Belted Utility Shirt Dress with Tab Sleeves
A women's button-through shirt dress with a stand collar, front and back yokes, box-pleated chest pockets with buttoned flaps and sleeves cut in one with the body. It has no waist seam: a separate buckled belt, held by belt loops, gathers it at the waist.
When To Wear
- Spring and summer days, with sandals, sneakers or ankle boots.
- Travel and city walks, with the sleeves rolled up and buttoned on their tabs.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Straight and loose, drawn in at the waist by the belt.
Length: Around the knee.
Collar: Interfaced stand collar with parallel topstitching.
Sleeves: Cut in one with the front and back and sewn together with the side seams, finished with a folded cuff. A buttoned tab inside each sleeve holds it when rolled up.
Front: Separate topstitched button placket from neckline to hem. Front yoke seams topstitched 0.2 and 0.5 cm from the seam.
Pockets: Two patch pockets on the chest, each with a box pleat topstitched 0.2 cm from the folds, and a topstitched flap with a buttonhole caught into the front yoke seam.
Back: One piece cut on the fold, under a yoke that dips to a point at the centre back, topstitched 0.2 and 0.5 cm from the seam.
Waist: Topstitched belt with a buckle, carried by belt loops at the side seams and the centre back.
Finishing: Hem turned and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A stand collar, a sewn-on placket, pleated patch pockets with flaps set into a yoke seam, roll-up tabs, a belt with loops and a lot of double topstitching.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics from natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (belt, collar stand, flaps, placket, cuffs, tabs)
- 16 buttons
- Belt buckle
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Back - 1 piece on fold
- Back yoke – 1 piece on fold
- Front yoke - 2 pieces
- Front - 2 pieces
- Collar stand – 2 pieces
- Pocket – 2 pieces
- Flap – 4 pieces
- Placket – 2 pieces
- Belt loop – 1 piece
- Tab – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Belt – 1 piece on fold
- From fusible interfacing:
- Belt – 1 piece on fold
- Collar stand – 1 piece
- Flap – 2 pieces
- Placket – 2 pieces
- Cuff – 2 pieces
- Tab – 2 pieces
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- Fuse interfacing to the designated pieces.
- Attach the back yoke to the back. Overlock seam allowances and press towards the yoke. Topstitch at 0.2 and 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Fold flap pieces right sides together in pairs and stitch the side and bottom edges. Trim seam allowances, turn right side out, and press. Topstitch along the bottom and side edges. Make buttonholes.
- Form and secure the box pleat on the pocket. Secure the pleat folds with topstitching at 0.2 cm from the fold. Overlock the upper edges of the pocket. Fold the upper allowance to the wrong side, stitch, and press. Overlock the lower and side allowances of the pocket. Press the lower and side allowances of the pocket to the wrong side and press. Topstitch the pocket onto the front according to markings with two parallel stitches. Attach the front yoke to the front, inserting the flap. Overlock seam allowances and press upwards. Topstitch at 0.2 and 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Attach the outer placket to the front. Press seam allowance towards the placket. Fold the placket to the wrong side, turn under the raw edge, and topstitch from the right side at 0.2 cm from the fold. Topstitch parallel decorative stitches along the placket.
- Stitch shoulder seams, press allowances towards the back, and overlock.
- Fold collar stand pieces right sides together and stitch the upper edge. Trim seam allowances, turn right side out, and press. Attach the upper collar stand to the garment neckline. Fold the allowance of the lower collar stand to the wrong side and topstitch into the seam of the upper collar stand attachment. Topstitch parallel decorative stitches.
- Stitch side seams, simultaneously with the sleeve seam. Press allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Stitch the cuff into a loop. Press seam allowances open. Fold the cuff in half lengthwise and press. Attach the outer cuff to the sleeve, fold the allowance of the inner cuff to the wrong side and topstitch into the seam of the outer cuff attachment.
- Fold the tab in half lengthwise right sides together and stitch the long and one short side. Trim seam allowances, turn right side out, and press. Topstitch along the finished edges. Make buttonholes. Fold the raw edge inwards and topstitch the tab onto the sleeve according to markings from the wrong side.
- Fold the belt loop in half lengthwise right sides together and stitch along the long side. Then turn right side out, straighten the seam, positioning it on the fold, and press. Topstitch parallel stitches at 0.2 cm from the folds. Cut belt loops to size.
- Fold the belt in half lengthwise, right sides together, trim the extension on one side. Stitch the belt along the two short and long sides, leaving a technological opening. Trim seam allowances at the corners, turn the belt right side out, close the opening. Topstitch parallel decorative stitches along the belt contour. Thread and secure the decorative buckle.
- Adjust the position of the belt loops. Topstitch the belt loops onto the side seams and the center back.
- Overlock the hem allowance, press to the wrong side, and topstitch.
- Make buttonholes and sew on buttons.
