Costume Remix #14: Working Girl (1988)
As a baby costume designer, I’m so eager to learn and enhance my craft and I spend a lot of time studying other artists’ work. I am always inspired by the costume pieces from some of my favorite films. So, I decided to start trying to recreate, and in some cases, revamp or put my own spin on some famous and not so famous pieces from these films.
When I was a kid, my dad worked in sales in NYC. He commuted to Manhattan from New Jersey every day. He was part of the bridge and tunnel crowd. He often brought my sister and I in with him to the office. We would dress up like little business women with dresses and stockings and patent leather shoes. And I remember thinking, why TF can’t I wear slouch socks and sneakers like every other lady on the bus? It was the commuter uniform of all corporate ladies in the 80’s.
So when I decided to do a remix of the dress that Tess wears to meet Jack, I had no choice but to style it with some slouch socks and sneakers as an ode to those corporate warriors, those bridge and tunnel bitches. You ladies were my hero! And many thanks to Ann Roth’s beautiful design.
I originally was going to attempt a replica of the dress. I had the perfect pattern. But getting my hands on a rhinestone velvet proved more difficult than I first thought.
Pattern: Butterick 6129 Misses'/Misses' Petite Off-the-Shoulder or Yoke Dresses
Fabric: Burgundy Floral Clearance Knit from Joann
Style: Off-the-shoulder a-line dress
Vintage/Contemporary: Contemporary
I really can’t wait for a cocktail party to wear this too. I’ll be serving all the Tess energy I can muster.
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