Art Deco High Tea

Monsieur M is one of the most refined gentlemen know.   He collects antiques, mostly from the Art Deco era and dresses in fine suits.  He always looks impeccable and his neat and natty look is always enhanced by accessories, such as a tussy-mussy brooch or a pocketwatch on a wristband.

This wonderful gent organised an Art Deco high tea and was kind enough to invite me along.

With nothing in my wardrobe that is 1920s or 30s I looked to Etsy for some inspiration about what I could make in time with my limited sewing skills.

I found a simple but cute red silk 20s dress for sale by Dear Golden.  It looked achievable in the time I had left so I went a-fabric shopping with Sassy D and bought a blue silk.  After a few initial failures at trying to toille up a pattern and even draft up a pattern I managed to create something that was passable. 

Some of my girlfriends were invited to the same tea and the dresses they made were out of this world.  Sassy D remade a dress she already had, adding vintage lace to it and remodelling the style. 

PoisonedKitty made a new frock with pin-tucking on the bodice and some free-hand embroidery.  She and Sassy D had matching hats, by coincidence not design!

Lovely C was out of this world in a frock that she made based on this one from the MET museum.  She hand embroidered all of the embroidery work on the bodice and skirt and found the perfect material to match the original.  It was nothing short of sensational!

Sassy D picked me up on the way through to the city and as we were early we went for a cup of tea at Aroma's cafe located inside the foyer area of the old Regent Cinema (opened in 1929).  We were approached by a lovely lady who was so enthusiastic about what we were wearing and wanted to share her love of antiques and anything yesteryear with us.

 
Just on time we went to the venue of the high tea, a Room with Roses on the upper floor of the Brisbane Arcade.  We met up with the rest of the guests and took our seats in the lovely setting of the tea house.   There were all kinds of charming and urbane guests at the high tea.  I was a little shy so I didn't make conversation with them nearly as much as I aught to have.  Monsieur M was there with his wife Madame K.  Sue of Kittys Vintage Kitsch & the Shop that Time Forgot  (a sensational vintage store in the Mt Tambourine area) was there in a gorgeous 30s style yellow and blue floral frock and was sporting a divine (possibly original?) fascinator tilt hat.  Dainty Miss A was in attendance with her good company and a smashing red dress.   Lady P was also in attendance and I must admit I was having a bit of hat envy over her fetching cloche hat.  Dirty Phil was there looking dashing in a white suit.  Cheeky L turned up a little late to be included in this photo of us all.

There was a 'show and tell' where people bought along antiques with an Art Deco flavour.  These included an amazing Egyptian styled ring and bracelet, a ladies cigarette smoking pipe and case, a dance-card case (?) a period cloche hat and Sassy D's mesh purse.   I was envious in the extreme and had to remind myself that the people who bought along these items have been collecting for years.

It was a splendid event and it was so lovely to meet new people, even if I was too shy to make the most of it.  Hopefully I'll be invited again to any future teas and have more time and sewing skills to produce something worthy of wearing amongst such superb outfits!