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Lexicographer by day, vintage dress fanatic by night—well, by day also—Erin McKean is clearly the right person to catalog the surprisingly arcane and always wonderful world of women's wear with her site, A Dress A Day.

Last year, we gushed about her stories of the secret lives of dresses and her rants against the Handbag Industrial Complex. Recently, we sat down in her virtual sewing room for a conversation about fabulous fabrics and fashions.

Why did you start your blog?

I was out with my husband Joey one night and was talking about the blogs I was reading, and I told him I really wanted there to be a blog that talked about a dress every day. And because my husband is the kind of guy that intuitively understands what you really want and then eggs you on to do it, he said "Why don't you do it?"

I registered the domain name dressaday.com and then sat on it for a year, not doing anything. So when it came up for renewal I felt as if I had wasted a year in which I could have been doing something fun and cool, just because I was "too busy." I figured I would never be LESS busy, so I'd just have to make time for it. I'm so glad that I did!

So are we! Now, you sound like someone who is always dressed impeccably. Is that true? You can tell us.

Oh, lord, no. I am the person with the sticky-outy hair and chewed-off lipstick, and more-than-occasionally, something spilled down my front. And my shoes never match my bag. I also wrinkle.

That can't be true. We refuse to believe it. Do you wear a dress every day? How often?

Now that the weather's warm I wear a skirt or a dress every day. I don't own any shorts that aren't for exercise. In the depths of Chicago winter, I will wear corduroys or jeans (but not the fancy $200 kind—I buy mine at Target). But if I have to Go Somewhere, it's always a skirt or dress.

When and how did you start sewing?

My mother, bless her, taught me when I was 12. We chose a pattern and fabric together. She made the first dress while I watched, and I made a second dress from the same pattern while she watched and corrected. Then I was off to the races!

About how often do you sew a new dress these days?

I bet it averages out to about one every two or three weeks, if you count skirts, too. I often batch-produce skirts and dresses and make two or three from the same pattern at once.

Dare we ask how much eBaying you do? We suspect you're the one always getting those great vintage patterns out from under us.

I don't shop on eBay as often as people think, or as often I would like to! I do use a sniping service, but more often than not I either forget to set it up, or I bid so low it doesn't work anyway. I'm not a very efficient eBayer.

How many vintage patterns do you currently own?

I just sorted them all, and the envelopes fill about eight 3-ring binders. The patterns themselves fill about ten "short" comics boxes.

It's a LOT. And that doesn't count four or five long boxes of stuff that's either crazy weird 80s that I will never make, or men's (that I will also never make), or children's clothes and dolls/home dec. (also not making). I can't give them up, though ... what if I suddenly decide to spend all my sewing time assembling shoulder pads, Barbie clothes, and men's bathrobes?

We adore the novelty prints you rave about! What's the coolest one you've seen so far?

It's gotta be the birds with megaphones. Why? What? How? I don't understand, but I don't really need to. I'm just glad it exists.

Where did the Secret Lives of Dresses come from?

I'm not absolutely sure. I have always wanted my vintage dresses and patterns to tell me about their previous owners—I love it when there's a clue to their personalities or lives forgotten in the pocket or stuck in the envelope, an old lipstick, a ticket stub, a handwritten note or list... and I guess one day I figured, heck, if they can't tell me, I'll just make it up for myself.

Why are the Secret Lives all pretty dark and rather sad? Many of the dresses only get worn once and for unhappy scenes. The stories are great reads, but it makes us think our clothes might be either pining in our closets or pissed off…

I think most people have an easier time remembering what it felt like when they were mad or sad, and are less able to remember exactly what happiness felt like, and it's the same for things. A lot of the dresses really care for their owners but are powerless to help them, and that powerlessness makes them feel more strongly.

That's my justification for all the sadness. I'm actually a really cheerful person -- almost scarily so—so perhaps I'm just wallowing in sadness in the stories because I almost never feel really sad myself. I love very sad music for the same reason ...

Your readers send in lots of cool links, photos, stories, etc. —what are some of your faves?

Oh, I couldn't even begin to tell you. There are so many! The readers and their comments are the best part of the blog, actually. I love that my readers help each other—they post links and hints and help and support.

One reader, La Bella Donna, is a fitting whiz and has helped a ton of people figure out what size patterns they should really be buying. Another reader, Mina knows I'm obsessed with finding the perfect ginkgo-print fabric, and she's sent me tons of links to candidates!

What's surprised you most about the reaction to this blog?

I've been happily surprised by so many things: The number of people who have just sent me patterns or books or fabric out of the blue because they thought I would like them; the people who know me through my other job and who read the dress blog for a while before realizing that I am the SAME ERIN, which I find really funny and cool; how much people have liked the Secret Lives stories (the clamor for a book is overwhelming!); and, most of all, by the kindness my readers show to me and to each other. There are very few harsh or flaming comments, and I really appreciate that. It's a good community.

Pockets: declare your love! Why do women need them? Why don't we have them?

Where to start? I find it absurd that there are more pockets on clothing for infants, who are not supposed to even HAVE things small enough to fit in those teeny pockets, than there are on clothing designed for grown women, who are supposed to carry, at minimum, keys and ID. And lip balm. Preferably the minty kind.

The excuses I hear are that pockets are too expensive to design, or that they take too much fabric, or that they "ruin the line" of the clothes. "Ruin the line" is code for "add bulk" which is code for "makes you look fat." And that's the whole problem, really.

We're really so afraid of looking a few ounces heavier or a few centimeters wider that we'll forgo basic functionality? And nothing "ruins the line" more than a huge floppy handbag that makes you list to one side ... but it's not on your HIPS, so that's okay. Sheesh.

It's gotten to the point that I won't wear a dress or skirt without pockets. I flat-out refuse. Which means I'm sewing nearly everything I wear now.

We're sure you'll look fab, Erin! Thanks for the dress each day.

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