Double-breasted Shawl Collar Pleated Dress
Introducing a sophisticated women's dress pattern featuring a double-breasted bodice, elegant shawl collar, and a gracefully pleated skirt for a timeless silhouette.
When To Wear
This tailored dress is perfect for occasions demanding elegance and style, making it ideal for:
- Formal Events & Celebrations: Suitable for weddings, garden parties, and upscale daytime events due to its refined design.
- Business & Professional Settings: Offers a polished and authoritative look for professional meetings or sophisticated business lunches.
- Special Occasions: a charming choice for brunches, dinners, or any event where a distinguished, feminine statement is desired.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: a sophisticated fit-and-flare silhouette, expertly tailored through the bodice and waist, then gracefully expanding into a voluminous midi skirt.
Neckline & Collar: An elegant V-neckline framed by a broad, soft shawl collar, extending to the double-breasted front.
Closure: Features a double-breasted front adorned with four decorative buttons, complemented by a concealed zipper closure for a seamless back.
Sleeves: Long, slender set-in sleeves that provide a polished finish to the garment.
Skirt: The full skirt is characterized by finely detailed inverted pleats at the waistline, both front and back, adding sophisticated volume and movement.
Back: Designed with elegant vertical princess seams for shaping, and a center back seam incorporating the concealed zipper.
Length: Midi length, falling gracefully below the knee.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Requires skills in tailoring, collar construction, pleating techniques, and zipper insertion.
Fabric Recommendations
Choose dress fabrics with good drape and a slight structure to best showcase the pleats:
- Dress fabrics made from natural or blended fibers
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing
- 1 concealed zipper
- 4 buttons
Cutter's Must
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- From main fabric:
- Back - 2 pieces
- Side back - 2 pieces
- Front - 2 pieces
- Side front - 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- Front facing – 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Back neckline facing – 2 pieces
- Front facing – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the designated pieces.
- Clip the seam allowance at the corner of the back princess seam, overlock the horizontal edge. Overlock the lower edge of the side back. Fold and stitch the inverted pleats on the back pieces according to the markings. Stitch the back princess seams, press seam allowances towards the center and overlock.
- Overlock the center back edges separately. Stitch the center back seam from the neckline edge to the first mark and from the second mark to the bottom, press seam allowances open, pressing the slit for the zipper. Insert the zipper.
- Clip the seam allowance at the corner of the front princess seam, overlock the horizontal edge. Overlock the lower edge of the side front. Fold and stitch the inverted pleats on the front pieces according to the markings. Stitch the front princess seams, press seam allowances towards the center and overlock.
- Stitch shoulder seams, clipping the shoulder seam allowance on the front, press seam allowances towards the back and overlock. Stitch the collar seam, press seam allowances open. Attach the collar to the back neckline, press seam allowances towards the collar.
- Stitch, clip at the corner, and press open the shoulder seams of the back neckline facing and front facings. Stitch the collar seam, press seam allowances open. Attach the collar to the facing neckline, press seam allowances open. Overlock the outer edge of the front facings and facing.
- Place the front facings and facing on the front, right sides together, and stitch the front edges and collar edge. Clip seam allowances at curves, turn the collar right side out, straighten seams, and press. Secure the collar attachment seam allowances together. Overlap the right front over the left, aligning the center lines, and topstitch along the front edge from the mark to the bottom.
- Stitch side seams, press seam allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Stitch the sleeve seam, press seam allowances towards the back and overlock. Set sleeves into armholes, press seam allowances and overlock.
- Overlock the bottom edge of the garment and sleeves, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Sew buttons according to markings, securing the right and left front pieces.
