Jersey knit day dress

Although a competent self-taught sewer herself, Marilyn employed the services of Miss Muriel Jones to bring a professional touch to her best clothes from 1968 to 1971. Originally sewing for Marilyn’s husband John’s family in Whangarei, Miss Jones continued to sew for the next generation after they moved to Auckland. She would come to the house for the two days that it took to sew and fit a dress, and became part of the family for the duration. She used Marilyn’s own sewing machine and was treated to her favourite cakes. Driven by a desire to be fashion-forward, Marilyn would scour overseas magazines for inspiration, select Vogue patterns, and purchase suitable fabric with Miss Jones’ guidance. The hand finishing has been done by Marilyn, including sewing in the Vogue Paris Original label and creating the lovely handmade knot buttons. Read more about the history of home sewing in the New Zealand Fashion Museum publication Home Sewn.

Details

Credit: Marilyn Maycombe, Auckland
Copyright: Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 Licence
Maker: Miss Muriel Jones
Garment type: Day dress
Material: Jersey knit
Exhibition: Home Sewn: Original New Zealand Fashion (Auckland 2012)
Date: 1969