Apparel, Uncategorized

Let’s Draw Dresses

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I believe that we don’t really change all that much between childhood and adulthood. Sure, we refine our interests and social skills, but ultimately, who we are as kids and the things to which we are drawn remain a part of us. If anything, we just get better at lying to ourselves and others and squashing down the stuff we like.

Case in point: not long ago, I found a “book” I had penned and illustrated as a kid, telling the tale of a woman (drawn with entirely too much cleavage- thanks for messing me up early, society) welcoming her boyfriend back from a long voyage. I spent two entire pages of this nine-page tome detailing the food she was making to celebrate his return (including pizza, hamburgers, spaghetti, chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, ice cream, and basically every food 7-year-old-me, and- real talk- current-day-me, enjoyed/enjoys). This book also provided me with ample opportunity to show off my dress-designing game. The heroine of my story was like a 1990s Marie Antoinette, with giant skirts, encrusted bodices, elaborate sleeves, the whole deal. The drawing was a little rough, but the enthusiasm was there.

Not long after this Pulitzer-worthy effort, I received a book that would change my life: “Let’s Draw Dresses.” Step-by-step drawing guides like this were a popular gift in the Wisniewski household- I favored titles like “Draw Real People!”, while my sisters had a preference for “150 Dogs to Draw” or “Artistic Animals.” This dress-drawing book was right in my wheelhouse- it took care of the hard part (drawing bodies) and allowed me to focus all my creative energy on- what else- the aforementioned drawing of dresses. It taught me tips like how to indicate sparkles (a couple well-placed crosses and dots do the trick) or how to show skirt folds. It was a game-changer.

Of course, even then, my favorite pages were the wedding pages. You can tell on some of the other spreads, like the Prom page or the “Fantasy” Dress instructional, I’m kind of phoning it in. But my enthusiasm is palpable once you start throwing veils in there. Nothing proves this more than the page upon which, next to the typed heading “Flower Girl,” I scrawled “or Mini-Bride.” Either this was a pretty advanced Velasquez reference, or this was my frustration at never having the chance to be a flower girl manifesting itself on the page. Probably the latter.

So that was it. My fate was sealed. Of course, the REAL “Let’s Draw Dresses” phase of my life came much later- it was, perhaps, more practically useful but arguably less influential. As you can see in the last image of the gallery, I’ve gotten a little better at drawing bodies, but you just can’t match the exuberance of an 8-year-old newly minted designer- these drawings are providing some pretty great inspiration for my wedding and bridesmaid dresses. Basque waists and a puffy sleeve, anyone?