Pages

▼

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Daily Dress: Whirling Turban "Shaheen Dream"

I only recently became obessed with Whirling Turban. But readers, it is a serious obsession. Just read this desciption:
Whirlingturban Bombshell Dresses and Pinup Couture are made in a small, custom design studio surrounded by an orchid-dripping and dragonfly-humming tropical garden in exotic Bali.

With a tiny staff of Bali’s best seamstresses, and with the help of local fabric dyers printers and weavers, we make garments lovingly, by hand, one at a time. We recreate "Vintage Greats"; the most desirable and hard to find styles, using hand work and construction techniques which are no longer practical on modern factories.
Sigh. The dripping orchids! The humming dragonflies! And THE DRESSES.

My very favorite is the "Shaheen Dream," which is directly recreated from an Alfred Shaheen design. I love it in the brocade pictured above. And, very appropos of my style dictionary post this morning, it features elastic shirring in the back bodice, as most of Shaheen's dresses did. This photo shows the very precise measuring process for this particular dress.

A similar sarong-style dress is definitely on my "must make" list!
at

26 comments:

  1. LaurenApril 13, 2011 at 5:07 PM

    I know what you mean! Their dresses are GORGEOUS. I would love to own one someday.

    ReplyDelete
  2. [patty the snug bug]April 13, 2011 at 5:09 PM

    when i got married last year the hardest purchase i DIDN'T make for the wedding was a whirling turban dress. Sigh. I loved the dress I got, but still... they are all so awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  3. A.J.A.April 13, 2011 at 5:13 PM

    That is an amazing dress. Love, love, love it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. lapApril 13, 2011 at 5:17 PM

    They have playsuits with skirts to wear over them! SQUEE!

    ReplyDelete
  5. SickofitcindyApril 13, 2011 at 5:22 PM

    I'm obsessed with them too! So much so that Sharon and I are in the process of draping the wing bust dress. Many muslins later, it's looking quite good. The Shaheen Dream is on the list!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Louise McApril 13, 2011 at 5:33 PM

    Isn't it beautiful? I adore the colour and the style and everything. Vivien of Holloway do a similar style.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mackin-ArtApril 13, 2011 at 5:38 PM

    I'm in love with the Butterfly dress - any suggestions for a possible pattern?

    ReplyDelete
  8. poppykettleApril 13, 2011 at 5:52 PM

    Oh Wow.... I'm going to Bali next month - I think I will have to investigate! I'd heard they had incredible lace fabric, but didn't know anything about dressmaking there. Time to do some research!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. JulieApril 13, 2011 at 5:54 PM

    the colour the cut the style. va va voom. love it

    ReplyDelete
  10. JHApril 13, 2011 at 5:59 PM

    Wow that dress is amazing and so unique. I'm sure it would give any women an awesome shape.

    ReplyDelete
  11. MargaretApril 13, 2011 at 6:13 PM

    This is an amazing dress. I love it and I am sure that you will love wearing it. It is so beautiful!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. LovelyPinupApril 13, 2011 at 6:25 PM

    Pinup Girl Clothing also do a similar style. So elegant :) I'll be purchasing a dress like this for Christmas this year (I'm in Australia so I may as well embrace the warm holidays!)

    ReplyDelete
  13. iLiveinmyLabApril 13, 2011 at 6:52 PM

    One day I will own a custom Whirling Turban... One day! Sometimes you can get lucky and score a deal in their "in stock" section that are reduced in price. I always check weekly since they update it pretty regularly. They're just so pretty to drool over...

