I've been harbouring a growing fascination with the subtle and not-so-subtle ways global events, technology, celebrities etc influence fashion trends so I hope I did ok trying to collect all the relevant research and present it in a way that made sense. Already kicking myself for forgetting to mention that another reason the original Barbie is in a swimsuit is that the toy was all about selling additional outfits! Looking forward to seeing the other fascinating facts you have to share in the comments ❤ On a final note, we worked on this video during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, the Barbie film referenced here wouldn't exist 🫡
FYI: mathematically, a dart will always cause a tiny, increasing mismatch over the course of the grid. The best one can hope for is to ensure matching at key focal points, ie the hem, the waist, the widest point of a hip. In between, we just have to rely on the fabric's inherent ease, as you would when inserting a sleeve. Another helpful trick is to cut all pattern pieces along the same grain. You would think a basic gingham is identical in both directions, right? But, during fabric printing (except in exceedingly expensive fabrics woven from final colored yarns) the machine stretches the print a tiny bit more in one direction so the checks on a gingham are rarely perfectly square.
It took me an embarrassing amount of time to realise that it wasn't Marla holding the mic. I was marveling at how such a small child could remain so still for so long!
I remember my grandma telling me when I was super young that the patterns on fabric aligning across seams was the mark of something being well made. I love that your videos have helped me learn some of the tips that were probably common knowledge in her generation but I never appreciated because of *fast fashion.* I'm not much of a seamstress, but it really helps me while thrifting!
I remember reading this article: “ He kept the parachute that had saved his life. He later proposed to his girlfriend Ruth in 1947, offering her the material for a gown. Ruth wanted to create a dress similar to one in the movie Gone with the Wind. She hired a local seamstress, Hilda Buck, to make the bodice and veil.” Such a cool reuse for such a special occasion. There’s also pictures of the gown online if you Google the article.
Nice deep dive into the subject. I think the the black and white hits the nail on the head while producing a much more wearable item. It will have longevity. Love the over skirt as a separate item. It would be so very cute with a red boatneck 3/4 sleeve sweater. ❤
I love how real you are with the difficulties and anxiety that comes with sewing! You make it seem like a fun challenge and watching you push through the tough parts makes me want to give it a shot!
I wore little red and blue gingham summer dresses all throughout primary school in the UK so this brought back some nostalgia 💗 Thanks Wendy for a wonderful video as always!
I found 6 yards of the gingham fabric at hobby lobby! I think I live in a fortunate area where nobody else is sewing this dress. I’m still working on my dress right now :)
I looove fashion history! So fun! And girl when you held up that gingham and the lines were perfectly in sync for the zipper? I literally cheered out loud 🎉❤
Watching your joy at having lined up the "stripes" was not only completely relatable, but totally worth this entire video in just that moment. I always enjoy your videos, but that was a particularly wonderful moment - thanks for sharing!
your sewing skills and talent are obvious but I want to thank you so much for all the effort you put into your videos. it seems like less and less people are putting out long form content so I super appreciate the level of detail and creativity you put into your videos!!! I love the fashion history you incorporate in videos. THANK YOU!!!!
Wow Wendy this was incredible! i was absolutely riveted through your entire video with all of the details that make fashion so fascinating. And to be able to watch your very artful expertise with your own projects that apply to the very well thought out information you put together is the cherry on top!
I am here for your perfect combination of sewing new garments, buying 2nd hand garments and fashion history today!!🎉 love your enthusiasm for the topic and delivery was exceptional!
