Penny Dresses

[billyjoejimbob]

Anybody know where I can find info on penny dresses? photos, history. construction tips? Is it just a regular wool dress with pennies on it? I promised my girlfriend 2 years ago I would make her one. She is nowmy fiance and I NEED to make it now.

She really wanted a dentalium dress but I would want to use smooth shellls and we all know what THEY cost.

thanks.;)

[Czechy]

I have not seen any photos but then again, I have not seriously looked either. However, there is a historic Lakota example in the Denver Art Museum. Its pictured in color in their book, Persistent Vision. The dress uses Indianhead and early Lincoln pennies. I have also seen a cotton cloth dress with some trade tokens sewn on the yoke as well.

I made a trade cloth dress in this style several years ago but used Indianhead/buffalo nickels instead of the pennies. The cost was a lot cheaper but the dress ended up being very heavy. If you get/make such a dress, be prepared to get jokes about having "spare bus change"! LOL!