Detail inspiration: the peplum

There is no doubt about the peplum having returned into fashion’s good graces the past few seasons. It’s a detail that has a vintage charm to it and can add a bit of fullness or layering over the hips. Not just relegated to use on dresses, it’s been showing up on separates like blouses and skirts as well. I pulled some of my favorite modern and vintage peplum inspiration to share with you—maybe you’ll be inspired to add one to an upcoming sewing project?

This dress from the spring/summer 2012 Alice McCall collection shows that peplums don’t have to be cut straight across. This one embraces the other trend for “waterfall” or cascading hems. A fun shape adds movement to the design—and the wide facing helps highlight it against the skirt.

This lace-trimmed peplum accenting a 1940s rayon dress is a bit of an usual example. But one I think is a great idea! Especially if you had an odd length of wide lace in your stash and want to add a little texture to you garment.

Ruffled peplums seem to rule in the world of vintage garments, but this blue dress from the 1930s shows that a flat, tailored peplum is a great alternative. I think it counteracts the oh-so-sweet polka dots nicely! When attached at the waistline of a dress such as this, it gives the look of a two-piece garment rather than one that is connected. Genius!

While technically this would probably be categorized as an overskirt, I think for those that feel shorter peplums wouldn’t quite suit them, this is a good example. This lovely pink checked example from the 1950s shows that peplum’s lengths can dip a bit and still look just as effective. The description also states that the peplum/overskirt has a layer of tulle netting to help with the fullness—a useful idea that can easily be incorporated into your own projects.

Images: Alice McCall s/s 2012, 1940s dress, 1930s dress, 1950s dress.