Last summer, I thought the cold-shoulder trend would be a one-season wonder. Boy was I wrong! It’s everywhere this Spring, and if the trend-predictors are correct, it will be around for some time to come. I’m glad to hear that because, honestly, I love wearing this look! To me, it makes a simple dress something special. That’s why I decided to try it for this casual, tee-shirt dress.
This dress is as comfortable as it looks, made from an Art Gallery cotton jersey I purchased from Fabric Depot last summer. It’s a medium weight jersey which is great for keeping the shape of the cold shoulder detail. But it’s not too heavy, allowing the gathers at the waist to really shine.
My inspiration for this make was this casually sophisticated dress from Tibi.
I was so happy when I found a pattern that re-creates this look, Butterick 6425.
I love the neck-line options and the fact that you can use the pattern to create a number of looks, including a jumpsuit! I opted for the v-neck dress option but used the sleeves from option B. The neckline and sleeve openings are simply finished with a 5/8 inch hem. Usually, I prefer a binding or a facing finish at the neck, but with this knit, this method worked well. However, on a flimsier knit, it would be possible to stretch the knit too much during construction, resulting in a saggy neck or sleeve opening. This dress is an easy make, and from cut to finish it took me less than three hours.
I am going to love wearing this dress and am so glad I decided to add this to my cold shoulder wardrobe (here and here and here). The black and white print is classic but bright and eye catching. The style is pretty versatile too. It could be dressed up with a belt and some cool jewelry or dressed down with flats or tennis shoes for running errands. My only question about this dress is whether I left it too long or not? Long is more sophisticated, but short is…well… more energetic looking? I also wish I’d had enough fabric to make a matching belt, but, alas, that was not the case.
I plan on making another version of this dress with the flutter sleeves and might even try a jumpsuit version! Lots of plans are swirling around in my head :).
Happy sewing and thanks for stopping by!