Tailored Vest Dress
A sophisticated women's sewing pattern for a tailored vest dress, featuring a sharp notched lapel collar and a double-breasted front.
When To Wear
This tailored dress is designed for versatile wear, making it an ideal choice for:
- Business & Professional Settings: Its polished silhouette and structured details are perfect for the office or formal meetings.
- Smart Casual Gatherings: Easily dressed down with a top underneath for a chic, contemporary look.
- Special Occasions: The refined design makes it suitable for events requiring elegant and distinctive attire.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: a fitted, straight silhouette that subtly tapers through the waist, providing a flattering and structured line.
Neckline & Collar: Features a classic V-neckline framed by a sharp notched lapel collar, enhancing its tailored appeal.
Closure: a sophisticated double-breasted front secured with three visible buttons, plus one internal hidden button for a clean finish.
Sleeves: a sleek sleeveless design, offering a modern and streamlined profile.
Back: Tailored with elegant princess seams for shaping, a refined center back seam, and a functional vent at the hem for comfortable movement.
Waist: Defined by subtle shaping darts on the front and contouring princess seams on the back.
Length: a chic knee-length hem, providing a versatile and appropriate cut for various occasions.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. This pattern requires confident sewing skills, including precise collar and lapel construction, effective use of interfacing, accurate dart and seam matching, and the assembly of a tailored back vent.
Fabric Recommendations
Choose dress fabrics with a suitable drape and body to support tailoring details and hold the garment's structure:
- Dress fabrics made from natural or blended fibers
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing
- 3 buttons
- 1 hidden button
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, seam allowances are included. If the contour is single, seam allowances are not included. Seam allowances: all seams 1 cm; hem allowance for the dress bottom – 3 cm; slit allowance - 6 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 (don't forget to account for paired and symmetrical pieces).
- From main fabric:
- Center back - 2 pieces
- Side back - 2 pieces
- Front bodice — 2 pieces
- Collar – 2 pieces
- Front facing - 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing – 1 piece
- From fusible interfacing:
- Front facing - 2 pieces
- Back neckline facing – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- Stitch the back princess seams, press allowances open. On the left back piece, along the vertical edge of the slit, cut off 5 cm. On both back pieces, from the wrong side, interface the slit. On the right side, mark the center seam line (the slit fold line). Press the left piece along the slit fold line; on the right piece, press only the allowance of the right side of the slit (6 cm) to the wrong side. Align the pieces along the center seam and secure at the upper edge of the slit. Overlock the center back seam separately on each piece. Overlock the slit allowances. Stitch the center back seam up to the slit corner. Clip the corner of the slit seam allowance on the right piece. Press the center seam allowances open, press the slit allowances and secure them with machine stitching.
- Stitch the bust and waist darts on the front bodice. Press bust dart depths upwards, waist darts - towards the center.
- Stitch the side and shoulder seams, press allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Place the upper collar and undercollar right sides together and stitch the ends and outer edge. Trim allowances at the corners, clip at the mark, turn the collar right side out, shape and press.
- Place the front facing and front bodice right sides together and stitch the front edge and lapel up to the mark. Clip allowances at the mark, turn pieces right side out, shape, and press.
- Stitch the shoulder seams of the front facings and back neckline facing, press allowances open. Overlock the outer edges.
- Attach the undercollar to the main neckline, and the upper collar to the facing neckline, press allowances open, and secure them together. Secure the shoulder seams of the front facings to the shoulder seams of the garment.
- Cut (if not ready-made) a bias binding 4 cm wide and a length equal to the armhole length + 5 cm. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Place the binding with the armhole edge right sides together and stitch. Clip allowances. Fold the binding to the wrong side and topstitch along the fold to the main piece. Press the seam.
- Overlock the bottom edge of the dress, press to the wrong side and hem with blind stitches.
- Overlock buttonholes and sew on buttons. Sew on a hidden button.
