Creating My 1920s Halloween Fancy Dress

With Halloween just around the corner, I couldn't resist revisiting one of my absolute favorite Halloween creations! Although I made this 1920s-inspired fancy dress back in 2022, I had to include it here because it was such a fun project—and perfect for this spooky season. The whole process was full of surprises and fun little DIY wins, so I couldn’t help but share the story behind it!

The Inspiration and Quick Turnaround

I got inspired by a stunning 1920s fashion plate (thank you, @sew.midcentury!) and knew I had to re-create it!  Now caveate, I'm sure this original costume was a paper mache as they were soooo popular at the time!  But I was really just going for the overall look and it was obviously a costume so I knew I has some leeway here as well.  Yes!  My favorite kind of project! 

With only about a week to spare between commissions, I ran out to my local JoAnns to see grab what they had.  I found some fabrics that were going to work perfectly!  Except the pumpkins were gong to need to be dyed!  Ut oh!  I'm a novice when it comes to dying so that made me a little nervous.  But I wanted this to work.  So I just went for it and crossed my fingers that some @ritdye magic would pull it all together. Spoiler alert: it absolutely did!

"Dyeing" To Pull it all Together

I won’t lie—I was a little nervous about dyeing the fabric for this project. The main fabric had glow-in-the-dark pumpkins, and I wasn’t sure how they’d take the dye. Plus, my dyeing experience was limited to a single hat years ago, so I wasn’t exactly a pro. Well as I am prone to do, I didn't waste time thinking about it, I just tossed the fabric into the "tangerine" dye and crossed my fingers!

Watch the video here.

To my surprise, it turned out perfectly! In just 15 minutes (half the time recommended), the fabric took on the most vibrant orange, and—CAN YOU BELIEVE IT—the pumpkins kept their glow! I was super excited to see it all work out so well.

After dyeing the pumpkin fabric, I noticed that the orange in my diamond-patterned fabric looked a bit muted by comparison. So, I gave it a quick dip in some tangerine dye—just five minutes was all it needed. The colors came out beautifully, and everything was finally in harmony.

Bringing the Dress to Life

For the dress itself, I started with an authentic 1920s pattern (New Butterick 1376) adding a few tweaks here and there to fit my overall look. The original design featured scalloped trim along the bodice and skirt, but I opted for a cleaner, simpler look. I scooped out the neckline and widened the armholes slightly to capture that easy, elegant 1920s silhouette. The skirt was a simple gathered rectangle. 

The real star was the fabric!  I used the most incredible crushed velvet for the skirt. It was synthetic but felt and looked just like a vintage silk velvet fabric!  (So, of course, I had to run back out to JoAnns and buy up the rest of it in orange and green for future projects.  I mean we all do this, right?!) Every time I walked the fabric had that perfect 1920s swish. It really gave the dress so much character!

Finishing Touches

The waistband was totally a last-minute stroke of luck! (Remember, I was working on a tight timeline, so “perfectly authentic” materials weren’t happening.) I grabbed the very last bit of rusty orange netting at Joann’s and loved how it pulled everything together. I even had just enough left to whip up a matching headband—wrapped around a paper plate for structure, of course, because DIY is all about getting creative!

No 1920s look is complete without a bob, so I gave myself a faux bob, piled on some smoky eye makeup, and topped it off with red lipstick for that classic 1920s flair. The result? A look that was both vintage and Halloween-ready!

Okay and can I just say . . . LOOK AT MY SHOES!  These are my absolute favorite shoes and they are not 1920s!  They are Sofft brand shoes and the most glorious, most comfortable pair I own!  If you ever get a chance to snag a pair (eBay) DO IT!

Reflecting on My 2022 Creation

Photographing this dress was an absolute joy—especially because I stepped in front of the camera for once!  Normally, I’m behind the scenes, because being in front is honestly out of my comfort zone.  But if I can be silly then I'm game.  Usually the silliness turns out complete garbage, but this was just me and my camera and it was a fun time!  (Watch the silly video here.) 

This 1920s Halloween dress was one of my favorite creations from 2022, and I hope I get the chance to wear it to an event someday. If you want to see more behind-the-scenes details or my creative process, check out my Instagram highlights and reels. I had so much fun with this project, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Here’s to another year of vintage-inspired Halloween creations! 🎃🧡

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