A Lil' Hawaiian

A few weeks ago I stopped into Community Projects and found this beauty:

The bodice length is just about perfect & it's also a princess cut which comes to a lovely point in the center front. 

My boss down at the dress shop estimates it's from the 80's, so lets go with that.

The dress was made in Hawaii by Shannon Marie. I looked her up and found a few current pieces but wasn't too impressed...I feel lucky to have found this one! The fabric wasn't faded and the print itself didn't make me gag. I actually love the white Leis floating all over the dress and the bright blue leaves.

What I didn't like was the smocked back, it felt...crusty (CRINGE! I HATE THAT WORD!)

My hair is getting longer!

The skirt is very long, so I'll be shortening it and using the scraps to create my bodice back panels. I'm also considering lowering the neckline by 1/2 an inch...but we'll see. I'm still playing around with strap styles. I was considering converting it into a halter. I try to reserve strapless for more formal dresses because I'm rather busty & it's too much of a hassle to deal with strapless dresses for day to day wear.

I do have to say that while Hawaiian prints aren't my favorite, I do credit Tori Richards with sparking my love affair with printed cotton. I sell Hawaiian resort wear part time, and gradually began to see the beauty in a well printed and constructed Aloha shirt. Now it's transitioned into a love of garment construction.

I can't wait to get started on this puppy! I've ripped out the zipper and back panels, but once my neck and back are feeling a bit better I'll be able to continue on with this redesign. Check back soon to see what I ended up with! (: