1950's Inspired Blue Hawaiian Honeymoon Set
And this is it! It has taken me over 2 years but this Blue Hawaiian honeymoon set is finally completed.Two years ago in 2017, inspired by vintage Hawaiian honeymoon sets, I made a pair of matching shirt and shorts for Steven (aka my Instagram husband and now real-life husband) and myself respectively for our engagement party back at his hometown in Houston, Texas. Right from the very start, I had always planned to make a matching set of bra top and shorts for myself using the same fabric. I managed to finish the matching bra top for myself around the end of 2018 but never had the chance to wear it out. In my head, I wanted to “save” it for our next beach holiday together.
Then, after being married for more than 6 months, we finally had the time to take a vacation together. We took a mini holiday in Koh Samui and got the chance to wear our special me-made Blue Hawaiian honeymoon set together!
The facts
His shirt: McCall 6044
This is a basic shirt pattern by McCall that I recommend everyone to get if you are starting out with sewing men’s shirt. It’s very straightforward and easy to sew.I struggled with the fit for this pattern at the start ONLY because Steven has a neck that is around size L and a torso that is around size M. So, at the end of the day, even after trying to make my own adjustments to the pattern, this shirt has a collar that he won’t be able to button up. I guess it doesn’t matter so much since no one buttons up the collar of a summer shirt anyway!Her shorts: Self-drafted
This is a pair of high-waisted shorts that I made using a pattern I drafted myself. Many vintage shorts and trousers have a centre-back zipper entry, so I wanted that for my shorts to have a more authentic vintage look. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to run out to get regular zipper when I was finishing the shorts and ended up using an invisible zipper that I had in my stash. So, at the end of the day, I lost the true vintage aesthetics. Well, that’s ok. I still love the way centre-back zipper fits and feels!Her top: Simplicity 1426 (View B)
I have made this pattern in View A and View C, and I can tell you that View B is the version that fits my petite frame best! Similar to my version of View C, I sewed foam pads between the main piece and the lining to give my girls a perkier look.
To prevent my arms from getting all sore while fumbling with the buttons in the back, I decided that using hooks would be an easier way to put the top on. It’s worked out pretty well!
The fabric
I bought this fabric from Chinatown in Singapore and it has the Sevenberry label on the selvedge. It also came in different colourways like orange, red, and green. I was soooooo tempted to buy more of this print in red so I could make a matching Alfred Shaheen-inspired dress for myself! Alas, I decided to be more prudent with my fabric purchases and abandoned that idea.Oddly enough, I can’t seem to find this same fabric online, so I am sorry if you are wondering where I bought the fabric! Sevenberry seems to have a pretty decent selection of Hawaiian-print fabrics if you are interested in having a look.
Some final thoughts
I think it’s safe to say that this is not the only me-made matching set that I will be making for my husband and I! Have you made a matching set for yourself and your significant other? Are you Team Match or Team Retch when it comes to making coordinating outfits? xx