That was such an informative and fascinating dive into the history. Thank you for that! Also kudos to you for respecting the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes over on your Instagram. Just part of the many reasons why I enjoy following you and recommend you to others.
i never get tired of the content u create and share with us, its incredible! very authentic, it goes beyond what unfotunately a lot of people would focus on which is clic bait. I can feel the care and thought put into every video and i want to thank you for this
Great video, Wendy! I LOVE this format-- you obviously did a ton of research! Perfect balance of history, humor and precision sewing!! more! more!!!! 😃💗
Nice seeing the process of you making this dress and skirt while also learning a thing or two! I bought some navy gingham fabric about a year ago but never felt brave enough to do anything with it. The release of the Barbie movie hopefully means lots of tutorials and ideas to finally get me started! I also bought some practice fabric recently to try and make other things. People like you really inspire me to keep on with my sewing, even if it's slow-going. Thank you! ❤
Suggestion for the eventually cooler weather: more blanket jackets! I loved your sleeping bag coat, the matching coat with Marla, and I'd love to see something that's a little bit shorter like the Free People jackets. I love the removable skirt on this one!
This was so interesting and fun! Also, I didn’t know that about Lilly Pulitzer! I was actually thinking Lilly was very similar style to Barbie before you got to that information, but she INVENTED it! 😊
For adjusting straps to sew on, try sewing them into your garment from the back and fit them onto the front! Makes it a lot easier to see how it might lay on you when you finish.
Yes we absolutely do wear gingham at school in the uk! For girls depending on the schools colour, we get these very pretty little gingham print dresses (they’re part of the summer uniform and not worn in winter). Mine were light blue and they were honestly cute enough to be worn outside of school. It’s been that way since probably at least the 70’s. I was wearing them in the early 2000’s and today they’re still exactly as they were when I was a child.
Ahhh such a great video Wendy! I’ve loved seeing your transition to this new style of video. The history lesson was much appreciated and honestly offered such a new take on Barbie 💖Thanks for making what you make! It’s always such a pleasure to watch and learn with you
This is one of my fav vids uve ever made!!! The outfits ur wearing are so cute throughout the tutorial which is super thorough and really really helpful!! Then to top it off with a history lesson and the cutest garment ever ALONG WITH fun editing in your videos, it’s just a joy to watch 💖🎀
Loved this history/fashion/tutorial video in a video in a video! This took a lot of time and research no doubt! So good! I’m so late to the party but I’m glad I came 😊
I made a dress for the premiere as well. I tried to make my Barbie from my childhood: the Disco Barbie (1978). I used a 70s pattern which I had to adjust to fit me. The finished product was not as professional looking but I used all thrifted fabric and it was my first time sewing a dress from a pattern so I'm cutting myself some slack. Wanna go back and fix my mistakes now though because it looks fine from five feet away but it is definitely lacking up close...
Love the dress! I live in Florida.... you can't go anywhere without seeing Lilly Pulitzer. I have a closet full. Women and their little girls dress alike. Right now, I'm sitting in my summer house in Nova Scotia, wearing my Lilly Pulitzer slippers. LOL
I really love how you have 3 outfits. The sheath dress, the pleated skirt dress, and you can also wear the skirt with a t-shirt or top. 👍🥰❤ I am all for versatility sewing. I need to do this with lilac gingham and also blue. 👍
I making a black & white gingham dress for Halloween this year as my "opposite end Barbenheimer" look since I work a pink suit, pink tie & pink porkpie hat when I went to go see both Barbie & Oppenheimer opening day. The Simplicity sewing pattern 9291 has a similar shape to the Barbie dress
Queen Elizabeth 2 was a big fan of print dresses in the early 1950s by a British company called Horrockses. They were initially cotton fabric weavers but swerved into fashion after WW2. Print was very popular post war in Britain
Loved the Barbie historical fashion influence info and the impact Her movie is having on current pop culture! You are smart, talented, hardworking and beautiful! Your Thread-up picks were 💯 & your gingham sun dress and styling- perfection. I Got a kick out of Barbie's mic 🎤 😂
with fabric that thin you might want to add some iron-on lightweight interfacing tape down the zipper opening on both sides especially when using an invisible zipper
This was a very enjoyable video. I loved the two in one design. One criticism I would add is the place bet of the bodice darts. If you wear a bra to measure for the darts, wear a bra when you wear the dress. If you aren’t going to wear bra, account for that in the dart placement. The gingham just emphasizes it.
