Dress with Decorative Lapels
Introducing an elegant dress pattern featuring a sophisticated V-neckline with decorative lapels and a flattering, tailored silhouette.
When To Wear
This versatile dress is designed for both sophisticated professional settings and elegant social occasions, making it perfect for:
- Professional Settings: Its refined tailoring and elegant lines make it ideal for the office or business meetings.
- Daytime Events: a chic choice for luncheons, garden parties, or semi-formal gatherings.
- Special Occasions: Easily styled for dinners or events where smart-casual to formal attire is required.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: a tailored, fitted sheath silhouette that gently skims the body, reaching just below the knee.
Neckline & Collar: a distinctive V-neckline framed by an elegant stand collar and decorative, pointed lapels that create a unique front design.
Sleeves: Set-in sleeves finishing gracefully at the elbow.
Waist: a defined natural waistline achieved through precise seaming, creating a flattering and structured fit.
Closure: An invisible zipper closure seamlessly integrated into the center back seam for a smooth finish.
Back: Features a tailored back with a center seam, a horizontal waist seam, and vertical princess seams for shaping.
Hem: a straight hemline that falls just below the knee, offering a classic and sophisticated length.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Requires skills in constructing tailored collars & lapels, setting in sleeves, and inserting an invisible zipper.
Fabric Recommendations
Achieve the dress's structured yet flowing silhouette with fabrics that offer both body and a graceful drape:
- Dress fabrics made from natural or blended fibers
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing
- Invisible zipper
Cutter's Must
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- From main fabric:
- Upper center back - 2 pieces
- Upper side back - 2 pieces
- Lower back - 2 pieces
- Upper center front - 1 piece
- Upper side front - 2 pieces
- Lower front – 1 piece with fold
- Lapel – 4 pieces
- Collar — 4 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Lapel – 2 pieces
- Collar — 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the designated pieces.
- Stitch the princess seams of the upper back, press seam allowances towards the center, and overlock.
- Fold collar pieces in pairs right sides together and stitch the outer edge up to the mark. Clip seam allowances at the mark, turn the collar right side out, and press. Fold lapel pieces in pairs right sides together and stitch the outer edge up to the mark. Clip seam allowances at the mark, turn the lapel right side out, and press. Place collars with lapels and stitch along the lapel line, press seam allowances open.
- Stitch shoulder seams, press seam allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Overlock the edge of the self-facing of the upper center front, press the facing to the wrong side and hem with blind stitches. Attach the lapel with the collar to the side front and the back neckline, inserting the center. Press seam allowances away from the center and overlock.
- Stitch darts on the lower back and front parts, press dart depths towards the center of the pieces. Stitch the upper and lower parts of the front and back, press seam allowances downwards and overlock.
- Overlock the center back edges separately on each piece. Stitch the center back seam from the mark to the lower edge, press seam allowances open. Insert the zipper.
- Stitch side seams, press 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 hem allowance of the dress and sleeve, press to the wrong side and hem with blind stitches.
