This 1934 Simplicity tea dress style has what looks like a very slimming, cling-y skirt with geometric insets at each side.
The reality is, the skirt is more of a boxy A-line style than what is depicted. Check out this generic rendering of a 1930's A-line skirt. I elongated the skirt length to parallel the example here.
Why is it this way? Sometimes pattern art is more idealized than the actual outcome of the garment made from it. Here, Simplicity instructs to cut the skirt pieces on the straight of grain as both skirt front and back are placed on the lengthwise fold of goods (shown above, at right).
When I made this dress in silk georgette (with puff sleeves omitted), I cut the skirt front and back on a bias fold of the fabric knowing I would get a much more flattering result as in the original art (after all, so many things are better on the bias, I think). I cut the insets each on the straight of grain.
Years after creating this dress, I made a lined georgette skirt cut on the straight of grain from this pattern as originally prescribed. While I no longer have that skirt, I can tell you it was a much more voluminous and less-preferred rendition than my bias version.
As many may know, it is a completely different garment (skirt, dress, trousers, blouse, etc.) when cut on the bias to grain versus with the straight of grain!
This style is also now available as an E-Pattern!
The geometric insets are not a typical skirt inset although the following are more typical insets in 1930's fashions (per Vogue, 1935). Click to access in .pdf and give any of them a try with your favorite skirt or dress pattern!