This was a fabulous video Wendy! I love a good fashion history moment. This had all of the things in it. A good tutorial, fashion history, fun editing, a thred up haul try on and styling. A Dan cameo and a great try on at the end! ❤
This was so fun! A history lesson and amazing sewing video in one. The edits of your videos are also so pleasing to watch and fun and quirky. I'm happy to report that I LOVE THIS VIDEO (AND CONCEPT)
Love this video! You did a fabulous job on the dress and I really love it on you. The removable skirt is genius. You can go from day to evening, wear it with a bowler style sweater or longer😮 jacket. Perfect! Hola Dan! 😂
Fascinating insight into the background of these looks. 😍 Easy to dismiss the impact of Barbie I suppose, but all fashion reflects society and vice versa 🤔💖 Very interesting and great dress(es), thank you! (Also, loved Dan's 'Mission impossible' cameo 😂 and walk through 😳🤣)
the best and easiest way I have found to put in an invisible zip is to sew the zipper seam down with a large stitch and then line the zip up with the seam, stitch it and then pull out the seam stitch after
This is such a fun video for non-sewers to watch! The editing, the history, the fun facts here and there. The craft itself is enjoyable but feels like this is really catered to ~everyone~ whether or not you're sick of Barbie yet Unpopular opinion: I am sick of Barbie, don't come for me
I know you aren’t making the exact Barbie dress but I do like how in the original dress the spaghetti straps in tie up in little bows so they can be adjustable by re-tying them. Also how in the skirt In the original dress think there may be two linings along with one petticoat to give it that extra oomph
I've been harbouring a growing fascination with the subtle and not-so-subtle ways global events, technology, celebrities etc influence fashion trends so I hope I did ok trying to collect all the relevant research and present it in a way that made sense. Already kicking myself for forgetting to mention that another reason the original Barbie is in a swimsuit is that the toy was all about selling additional outfits! Looking forward to seeing the other fascinating facts you have to share in the comments ❤ On a final note, we worked on this video during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, the Barbie film referenced here wouldn't exist 🫡
FYI: mathematically, a dart will always cause a tiny, increasing mismatch over the course of the grid. The best one can hope for is to ensure matching at key focal points, ie the hem, the waist, the widest point of a hip. In between, we just have to rely on the fabric's inherent ease, as you would when inserting a sleeve.
Another helpful trick is to cut all pattern pieces along the same grain. You would think a basic gingham is identical in both directions, right? But, during fabric printing (except in exceedingly expensive fabrics woven from final colored yarns) the machine stretches the print a tiny bit more in one direction so the checks on a gingham are rarely perfectly square.
Love the whole history side of the video, i love understanding why everything works the way that it does! Loveeeed the dress as well!! :D
Lol Im not surprised the world ran out of pink gingham, but its really cool to think about how many people were inspired to make their own dresses.
I bough mine as soon as the trailer came out!
It took me an embarrassing amount of time to realise that it wasn't Marla holding the mic. I was marveling at how such a small child could remain so still for so long!
😂😂😂
LOL 🤣😂 you weren't the only one.
I also thought it was Marla for a minute lol
the number of ppl who think it's MARLA???!!! 🥲😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 0:30
I remember my grandma telling me when I was super young that the patterns on fabric aligning across seams was the mark of something being well made. I love that your videos have helped me learn some of the tips that were probably common knowledge in her generation but I never appreciated because of *fast fashion.* I'm not much of a seamstress, but it really helps me while thrifting!
the filming, the editing, the commentary, the fits - CHEF’S KISS 🤌♥️
Completely lost it at the "I'm just recording right now" "oh, so its a great time for me to come say 'hola'" interaction. Too funny haha
Hi Ken! Bye Ken!
Is that Dan giving the agent mission?! Lol.. please, please show the fitting struggles. It's so helpful to see and learn from.
the barbie mic is my favorite thing ever
I loved the format : the historical insight, the sewing process and your communicative joy 👌
Thanks for that quality content Wendy ❤️
Agreed!
