A Pencil Skirt Success

The last time I was in Salem, I stopped into Modern Millie and tried on a few things. One of those was this fantastic suit. I was hesitant to try it because it had a straight skirt, and that usually spells the end of a relationship between me and a suit, but the price was good and the cut was interesting.

Vintage black and grey windowpane patterned suit with chartreuse accessories

To my great surprise, I was able to put the suit on and zip the skirt. I couldn’t really move, and I was positive I wouldn’t be able to sit down, but the jacket fit like a dream and when I took the skirt off, I discovered that it had a solid 4 inches of fabric hidden in the hem and nearly an inch of seam allowance in every seam. Heartened by this discovery, I took my find over to the register. At home, I unpicked the hem and carefully let out every seam from the hip down. I was thrilled to find that my small alteration took the suit from impossibly tight to just perfect!

Vintage New York Creations hat in black felt topped with veiling and a faux bird made of pheasant feathers

You’ll have to pardon my rather ruffled appearance in all these photos, the wind was blowing a gale which made keeping my hair and hat in place a losing battle, but at least with my new suit I didn’t have to worry about battling my skirt too!

Vintage black and grey windowpane patterned suit with chartreuse accessories

This suit is the best sort of plush, warm wool and I am sure I’ll be wearing it more for the rest of the winter and spring. I opted to pair it with chartreuse and my goes-with-nothing bird hat, but black is such a wardrobe staple that I’m sure I’ll find a few other color combos that work.

Royal Vintage Shoes classic 1940s style Marilyn pumps in black

Vintage black and grey windowpane patterned suit with chartreuse accessories

And a note for the historically inclined, that big yellow mansion in the background of these pictures was George Washington’s headquarters during the Siege of Boston. It’s a national historic site now, and it’s pretty cool to see and walk by a piece of history from the American Revolution on a regular basis. Some day I’ll have to actually take the tour inside.

Vintage black and grey windowpane patterned suit with chartreuse accessories

Classic late 40s early 50s silhouette with a black and white suit with strong shoulders and a slim pencil skirt and a veiled hat

Vintage black and grey windowpane patterned suit with chartreuse accessories

    • New York Creations bird hat: Etsy
    • Moonglow lucite earrings: Thrifted
    • Chartreuse blouse: New York and Company
    • 1940s style black leather pumps: Marilyns from Royal Vintage Shoes (I purchased these shoes at a discount in exchange for images and a review)

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