Structured Wrap-Front Dress
A women's fitted knee-length dress with a mock-wrap bodice edged with plackets, a small stand collar, set-in waistband panels front and back, a front skirt seam ending in a vent and a concealed zip in the left side seam.
When To Wear
- At the office and for business meetings, with court shoes or under a jacket.
- For daytime events in spring and summer; the short sleeves suit warm weather.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted, shaped with bust darts and waist darts on the front and back, with a straight skirt.
Length: Around the knee.
Collar: Two-piece stand collar with rounded ends that stop at the plackets, set into the neckline and stitched in the ditch on the inside.
Front: Separate upper right and upper left fronts, each edged along the diagonal neckline with a double interfaced placket with a curved upper end. The right front is laid over the left and stitched through all layers, so the wrap does not open.
Waist: A straight waistband panel set between the bodice and the skirt on both the front and the back.
Skirt: The lower front is cut in two parts joined by a vertical seam off the centre, which ends in a vent at the hem; vent allowance 6 cm, interfaced.
Closure: Concealed zip in the left side seam.
Sleeves: Short, set-in, one-piece sleeves.
Back: Centre back seam through the upper and lower back, waist darts, back waistband panel.
Finishing: Seams overlocked; 2.5 cm hems on the dress and sleeves, turned up and topstitched.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Darts, a waistband panel joining bodice and skirt, a vent in a seam, double plackets joined in a mock wrap, a stand collar and a concealed zip.
Fabric Recommendations
Dress fabrics made from natural or blended fibres.
Additional Supplies
- Concealed zip (left side seam)
- Fusible interfacing (one right placket, one left placket, one stand collar piece, vent area)
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 the garment bottom and sleeve hem – 2.5 cm, vent 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 (do not forget to account for paired and symmetrical details).
- From main fabric:
- Upper Back – 2 pieces
- Back Waistband – 1 piece
- Lower Back – 2 pieces
- Lower Right Front – 1 piece
- Lower Left Front – 1 piece
- Front Waistband – 1 piece
- Upper Right Front – 1 piece
- Upper Left Front – 1 piece
- Right Placket – 2 pieces
- Left Placket – 2 pieces
- Stand Collar – 2 pieces
- Sleeve – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Right Placket – 1 piece
- Left Placket – 1 piece
- Stand Collar – 1 piece
Sewing Instructions
When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match! Markings on the patterns are on the right side!
- Fuse interfacing to one Right Placket, one Left Placket and one Stand Collar piece.
- Stitch darts on back and front pieces, press waist dart depths towards the center of the pieces, and bust darts upwards.
- Stitch the center back seam on the upper and lower back parts, press allowances to the left side and overlock.
- Attach the Back Waistband to the upper back, press the allowances onto the waistband and overlock. Attach the lower back to the Back Waistband, press allowances onto the waistband and overlock.
- On the Lower Left Front, trim 5 cm off the vertical vent edge. On both lower front pieces, fuse interfacing to the vent area on the wrong side. On the right side, mark the seam line (vent fold line). Press the Lower Left Front along the vent fold line; on the Lower Right Front press only the vent allowance (6 cm) to the wrong side. Align the pieces along the seam line and baste them together at the upper edge of the vent. Overlock the seam edges of the lower front separately on each piece. Overlock the vent allowances. Stitch the lower front seam from the upper edge to the vent corner. Clip the seam allowance at the vent corner on the right piece. Press the seam allowances open, press the vent allowances and secure them with machine stitching.
- Upper Left Front: place the two Left Placket pieces right sides together and stitch the outer edge. Clip the allowances on the curve, turn the placket right side out and press. Overlock the free edge of the inner placket. Attach the outer placket to the front, press the allowances onto the placket. Stitch in the ditch of the outer placket seam to secure the inner placket. Overlock the bias (front) edge. Upper Right Front: make the Right Placket the same way and attach the outer placket to the front, pressing the allowances onto the placket. Lay the right front over the left and stitch in the ditch of the outer placket seam through all layers, securing the inner placket and joining the fronts.
- Attach the Front Waistband to the upper front, press the allowances onto the waistband and overlock. Attach the lower front to the Front Waistband, press allowances onto the waistband and overlock.
- Overlock the left side seams separately on each piece. Stitch the left side seam from the armhole to the mark and from the zipper mark to the bottom. Insert the concealed zipper. Stitch shoulder and right side seams, press allowances towards the back and overlock.
- Place the Stand Collar pieces right sides together and stitch along the outer edge (start and end the stitching exactly at the marked neckline seam line). Clip the allowances, turn the stand right side out and press. Stitch the outer stand into the neckline, turn under the allowance of the inner stand and stitch in the ditch of the outer stand seam.
- Stitch sleeve seams, press allowances and overlock. Set sleeves into armholes, press allowances and overlock.
- Overlock the bottom edge of the garment and sleeves, press to the wrong side and topstitch.