I remember reading this article: “ He kept the parachute that had saved his life. He later proposed to his girlfriend Ruth in 1947, offering her the material for a gown. Ruth wanted to create a dress similar to one in the movie Gone with the Wind. She hired a local seamstress, Hilda Buck, to make the bodice and veil.”
Such a cool reuse for such a special occasion. There’s also pictures of the gown online if you Google the article.
Nice deep dive into the subject. I think the the black and white hits the nail on the head while producing a much more wearable item. It will have longevity. Love the over skirt as a separate item. It would be so very cute with a red boatneck 3/4 sleeve sweater. ❤
That was so interesting Wendy! And wow, your dress looks amazing on you, with and without the over skirt:)
Thanks so much for watching! I can’t help myself when I can get a 2-in-1 outfit 😅
I love how real you are with the difficulties and anxiety that comes with sewing! You make it seem like a fun challenge and watching you push through the tough parts makes me want to give it a shot!
I love the educational aspect of this video! I'm no fashionista but I enjoy fashion history. I eat this topic up 😉.
This video was delicious. You artfully wove together fashion and social histories, tutorial, sewing vlog, design meta-commentary, AND an ad! Queen.
I wore little red and blue gingham summer dresses all throughout primary school in the UK so this brought back some nostalgia 💗 Thanks Wendy for a wonderful video as always!
Cute!!! Plus I love the length you picked. As a “former sewing aficionado” I do appreciate the work of matching plaids/stripes. You did a bang up job❣
I found 6 yards of the gingham fabric at hobby lobby! I think I live in a fortunate area where nobody else is sewing this dress. I’m still working on my dress right now :)
I looove fashion history! So fun! And girl when you held up that gingham and the lines were perfectly in sync for the zipper? I literally cheered out loud 🎉❤
I LOVE the idea of sewing a dress with a matching skirt to make 2 outfits!
i ended up finding some old pink gingham bedsheets at my mothers house so now i'm inspired to do this
Watching your joy at having lined up the "stripes" was not only completely relatable, but totally worth this entire video in just that moment. I always enjoy your videos, but that was a particularly wonderful moment - thanks for sharing!
your sewing skills and talent are obvious but I want to thank you so much for all the effort you put into your videos. it seems like less and less people are putting out long form content so I super appreciate the level of detail and creativity you put into your videos!!! I love the fashion history you incorporate in videos. THANK YOU!!!!
Wow Wendy this was incredible! i was absolutely riveted through your entire video with all of the details that make fashion so fascinating. And to be able to watch your very artful expertise with your own projects that apply to the very well thought out information you put together is the cherry on top!
I am here for your perfect combination of sewing new garments, buying 2nd hand garments and fashion history today!!🎉 love your enthusiasm for the topic and delivery was exceptional!
That was such an informative and fascinating dive into the history. Thank you for that! Also kudos to you for respecting the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes over on your Instagram. Just part of the many reasons why I enjoy following you and recommend you to others.
LOVE everything about this video! You are so talented and such a great presenter. Your family is adorable!
i never get tired of the content u create and share with us, its incredible! very authentic, it goes beyond what unfotunately a lot of people would focus on which is clic bait. I can feel the care and thought put into every video and i want to thank you for this
i LOVED this video!! the combo of fashion history and sewing was a match made in heaven
I genuinely smiled this whole video. Between the fashion history the vibes and the informative sewing. Im in love with this vidso. Thank you wendy!!!❤
You did amazing I'm so impressed with how well you lined up the pattern!!!!
Great video, Wendy! I LOVE this format-- you obviously did a ton of research! Perfect balance of history, humor and precision sewing!! more! more!!!! 😃💗
Thank you so much for the informative mix of fashion history and what was happening in society. You do such quality work!
Finally I understand my mother's obsession with pleats. :)
Omg. This video is amazing, such a joy to watch!
such a fun layered video :)
Nice seeing the process of you making this dress and skirt while also learning a thing or two!
