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.
It even makes me want to dance!
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.
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| 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:
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!
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 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 . . .
