I have always been inspired by vintage fashion since I was a young teen and thought the clothing so glamorous and practical compared to modern fashions today. As a young woman I wanted more dresses in my wardrobe, so in 2010 I sewed up Jennie's marvelous swing dress pattern for the first time. Since then I have completed two swing dresses from the pattern and always get compliments when I wear them.

In my first post, I covered my grandparents' early history in Hollywood up to the point where "Pop" asked his US Army Air Forces superiors to consider sending him overseas to join the air war instead of working in recruitment and training. They granted that request, and he immediately transferred to North Island to learn to fly Lockheed's brand new P-38 "Lightning" before joining the 48th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group, serving in North Africa.

From my earliest memories, I have loved to play "dress up," and a large portion of my play wardrobe came from my paternal grandmother's cast-offs. I remember teetering around on silver high heels in a sparkly red chiffon dress liberally sprinkled with rhinestones. How I wish now that I'd known what I was wearing and saved it, but--alas!--that particular dress got worn to death and ended up in shreds long before I could appreciate its real value. Thankfully, my grandmother kept back a lot of her favorite clothes for me to enjoy as an older teenager, and I still have several beautiful pieces.

A wonderful 1940s pattern by Simplicity from the wartime years when fabric rationing was in effect. The dress on the right looks just right for an afternoon shopping. The one on the left has a more casual yet still "put-together" look.

1940s Shirt Dress pattern by Simplicity. The dress on the right would be appropriate to wear to an afternoon party or daytime wedding. The one on the left is suited for shopping or a town outing. Love that heart-shaped pocket!

This WW2-era Simplicity pattern features a smart day dress style. Note the top-stitched shoulder yoke--a common style in this period.

This is a Simplicity pattern for a tailored blazer with pleated skirt. It looks very collegiate. I especially like the short-sleeved version of this 1940s suit, shown in the center.

Classic 1940s dress pattern by McCall Pattern Company. These  feature interesting ruched pocket detailing and princess seams--a great way to conserve fabric during WW2 rationing.

This 1940s Simplicity pattern features two cute variations on the sailor theme! I love the hip pockets, pleated skirts and square yokes.

A 1940s dress pattern by Simplicity. I love this sharp dress with the buttons down the side! The feminine touches (bows, ruffle) just make this outfit shine.

A neat DuBarry dress with pleated skirt, circa 1945. Note the fitted hip yoke and the belt to emphasize the waist. Skirts are at knee length to help conserve fabric during WW2 rationing.

This 1940s tailored dress pattern has that famous tailored look, this time with the wide, pointed collar that was also seen on men's shirts in the 1940s and early 1950s. The shirt dress has been popular ever since.

DuBarry 1940s fitted suit dress. Classic! I love the short-sleeved look. In an era of fabric rationing, ladies really learned to keep a feminine silhouette with limited materials.

Here is a great 1940s woman's playsuit or dress pattern. Note the dropped shoulder yokes with gathers--a common feature in this time period. The styling is the classic shirt dress, which has never gone out of style since.