I bought some navy gingham fabric about a year ago but never felt brave enough to do anything with it. The release of the Barbie movie hopefully means lots of tutorials and ideas to finally get me started! I also bought some practice fabric recently to try and make other things. People like you really inspire me to keep on with my sewing, even if it's slow-going. Thank you! ❤
Suggestion for the eventually cooler weather: more blanket jackets! I loved your sleeping bag coat, the matching coat with Marla, and I'd love to see something that's a little bit shorter like the Free People jackets. I love the removable skirt on this one!
This was so interesting and fun! Also, I didn’t know that about Lilly Pulitzer! I was actually thinking Lilly was very similar style to Barbie before you got to that information, but she INVENTED it! 😊
I loved this video format, Wendy! You're so good at the history thing!
For adjusting straps to sew on, try sewing them into your garment from the back and fit them onto the front! Makes it a lot easier to see how it might lay on you when you finish.
Very nice choice of dress design. It fits you perfectly. I love the black gingham fabric and it looks beautiful.
Yes we absolutely do wear gingham at school in the uk! For girls depending on the schools colour, we get these very pretty little gingham print dresses (they’re part of the summer uniform and not worn in winter). Mine were light blue and they were honestly cute enough to be worn outside of school. It’s been that way since probably at least the 70’s. I was wearing them in the early 2000’s and today they’re still exactly as they were when I was a child.
The way I said Wow when you showed the pattern matching 👌
So amazed by how lined up the pattern is 😮 that's marvelous work!
Ahhh such a great video Wendy! I’ve loved seeing your transition to this new style of video. The history lesson was much appreciated and honestly offered such a new take on Barbie 💖Thanks for making what you make! It’s always such a pleasure to watch and learn with you
I love the fashion history + sewing tutorial + pop culture relevance of this video! The final clothing pieces are stunning!
the intro, the editing, the topic, you've done it again!!
This is one of my fav vids uve ever made!!! The outfits ur wearing are so cute throughout the tutorial which is super thorough and really really helpful!! Then to top it off with a history lesson and the cutest garment ever ALONG WITH fun editing in your videos, it’s just a joy to watch 💖🎀
Loved this history/fashion/tutorial video in a video in a video! This took a lot of time and research no doubt! So good! I’m so late to the party but I’m glad I came 😊
I made a dress for the premiere as well. I tried to make my Barbie from my childhood: the Disco Barbie (1978). I used a 70s pattern which I had to adjust to fit me. The finished product was not as professional looking but I used all thrifted fabric and it was my first time sewing a dress from a pattern so I'm cutting myself some slack. Wanna go back and fix my mistakes now though because it looks fine from five feet away but it is definitely lacking up close...
Love the dress! I live in Florida.... you can't go anywhere without seeing Lilly Pulitzer. I have a closet full. Women and their little girls dress alike. Right now, I'm sitting in my summer house in Nova Scotia, wearing my Lilly Pulitzer slippers. LOL
I love your style of video! So informative && what a beautiful dress!
ahh!! I wish this video was 10x longer! Sooo good and fun to watch. Thanks for the Barbie deepdive I never knew I needed today. :)
16:40 Dan's audition tape for a secret agency. It's bang on!
i really love this format with a bit of historical context ! 🫶🏻
That shocking pink suits you really well, cool dresses, and a great history lesson
This is the best sewing video I have ever watched, thank you 🙏🏻
I really enjoyed this video with all the history along with you making your own dress. How fun!
I really love how you have 3 outfits. The sheath dress, the pleated skirt dress, and you can also wear the skirt with a t-shirt or top. 👍🥰❤ I am all for versatility sewing. I need to do this with lilac gingham and also blue. 👍
So excited that you just dropped this video... I watch your videos a lot when I sew and I am actively working on my Barbie dress as I'm typing this!!
To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves there lies the great, singular power of self-respect.
I making a black & white gingham dress for Halloween this year as my "opposite end Barbenheimer" look since I work a pink suit, pink tie & pink porkpie hat when I went to go see both Barbie & Oppenheimer opening day. The Simplicity sewing pattern 9291 has a similar shape to the Barbie dress
Beautiful job on the dress, Wendy! And with the video! The historical info and photos were a fun touch!
