I love a good navy and red stripe anything. It’s a great color combo and works all year round. I saw a version of this dress in a store window except it had short sleeves and sequins. That’s when inspiration hit. I began searching high and low for navy and red sequin fabric, but it wasn’t meant to be. I settled on a sturdy cotton/canvas version, similar to this, and I’m happy with the results. Sewing with stripes can be intimidating, but as long as you take your time you’ll end up with great results.
Design Breakdown
I used two different patterns for this dress. The bodice is Butterick 5985 and the skirt is from an indie pattern company called By Hand London. The pattern is called the Elisalex Dress. I love the pleats in this pattern. I recommend using a stiff fabric (brocade would probably be best) when making this so the peats stand out. The Butterick pattern is out of print but you can find it on Etsy. Or you can use any pattern with a scoop neck bodice. The By Hand London pattern is currently available and can be purchased as a digital download.
Sewing with Stripes
It’s an easy dress to make, However sewing with stripes can be daunting. Some people (like me) like to have the stripes line up on a garment’s seams. You often need to buy more fabric than required for your pattern to ensure your stripes align. I reccomend laying all your patter pieces on your fabric before cutting.Then line the main pieces, the front and back of the bodice and the skirt, along side one another to match up your stripes. Now this isn’t always possible especially with a bodice that has darts. you can see on this bodice they didn’t match up exactly, but I managed to match the side seams so I was happy with the results. Anyway, most of the time no one even notices the stripes on your garment so do what works best for you. I’ve sew a few dresses with stripes, but this yellow one is one of my favorites
Details
I lined the bodice with red lining, but not the skirt, and put in an invisible zipper. I recently found these zippers which I highly recommend. They are great quality and ship quickly.
How to Wear It
You can dress this up or down. It works both ways. Sneakers, a denim jacket, and tote bag during the day or a navy blue sweater coat, red clutch, black tights, and boots for date night.
Thanks for reading!