Asymmetric Collar Short Sleeve Belted Dress
A women's knee-length dress with a waist seam and short set-in sleeves, a wide asymmetric collar closed by a shoulder yoke with three buttons, two lined patch pockets, and a 4 cm leather belt held by buttoned loops.
When To Wear
- In summer and early autumn for the office and everyday wear.
- With flat shoes or sandals; in cotton or light denim as a day dress.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Semi-fitted, shaped by darts and a waist seam.
Length: Just above the knee.
Collar: Wide asymmetric collar set into the neckline, topstitched 0.5 cm from the edge.
Front: Upper front with bust and waist darts, lower front with waist darts. On the left shoulder a separate yoke overlaps the front with a placket and is closed with three buttons sewn through both layers.
Sleeves: Short, one-piece set-in sleeves.
Closure: Concealed zip in the left side seam.
Pockets: Two rounded patch pockets on the lower front, lined and topstitched 0.5 cm; a belt loop is cut together with each pocket lining.
Back: Waist darts, centre back seam and a vent in the lower back; two belt loops sewn into the waist seam.
Waist: Waist seam on front and back; four belt loops in total, each fastened with a button; the belt is threaded through them.
Finishing: Seams overlocked; 2 cm hems of the dress and sleeves topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A buttoned shoulder yoke, a collar sewn in with the inner edge topstitched over, a concealed zip, a back vent and lined patch pockets.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics of natural or blended fibres: cotton, light denim.
Additional Supplies
- Concealed zip
- Fusible interfacing (closure placket on the front, vent)
- Lining fabric for the pockets
- 7 buttons
- Leather belt, 4 cm wide
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, they include seam allowances. If the contour is single, the patterns do not include seam allowances. Seam allowances: all seams 1 cm; hem allowance for dress bottom and sleeve bottom – 2.0 cm. Attention! First, print out the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (fabric width can be from 90cm to 150cm) to determine how much material you will need (do not forget to account for paired and symmetrical pieces). Markings on patterns are on the right side.
- From main fabric:
- Upper back - 2 pieces
- Lower back - 2 pieces
- Upper front – 1 piece
- Lower front - 1 piece
- Yoke — 1 piece
- Pocket — 2 pieces
- Belt loop — 6 pieces
- Collar — 2 pieces
- Sleeve - 2 pieces
- From lining:
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- Stitch the belt loop to the pocket lining. Press the seam open. Fold the pocket with the lining right sides together and stitch along the contour, leaving the side edge open. Clip curves, trim corners, turn pieces right side out and press. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the edge.
- Fold the remaining belt loop pieces in pairs right sides together and stitch along the contour, leaving the bottom edge open. Trim corners, turn pieces right side out and press. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the edge.
- Stitch darts on back pieces. Press darts towards the center seam. Stitch upper and lower back parts, inserting belt loops into the seam. Belt loops are positioned in the middle of the dart. Press seam down and overlock. Topstitch belt loops along the transverse mark.
- On both lower back pieces, reinforce the vent from the wrong side. On the right side, mark the center seam line (vent fold line). Stitch the center back edge up to the vent corner. Clip the vent seam allowance corner. Overlock the center back seam and vent allowances separately. Press center seam allowances to the left side. Press the right side of the vent 1 cm to the wrong side and topstitch. Press vent allowances towards the left side seam and topstitch along the top with a machine stitch.
- Stitch darts on front pieces. Press waist darts towards the center front, bust darts - upwards. Stitch upper and lower front parts. Press seam down and overlock.
- Mark the pocket attachment line on the lower front, and a transverse mark at the dart level on the upper front. Topstitch the pocket along the outer contour up to the transverse mark and along it.
- Reinforce the placket allowance for the closure only on the front piece. Overlock and press the placket allowance on the front and on the yoke. Secure the front to the yoke along the armhole line.
- Stitch shoulder seams and the right side seam, press allowances towards the back and overlock. Overlock the left side seam separately and stitch, leaving the section between the marks unstitched. Press the seam open, pressing the zipper opening. Insert the zipper.
- Fold collar pieces right sides together and stitch the ends and the outer edge of the collar. Start and end stitching strictly at the marked collar attachment seam line. Turn the finished collar right side out, straighten corners and press. Stitch the outer edge of the collar to the neckline, aligning the round mark on the collar with the center back seam. Press the seam towards the collar. Turn under the open inner edge of the collar and topstitch into the collar attachment seam. Topstitch 0.5 cm from the collar edge. Secure the front and yoke together along the collar attachment seam.
- Stitch the sleeve edge. Press the seam and overlock. Set sleeves into armholes, aligning notches. Press the seam and overlock.
- Overlock the hem allowance for the dress bottom and sleeve bottom, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
- On the front and belt loops, sew buttons through according to markings. Thread the strap through the belt loops.
