Trapeze dresses feel very ‘sixties’ to me. I love the shape, but I always have the urge to put a belt on them….
I’m always trying to give myself a waist, LOL!
This dress is made from another border print from my stash that I found last summer in Budapest. I was wandering with my friends in the central city, when we happened upon this magical place. This photo shows only one wall of fabric…there were several more! I spent two hours there, but could have spent two more. 
My fabric is a cross between a ponte knit and a scuba knit. 
After making my last border print dress with M7532, I knew that simple shape would be perfect for this fabric.
It looks just like this pattern from the sixties….
I made this version of McCalls 7532 with a slight variation on the back neck facing. Instead of cutting it with the simple rounded shape, I copied the front bodice V-neck for a bit of drama. This back is almost identical to back of the Burda top I made last summer.
I also made the flutter sleeves on View A as I didn’t have enough fabric to do anything else!
This dress is so easy to wear and the fabric doesn’t wrinkle much. I’m always fascinated by how a fabric choice can make a simple dress look so different. My last version was chambray, which I love. But I think this fabric shows off the trapeze shape better. It would be interesting to see how this dress would look made from a flow-y silk or charmeuse…What do you think? Belted or not?
Happy sewing! And thanks for stopping by!
Elle Gee Makes 
On you, because you are so tiny, I think the belted version is just darling.
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Thank-you! Belted is definitely my comfort zone. My husband likes it better unbelted, which surprised me!
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On you, the belt looks wonderful! What a great make🌞
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Thanks so much! I think I’ll wear it a lot, starting with this weekend!
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Stunning! I was wondering where you found that fabric…
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Thanks! It is great fabric, isn’t it? Just head over to Budapest…I wish I’d had time to buy more!
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This is so very pretty!
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Thanks, Sue!
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Great fabric and shape. Loving this belt too
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Thanks! I was lucky I had enough fabric left to make a belt since there was no way to run back to the fabric store to buy more,
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I love it when that happens! 😁
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VERY pretty dress! The unbelted version looks so easy to wear for an informal outing. Dress it up with the belt for a different more formal outfit. I really like both the looks.
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Thank-you! I’m glad the belt is detached so that I can choose how I want to wear the dress in the moment!
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Absolutely stunning, belted or not… !!!
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Thank-you! It’s pretty comfortable and easy to wear.
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really pretty and it looks great belted and without the belt.
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Thanks! It’s so nice to have options:)
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OH, I’m totally in the unbelted camp on this one! 🙂 I love the silhouette on you! I also love how the gradation {for lack of better word} of the fabric is shown more clearly without the belt.So PRETTY!
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Thanks so much! You raise a good point! It is easier to see the details of the fabulous border print when the belt is off.
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I like both versions! Unbelted for eating out 😉😉
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You speak my language:)
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Such a gorgeous dress, the fabric is lush 💗 I think it looks great both ways and very different, which is fab as its a 2for1 win win 😊
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Thank-you! Love the idea of 2 for 1!
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So basically, I’d fly to Budapest and neglect all the lovely scenery in favor of camping out at that store where someone would find me half-starved in a stack of fabric bolts about a year later. 😀
This is totally a 60s silhouette. I’m pro-belt with this fabric–it has a softness to it that looks really pretty with the belt. Maybe in something more structured sans belt would look really cool.
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You and I think alike. if my husband hadn’t intervened I would have likely blown off the rest of the city in favor of fabric shopping:) Another pro belt opinion…the belt does gather some of the dresses volume nicely!
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So I gasped at the dress. But then I said, “WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!” when I saw it belted.
AMAZING!!! It looks like a top and skirt and it looks chic and stylish and beautiful and EVERYTHING! 😀
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What a lovely compliment! THank-you. It is funny how the belt makes the dress morph into a completely different thing. I sure didn’t expect that at all!
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What a fabulous dress, great combo of pattern and fabric as they compliment eachother so well. that fabric shop looks like heaven, do you remember the name of it? ah, and I vote with belt 🙂
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Thank-you! I’m so glad I found this fabric. My receipt says the name of the store is “Szív Wool-Tex Kereskedelmi Kft.” It was so great. I hope to return there some day!
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I hope I visit that place too as it looks amazing!
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This dress is fabulous, pattern and fabric are a great combination as they compliment eachother perfectly and I will vote with belt:) ! the fabric shop looks like heaven, do you remember the name?
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This is so pretty. I love the print. Nice you can have the choice of belted or not. Two dresses in one!
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I like both version. My daughter is going to a swiming camp to Hungery next summer. I and my husband maybe follow her to Budapest and stay there for a couple of days. The fabric shop looks fabulous. Do you remember the name of the shop.
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Thanks! The shop is wonderful and I gave the words that were on my Fabric receipt in Hungarian to another person who commented on this post. I’m not sure if that was the name of the shop or not, but it might help you find it. I could have spent hours there!
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