Aunt Bee's Wardrobe

Here is my dress today:

 

 

My teenage daughter and I have been watching The Andy Griffith Show on Netflix for a few weeks. I have been taking note of what Aunt Bee wears because, by now, we are about the same age and weight. She, though we're not supposed to know it, has a designer making her clothes so that she looks good on T.V.

 

Here are some things I have noticed about her clothes:

• Her nicer dresses have a self jacket and self belt (all of the same fabric) as the dress. Sometimes, as in the first picture, it's a blouse and skirt.
• The jackets have 3/4 sleeves and a round or squared collar, when there is a collar, which is usually. Sometimes, there is lace attached to the collar.
• Embellishments to the dress are generally at the neck, which draws attention to the face.
• Her house dresses are generally a shirt dress with a pretty apron over it.
• And, not the dress, but notice how often she wears a string of pearls. Again, drawing attention to the face.

Now, I'd love to make myself an Aunt Bee dress, but try to find a pattern! You'd think this style is a basic style, but I just can't find anything to copy her dresses. I've even tried to look up any fashion drawings by her designer, Robert O'Dell. Well, as I can find, he was the main one. Nothing.

 

I never would have believed that I would grow up wanting to imitate Aunt Bee's wardrobe, for crying out loud. As a girl, I always thought of myself as wanting to look like  Jackie Kennedy or Grace Kelly, but Aunt Bee? But, in fact, I'm now in love with her. Enjoy looking at these pictures from The Andy Griffith Show and her dresses. I'm going to go watch a movie with my daughter now and eat no popcorn! Just drinking water, which I'm really learning to love.