It’s no secret that I love classic styles. And of course, the godmother of classic American style is Jackie Kennedy. If you’ve been following my blog or Instagram for sometime then you know that I love Jackie Kennedy. 
When I was a little girl my mom took me to an exhibit to see her clothes and the experience has never left me. I’ve read books on her life and her style (during and after the White House) continues to inspire me.
From time to time, I find modern fabrics and patterns that are Jackie-esque in nature, and I just have no self control when it comes to tossing caution to the wind and making a replica of a dress she once wore.
This week, I was inspired by Jackie’s dress when she went to visit India as the first lady. This is her at the Taj Mahal wearing a frock by Oleg Cassini.
To recreate her look, I made the Francois dress by Tilly & the buttons. It’s a lovely coincidence that this pattern is called the Francois dress. Here’s why! Jackie was part French and she loved Coco Chanel. However, the folks in the Kennedy administration did not want Jackie wearing Chanel because it seemed elitist and unpatriotic. I mean, it’s fashion, sheesh!
So, the compromise was that she could wear designer Oleg Cassini. They wouldn’t let Jackie be great -but that didn’t matter. She asked Mr. Cassini to knock off Chanel silhouettes for some of her looks. How’s that for circumventing the system!
Anyway, back to my modern make! So the Francois dress has 2 back darts and 4 front darts with an A-line skirt which make for a flattering shape for anyone. I did not make any modifications, but I left off the collar, sleeves and the front buttons. Though these are all great parts of the pattern this was not part of my vision, y’all understand, right? And it was a fairly easy project that I would definitely make again -perhaps with all the bells and whistles! 
RAVEN MAUREEN 