Here is a Dior Cocktail dress from this year 1956. As you can see, skirts are still very full, in fact getting fuller, but hemlines are moving up a bit. I really like the hem to hit just below the knee when it is full. This dress is strapless.
Here is Betty Furness (famous tv commercial spokeswoman for westinghouse) in 1956 in a floral cocktail dress.What I have been considering is a sheath dress of dove grey dupioni silk with a sheer full overskirt, such as these.
You can see that the pencil skirt part of the dress is just hinted at through the sheer guaze of the overskirt. 
Now, I also have this vintage dress pattern which is meant to be a cocktail dress. I have made it in cotton as a day dress and it was quite comfortable. I have, therefore, thought of making this dress in the dove grey dupioni silk and simply have the entire dress covered in the sheer grey.I like both a full and a pencil skirt. A fuller skirt is more fun to move in, obviously, but I think both look nice. My fuller figure is often shown off better in a sheath as it grabs in the right places to actuate a gal’s assets.
This is the grey sheer fabric I have for the dress. It is hard to photograph, as it is so sheer. It is covered in little grey/silver satin bows. Here you can see it over a very 50’s grayish pink lining. I have also considered making the sheath dress out of a pink silk, similar to this in shade, with the grey floating over that. I really love grey and pink together and it is a very 50’s palette. Only, I might like the subtlety of the grey silk with grey organza over it. What is your opinion readers?How many of you are throwing or going to Holiday parties that allow you to dress up? If you aren’t why not throw one? It doesn’t matter if your in the middle of the corn belt or in NYC, a gal loves to dress up. You might find many of your friends would love the chance to be ‘fancy ladies’ for an evening.
