Last week I posted about the Remembering WWII event I attended in Linden, TN the end of September. I had allotted myself a month to sew costumes for this event, and after some trials and a lot of last minute changes, here are the outfits I wore on Friday and Saturday (I don't have pictures yet of my 1940s cocktail dress worn Saturday evening.)

On Friday I wore this dress, the final version of an earlier trial.

It is from the very early 1940s when more fabric was still used, so it has more front fullness than the mid-'40s styles. This version has 3/4 length bell sleeves and I did 7 rounds of top stitching on the cuffs for a quilted look.

It could also be worn without a belt, though in Linden I opted for the belt.

The warm gold color complimented brown and burgundy accents very well.

My new purse (strap is removable to use it as a clutch too):

I ended up wearing it with a few changes…this late '30s hat instead, and with burgundy short gauntlet gloves, and carrying an ivory purse.

But that just proves its versatility!

Then on Saturday, I wore my special Find of the Month – a real vintage wool 1940s suit jacket – one of my few actual vintage pieces.

It had been on sale in a closing shop, and I watched it nervously until it was cut all the way down to 75% off before snapping it up. About $25 for this gorgeous jacket!

But since it was only a jacket, I needed to make a suit skirt to go with it. Thankfully I had this poly-wool plaid in my stash and the blue in it was the exact color of the jacket. I pulled out a 1940s pattern for a suit skirt and made it up – and it looks like it was meant to go together!

I have seen vintage photos of women in coordinating suits with a solid jacket and plaid skirt, so I knew it would still be accurate. I ended up buying the jacket the week before we left, finishing the skirt on Monday and we left on Wednesday, so I was cutting it close!

I paired it with a 1940s brown purse, suede heels, and tilt hat, but couldn't decide on the gloves. First I tried it with the green you see…

…and then with a beige pair.

I couldn't decide which I liked better, and ended up wearing a 3rd pair after all in a chestnut brown color, and going without gloves at all for most of the day. All that agonizing for nothing!

Since I sew so much from vintage patterns, I usually hesitate to spend my money on an actual vintage garment (often fragile), but this was one I can't duplicate. The tailoring was superb. Just putting it on makes me feel like I stepped out of the 1940s. And look at these gorgeous details!

(The pin and dickey are both also vintage, from my stash.)

I was so pleased how well it came together, especially for a last-minute outfit. And I got a lot of compliments at Linden!