Sleeveless Asymmetrical Bodice Dress
A women's sleeveless knee-length sheath dress with an asymmetric bodice: on the right side a separate curved upper panel at the front and back is held by a strap with a decorative buckle. Seamed waistband, front skirt seam with a slit, invisible zipper in the left side seam.
When To Wear
- Daytime office wear in warm weather, alone or under a jacket.
- Evening events and receptions in summer.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Close-fitting sheath, shaped with darts in the bodice and the skirt.
Length: Knee length.
Neckline: Round, finished with an interfaced front and back facing.
Front: Main bodice with darts. Over the right side sits a curved upper front panel, its upper edge turned in and topstitched, joined at the side seam to a matching upper back panel and caught in the armhole facing seam.
Closure: Invisible zipper in the left side seam; the right shoulder opens with two buttons and buttonholes.
Sleeves: Sleeveless; armholes bound with a self-fabric bias strip 4 cm wide, folded in half.
Back: Upper back with a dart; lower back in two pieces with darts and a centre back seam; strap and right panel repeated on the back.
Waist: Separate front and back waistband between bodice and skirt.
Skirt: Front cut in two unequal parts with an off-centre seam ending in a slit at the hem, edgestitched 0.3 cm along the slit.
Finishing: Front and back straps stitched and turned, length set at fitting, joined with a decorative buckle.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Asymmetric bodice with layered panels, facings with inserted pieces, an invisible zipper, bias-bound armholes, a button shoulder opening.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics from natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (front and back facings)
- Invisible zipper
- 2 buttons
- Decorative buckle
- Bias tape 4 cm wide (or cut from self fabric)
Cutter's Must
From main fabric:
- Upper Right Back – 1 piece
- Upper Left Back – 1 piece
- Back Waistband – 1 piece (cut on fold)
- Lower Back – 2 pieces
- Upper Right Front – 1 piece
- Upper Left Front – 1 piece
- Front Waistband – 1 piece
- Lower Right Front – 1 piece
- Lower Left Front – 1 piece
- Front Facing – 1 piece
- Back Facing – 1 piece
- Back Strap – 1 piece
- Front Strap – 1 piece
From fusible interfacing:
- Front Facing – 1 piece
- Back Facing – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- Fuse interfacing to the Front Facing and Back Facing.
- Stitch the darts on the front pieces. Press the dart allowances upwards. Stitch the dart on the Upper Left Back. Press the dart allowance towards the center.
- Stitch the side seam of the Upper Right Back and Upper Right Front. Overlock the allowance and press it towards the back. Overlock the upper edge of these pieces, fold the allowance to the inside and topstitch.
- Stitch the right shoulder seam. Overlock the allowance and press it towards the back.
- Stitch the shoulder seam of the Front Facing and Back Facing. Press the allowance open. Overlock the outer edge. Place the facing on the front and back, align the edges and stitch, inserting the Upper Right Back and Upper Right Front. Trim the allowances at the corners and clip at the curves. Turn the facing to the wrong side and press. Overlock the left side edges separately.
- Stitch the dart on the Lower Left Front. Press the dart allowance towards the center. Overlock the edges of the front skirt seam (Lower Right Front and Lower Left Front) separately. Stitch the seam up to the slit mark. Press the allowances open. Stitch a securing line along the slit 0.3 cm from the edge. Attach the Front Waistband to the lower front. Overlock the allowance and press it towards the waistband.
- Stitch the darts on the Lower Back pieces. Press the dart allowances towards the center. Stitch the center back seam. Press the allowances open. Attach the Back Waistband to the lower back. Overlock the allowance and press it towards the waistband.
- Stitch the right side seam of the lower parts. Overlock the allowance and press it towards the back. Overlock the left side edges separately. Stitch the left side seam from the zipper mark to the hem. Press the allowances open.
- Join the upper and lower parts of the dress. Overlock the allowances and press them towards the waistband.
- Insert the invisible zipper into the left side seam.
- Cut (if not ready-made) a bias binding 4 cm wide and the length of the armhole + 4 cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Place the binding on the armhole edge on the right side and stitch, then turn the binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold onto the garment.
- Fold the Front Strap and Back Strap in half lengthwise, right sides together. Stitch along one long and one short side. Trim the allowances at the corners, turn right side out and press. Overlock the open short sides. Attach the straps to the Upper Right Front and Upper Right Back. Adjust the length of the straps and sew on the decorative buckle.
- Overlock the lower edge of the garment, press the hem allowance to the wrong side and topstitch.
- Make buttonholes on the right shoulder edge. Sew the buttons onto the back.
