The 'Lasting Impression' dress

When I got caught last summer in a downpour on a fancy shopping street in Athens, I passed the time window shopping, waiting for the rain to subside. 
 
Eventually I wandered into a shop, armed with a sense of why-the-heck-not confidence and the ongoing rain as an excuse to pop in.  A clerk greeted me warmly and offered to show the pret-a-porter downstairs. 

I savored the offerings and was drawn to a particular mid-length black silk faille dress with ruched collar.  After eyeing it a few times, the clerk asked if I’d like to try it on. 

He brought shoes and a purse to complement the dress.  As I sipped on a glass of proffered bubbly, I grinned from ear to ear.  I relished the moment and, to paraphrase an expression, ‘felt like a million euros.’  Alas, I couldn’t bring myself to purchase that precious dress.  But I thought about that exquisite garment for months afterwards.

Finally it occurred to me.  I could make the dress myself using sewing skills I’ve kept up-to-date since learning from my mother when I was young.   

I began by gathering supplies:  fabric samples, buttons, thread, and other notions.  I created a pattern, a muslin (a test garment of simple fabric), and then I made the final version.

The creation of this fine garment was a challenge I savored, and the tangible result is deliciously decadent!