m wondering how does satin (or any evening fabric) stand up to being pinned at a stress point?
Such a pretty dress.
It is amazing how elegant it looks in gold satin. Funny how it came out so like the movie dress unintentionally. The difference I noticed is that her dress is made of a drapey fabric, while yours is satin.
I love seeing your creations, please keep it up.
This is my favorite move!!!! I absolutely love it!! You did an awesome job on the dress – of course, you always do! Wish you lived next door – I’d absolutely LOVE to look through your closet and see all of your re-creations!
Thank you, ladies!
In response to your question, the pattern calls for a side zip or side placket opening. I chose the side zipper option, and the bodice is roomy enough so that there actually isn’t any strain on the front neck closure. It could just be because I’m rather small-boned in comparison with my measurements, so I fill things out everywhere but the shoulders and above bust area. My guess, though, is that even someone who’s a little larger-boned would be able to have a closure on the satin without any problems.
~Ella, I guess it could look gold, too! Indoor lighting can do funny things to fabric, but when you see the fabric in person it is a definite green. My guess is that Marjorie’s costume was made from faille or crepe, while this satin (while still very drapy), has a lot of sheen to it. Thanks for the comment!
~Narelle, Thank you! I like the hairstyle a lot.
~Lauren, thank you! I can’t claim idea of lengthening it myself, as it was actually suggested either in the pattern instructions or on the Sensibility website.
~Nicole, you’re very sweet! I’m so glad that other people like the costumes from that movie, too, and I’m afraid that I actually have TWO closets full of costumes…
Beautiful dress! It does look gold-y in the pictures, but in the shadows I can see the green. Whatever color, it’s really pretty!
I like Holiday Inn, too – actually I like ANY movie with Fred Astaire.
Happy New Year!
Thank you, Emily! Well, my laptop screen still makes the fabric look light sage green, but one of my friends who had seen the pictures said she thought it was gold, too. So I guess I will have to concede that it could be a gold New Year’s dress!
And yes, Fred Astaire’s dancing was just the best.
Katrina, you have once again created an amazing costume. You do such beautiful work. I always enjoy seeing your new creations. I am excited to see what 2013 will bring for Edelweiss Patterns!
Oh, thank you, Sarah! I feel really blessed to be able to devote so much time to pattern designing and sewing, and I am looking forward to several new patterns in the year ahead.
Happy sewing!
Katrina
Hi Katrina! you have capture and brought the screen dress to life! i love it , and my favorite movies.. im looking for this dress in my size L i weigh 143lb need it for 1940’s Red Carpert Dance next Jan 2015 can you please tell where to purchase it and how much thank you
Hi Cookie!
So glad you liked the gown! Unfortunately my schedule doesn’t permit me to do custom sewing for people, but you might try looking at vintage stores online and in your area to see if you can find something similar. Another idea is to find a seamstress on Etsy who specializes in vintage styles.
Hope this helps!
Katrina