One of my favorite parts of developing a character is the costume fitting.

 It’s the part where you get to play dress-up.

To narrow down what a character wears, is fascinating. It reminds me of what I did as a young girl, pulling together odds and ends of clothing from around the house, and seeing the way I could make a different person stare back at me in the mirror. As I built my acting career, I became familiar with different silhouettes from different eras, and I confirmed what I always knew about myself: I look– or I should say, I feel better–in clothes from another time.

I remember going up to the attic in our home, and gingerly taking out the extremely delicate lace jacket that my great-grandmother had worn in the early 1900’s. I’d finger the metal hooks and eyes, secretly bring it down to my bedroom and try it on. It felt expensive and fancy to me, because of the intricate tulle and lace overlay, but I’m sure it was sewn from a pattern by my great-grandmother, so she could wear it to have her portrait taken. I felt so transported when I put on that vintage piece. And I liked that feeling. Gretchen M. came out of the desire to capture a bit of that feeling again, in my everyday life. We want to be comfortable, we want to be active, and we want our clothing to be practical–an extension of our purpose on any given day. We also want to put something on that elevates our mood, adds some drama, and feels elegant. The original Gretchen M. dress captures all of these qualities in our first, singular garment.