    ReplyDelete
  14. Tamina listeningApril 13, 2011 at 7:03 PM

    50s sarong dresses are one of my favorite styles! EvaDress has a pretty good basic pattern, without shirring on the bodice back. Also, this small pattern line has created a repro of a rare drool-worthy 50s mccalls sarong dress pattern: http://www.scissorhappy.com/catalog/item/1744458/1174446.htm

    I haven't broken down and shelled out the $35 yet, but it's a great basic pattern that would be easy to add those shaheen details to!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Nina SuluhApril 13, 2011 at 7:12 PM

    @poppykettle -

    I was there last summer and the fabrics are amazing. But be prepared to pay an arm and a leg for them. Most Balinese speak English and tourism is the main industry, so "tourist prices" prevail. I was SO bummed that the prices last summer were astronomically higher than they had been the last time I was there. Even at the same shop with the same owner AND being accompanied by my native Indonesian husband. We were able to negotiate *some*, but not much. I wanted to CRY.

    That said, you MUST buy some textiles there. They really are amazing. I have two favorite hotels there, Santika Beach Hotel and Hotel Padma. Santika has a great lemongrass drink that is SO refreshing. I've stayed there twice and it's BEAUTIFUL and serene.

    Darnit, now I want to go back there again. I've been three times and it never gets old.

    Here's my blog post with Flickr stream for the most recent trip: http://empressg1973.blogspot.com/2010/07/hooray-for-bali-wood.html

    ReplyDelete
  16. SickofitcindyApril 13, 2011 at 8:05 PM

    Mackin-Art,

    There is an Advance pattern but I have seen others. http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com/wiki/Advance_400

    ReplyDelete
  17. Fourth DaughterApril 13, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    wow, I can DEFINITELY understand that obsession. Thanks for finding this great brand and telling us all about it! Make sure you model it for us when you (inevitably) make a purchase!

    ReplyDelete
  18. poppykettleApril 13, 2011 at 9:26 PM

    @ The Empress Nina

    Thanks so much for the heads up - I will definitely have to check out this Lemongrass cocktail whilst I'm at it. I'll also have to practise my bargaining skills too I suppose....

    ReplyDelete
  19. Living VintageApril 13, 2011 at 10:19 PM

    I got married in a whirling turban and own another. They are fabulous. You could always buy a top as a separate as a starter garment I have one and it is also great.

    ReplyDelete
  20. CoryApril 13, 2011 at 10:48 PM

    Oh Whirling Turban,that site is trouble. 'I want to spend thousands of dollars on custom dresses" kind of trouble. I have been trying to recreate the Peggy Would bodice forever!

    ReplyDelete
  21. EszApril 13, 2011 at 11:00 PM

    Love love love Whirling Turban. One day I will have one of their dresses! My fave is the Shaheen style one too. It's such a shame that their RTW stuff is so rarely ever my size.

    No matter what you do, those dresses just don't come cheap. Original Shaheen starts at $250 if you're lucky....the patterns are virtually impossible to find and then they're pricey too.
    I've seen the original vintage version of that ScissorHappy pattern selling at $100 somewhere! Youch!

    And then there's the fabric and the fitting too. You just can't do half a job getting your hands on that style.

    *sigh*
    Gosh I want one. And I'm going to Fiji in June too. I already have an amazing dress for the wedding I will be attending.....but I want more! Hehe

    ReplyDelete
  22. Straight Talking Mama!April 14, 2011 at 3:07 AM

    I love Whirling Turban dresses, sadly I don't own one, but I wish I did, desperately! They just get it spot on

    ReplyDelete
  23. RachelleApril 14, 2011 at 4:09 AM

    I adore Whirling Turban! They created my wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses which were featured on http://offbeatbride.com/2009/09/pink-black-rockabilly-wedding as well as another dress I ordered to be custom made. Everything they produce is amazing and of the highest quality. If I could afford more, I would have a closet full.

    ReplyDelete
  24. UnknownApril 14, 2011 at 5:30 AM

    That is a gorgeous dress!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Ana StepalicaApril 14, 2011 at 7:31 AM

    Wow Gertie, that dress is GORGEOUS! The style would look great on you (and hopefully on me too, since I plan to knock it off). Thanks for sharing the link!

    ReplyDelete
  26. BeckyApril 14, 2011 at 10:58 PM

    Gorgeous dress--the straps are rather amazing. And I love the color!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your comments; I read each and every one! xo Gertie