Which way round for this dress?

Thanks Anne: it was horrible. Good test of what you're like in a crisis though! As you know, I always aim to be diplomatic and put the customer first but I was so upset that I snapped at her friend for being so foolish. My words weren't terribly harsh but she burst into tears - and all my customers fled the shop!

We live and we learn - now I can keep a cool head through harder situations. When you have a shop, you have to stay in control at all times, of everything that happens in it!

I've seen side zipper dresses with centre back zippers added later - and of course, if you sew, it's not hard to move the opening to a place you'd prefer it to be.

As I have "filled out" (as our grandmothers used to say), my wardrobe has undergone many changes. It's one of the things that interests me - I used to step into dresses, but you reach a point where it's easier to put them over your head. I live in fear of getting stuck in a vintage dress, and have done so many times so now I'm good at getting my customers out of them too, although I generally measure them and will only let them try on if the numbers are right.
 
Oh no! What a story! But we've all gotten stuck in dresses. Thankfully I don't risk vintage ones, but I have a repro 50s one that is structured and very, very tight as I'm between sizes in it. Cue me trying to put it on with the zipper done up as I was struggling with getting the zip past the seam line. ANDDDD stuck, fast, dress just over shoulders, couldn't move, live alone, total panic yet hilarity at situation. I managed to wriggle and with some pain get it down enough to unzip but I won't try that for some time again! Thankfully I have now perfected a way to get into it without the hilarity since! (Sorry for taking this thread even more off topic!) It's a gorgeous dress, even if it is rather a mystery!
 
I'm what's known as hypermobile, meaning my ligaments are over-stretchy. It's an advantage when contorting myself into dresses, even the ones that were clearly made under the assumption that you had help to put them on. The downside is I've more than once painfully pulled a muscle in my shoulder getting a zip done up! The things we do for vintage!
 
What a stunning dress - love, love, love it! The print of the fabric, the shape - total stunner!

I have dresses that button up the back, even one with a half-belt that closes with a buckle in the back - and my mom always ask me how I get into them. Sometimes I ask myself too - but I eventually get into them :). I've certainly gotten a lot better in getting into them... practice is everything! I've learned about side-zips and slips too. Definitely a good reason for wearing a slip! Thankfully I've never really gotten stuck in a dress, but that definitely is my personal horror idea and I always fear it will happen to me someday. It's one reason I bought a 40s dress without trying it on, as we were too much in a hurry and it was a hot summer day. However, at home, with time on my hands and a slip on, it did work, and it wasn't even that hard to get into it.

Karin
 
It's one reason I bought a 40s dress without trying it on, as we were too much in a hurry and it was a hot summer day.
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Karin, I've made the mistake before of trying on a vintage side-zip dress without a slip on and in a "warmer than comfortable" situation. NOT a good idea! I haven't gotten stuck, but by the time I was done, I was a wilted mess. You were wise to wait to try it on when you got home!
 
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