The thoughts, sewing projects, and fabric oglings of a dedicated sewist.

Vogue 8379: Wrap Dress Conversion

2/12/14
I've never really understood the popularity of the wrap dress. I've seen them, I've liked them, but the shape never said "Wow!" to me. I know it's a classic dress and is said to be universally flattering, but I think I was always nervous about the wrap part - that it would fly open or gape or something else equally mortifying.

One of my clients wanted a wrap dress, and after looking at options and reading reviews on PatternReview.com, we settled on Vogue 8379. She liked the fuller skirt, the collar, and the bodice pleats, and I liked that it seemed to be a well-drafted pattern.

V8379
Vogue 8379

The more I looked at versions of this dress and worked on Gloria's, the more I wanted one for myself. And I already had the perfect fabric in my stash, a beatiful ponte knit from GorgeousFabrics.com that I had been saving for the "right dress" (I'd thought about and rejected at least three other patterns for this fabric).

So, first Gloria's dress.

I made a muslin of the bodice and I didn't need to make that many alterations for the fit. I started by cutting two sizes smaller than the pattern suggested after looking at the garment measurements. I lengthened the bodice by 3/4" (expected, the reviews says that the bodice runs short), changed the angle of the shoulder seam (took up 5/8" at high shoulder/neck, tapered to 0 at the armscye), lengthened the skirt by 2.5" (Gloria is tall) and took in the side seams a bit. We also decided to shorten the sleeve to elbow length and keep the cuff vent. And that was it!


Here's Gloria in her dress before I finished futzing around with the facings and hemming the dress:



Her fabric is this lovely ponte knit from GorgeousFabrics.com: 

Life is Like a Box of ... Ponte Knit - Browns/Grays

I made my dress up in the same fabric but in different colors!






I really love this dress!  The colors are PERFECT for me: magenta, teal, and mustard yellow (they even match my logo!) on a cream/black/brown background. And the fabric is so wonderfully soft. Here's a close-up shot:


For my own dress I needed to lengthen the bodice by 1 inch and taper the shoulders the reverse of Gloria - from 0 at the high shoulder to 1/2" at the armscye. I kept the skirt length as it was (with 3/4" hem) and shortened the sleeves by 3 inches to elbow length. The only change I made to the construction process was to add clear elastic to the shoulder seam and the waist seam (this fabric is a bit heavy and I didn't want the skirt to make it droop).

And look! No back issues!



It even makes me want to dance!


A lot of people on pattern review complained about the facings. It seemed to roll a bit on Gloria's dress so I tacked the shoulder seams to the facing, topstitched the front facings, and added a snap. For my own, I just tacked the shoulder seams. I'll do more if I need to, but so far I've found that if I arrange the facings when I put on the dress, they usually stay where they should.

And what's next for me? Well, I convinced another client that she needs a wrap dress, so I'll be making her one out of this ITY fabric (also from GorgeousFabrics.com). I guess you could say that I've been converted when it comes to the wrap dress.


And then I might be done with this one for a while. Although, I was thinking it might make a nice top . . .
13 comments on "Vogue 8379: Wrap Dress Conversion"
  1. Love the full skirt! I'll have to look that pattern up. Looks like a good one.

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    1. I was kinda suprised by how feminine I feel when I wear it - something about a full skirt . . .

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  2. Oooh, I love it! It's the perfect dress for you - not only the colors but the style!

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  3. I love both of these wrap dresses on you and your friend. You have fitted them both so well which is why they look so good on you both. Great fabric too.

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    1. Thanks, Marjorie! This is a really easy pattern to fit, I think.

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  4. Looks very comfortable. I have a wrap on my mind.. After seeing one in the Little Black dress book :)

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    1. It is very comfortable! It's nice when you can combine comfort with style!

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  5. I have this pattern in my stash. Haven't made it yet but after this, it is moving to the top of the list

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    1. I'm glad that I helped move it up! I'd love to see it when it's done!

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  6. This is sweet! Sassy Sewing Bees https://facebook.com/sassysewingbees ❀

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