Queen Elizabeth 2 was a big fan of print dresses in the early 1950s by a British company called Horrockses. They were initially cotton fabric weavers but swerved into fashion after WW2. Print was very popular post war in Britain
Love the final dress and appreciate all the facts and research!
Loved the Barbie historical fashion influence info and the impact Her movie is having on current pop culture! You are smart, talented, hardworking and beautiful! Your Thread-up picks were 💯 & your gingham sun dress and styling- perfection. I Got a kick out of Barbie's mic 🎤 😂
You make such great videos. I love your format. I love the history lessons aligned with your projects. ❤
awesome video, love you wendy thank you for always inspiring me and many others ❤
with fabric that thin you might want to add some iron-on lightweight interfacing tape down the zipper opening on both sides especially when using an invisible zipper
This was a very enjoyable video. I loved the two in one design. One criticism I would add is the place bet of the bodice darts. If you wear a bra to measure for the darts, wear a bra when you wear the dress. If you aren’t going to wear bra, account for that in the dart placement. The gingham just emphasizes it.
Beautiful work on the dress and video!! Continuously impressed with the creativity you bring to your content!
The energy in this video is infectious! 😊
This was a fabulous video Wendy! I love a good fashion history moment. This had all of the things in it. A good tutorial, fashion history, fun editing, a thred up haul try on and styling. A Dan cameo and a great try on at the end! ❤
Absolutely loved this format! It's fun, informative, and the dress you made is a wonder! It looks so expensive!
This was so fun! A history lesson and amazing sewing video in one. The edits of your videos are also so pleasing to watch and fun and quirky. I'm happy to report that I LOVE THIS VIDEO (AND CONCEPT)
Ok, I loved this video. I would totally watch more in this style.
Loved loved this!your channel is so unique and refreshing!
love your informative and fun dive in to the fashion history, your channel is just so great
I was waiting for this
Great video concept! Love the dress
Love this video! You did a fabulous job on the dress and I really love it on you. The removable skirt is genius. You can go from day to evening, wear it with a bowler style sweater or longer😮 jacket. Perfect!
Hola Dan! 😂
What a great video! I hope you will make more videos in this format with fashion history and sewing.
Fascinating insight into the background of these looks. 😍 Easy to dismiss the impact of Barbie I suppose, but all fashion reflects society and vice versa 🤔💖 Very interesting and great dress(es), thank you! (Also, loved Dan's 'Mission impossible' cameo 😂 and walk through 😳🤣)
loved this video so much! and your happy energy made me so happy 🥰
Wendy this was awesome!!! Thanks for sharing your fascination with us ✨
the best and easiest way I have found to put in an invisible zip is to sew the zipper seam down with a large stitch and then line the zip up with the seam, stitch it and then pull out the seam stitch after
I really enjoyed this video. It has to be one of my favorites!
This was so much fun! Everything turned out great:)
This is such a fun video for non-sewers to watch! The editing, the history, the fun facts here and there. The craft itself is enjoyable but feels like this is really catered to ~everyone~ whether or not you're sick of Barbie yet
Unpopular opinion: I am sick of Barbie, don't come for me
so creative... I love it!! I would like to start sewing again, but not since home economics class... a long time ago I'm now 67yrs old lol
Looking at 'just the dress' and thinking that would be a great starting point for a playsuit 👌 👌 ❤❤❤
🎀 the Barbie holding mic was my favorite part ! …now I need to buy a Barbie
I know you aren’t making the exact Barbie dress but I do like how in the original dress the spaghetti straps in tie up in little bows so they can be adjustable by re-tying them. Also how in the skirt In the original dress think there may be two linings along with one petticoat to give it that extra oomph
Love the dress! You look so fabulous, as always! I absolutely envy your hair.
Love this video format you're doing
Just saw the movie today, opening day here in T.O and we all wore the Barbie PINK… so fantastic video 👍👍
Honestly, that #5 foot is a God send 🙌🙌
Our UK kids still wear gingham in the summer 😍 it’s the mark of summer!
Fascinating!! Love it!