Gathered Empire Waist Deep V-Neck Dress

Gathered Empire Waist Deep V-Neck Dress

A sleeveless women's maxi dress with a deep V-neckline at the front and back and a seam under the bust. The front V is edged with folded inset bands, and a gathered panel set into the centre front of the skirt adds fullness from the bust seam down to the hem.

When To Wear

• Summer evenings, parties, weddings as a guest and holidays.
• With flat or heeled sandals; with a light jacket or shawl when it gets cool.

Key Design Features

Silhouette: Fitted bodice above a seam under the bust, with a skirt that falls straight and widens gradually to the hem.

Length: Floor length; hem overlocked, turned up and topstitched 0.5 cm from the edge.

Neckline: Deep V at the front, edged with two front inset bands folded in half lengthwise and stitched to the neckline edge of the upper fronts. Deep V at the back, finished with bias binding folded in half.

Sleeves: Sleeveless; armholes finished with bias binding.

Front: Upper front cut in two halves meeting at the point of the V; joined to the lower front by a horizontal seam under the bust.

Skirt: Lower front cut in two parts with a separate skirt inset between them at the centre front; the top of the inset is gathered into the bust seam.

Back: Upper and lower backs cut in pairs, joined by a seam at the same level as the front, with a centre back seam.

Closure: Concealed zip, 25 cm, in the upper part of the centre back seam.

Level Of Difficulty

Intermediate. A gathered inset panel, folded bands on a deep V-neckline, bias-bound armholes and back neckline, and a concealed zip that starts at the point of the back V.

Fabric Recommendations

Fabrics made of natural or blended fibres.

Additional Supplies

• Concealed zip, 25 cm
• Bias binding (armholes and back neckline)