Hot weather dresses

We're having our first wave of hot weather here.   I like to wear dresses on warm days.    Here are three favorite silhouettes: 

Very Easy Vogue 8486 Dress  -   This is a well designed pattern with pleats secured by well engineered facings to hold them in place.  The pleats fall softly open up for an elegant look with  the benefit of wearing ease created by the open pleats.    If you don't do sleeveless, this pattern includes a  view with sleeves, which I've also sewn.   It's a very flattering style and you'll notice that Vogue has kept this pattern in the inventory for that reason.    I made this colorful one a year ago from a poly buttermilk and have had women come up to me and try to buy it!    The style is great for all ages.    I shortened it last week and gave it to my son's girlfriend who looks darling in it and loved the style -- and she's only 20!  

Vogue Pattern photo

 

McCalls 5701 Dress (now OOP)  If you have this pattern and haven't sewn it, what are you waiting for?   This is a knockoff of a Kors classic dress that is so flattering.   The shape, the structure, the cap sleeve, the back yoke and soft pleats make this a winner.    It has great wearing ease like the Vogue pattern.    No wrinkles when you stand up from sitting!    It is both stylish and comfortable and looks great under jackets.    More photos on Flickr.

McCalls pattern photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 







Striped cotton voile dress by Maeve from Anthropologie    I tried this dress on at the Charlotte NC store early spring of 2010 and decided to buy it.   This  dress has an amazing shape and is lined in soft cotton batiste.  Soft pleats give it  the same comfortable ease as the dresses above.   I've gotten my money out of this one.    Note the way they used the stripes in the design.    Even the bottom bias band has a tuck at the top that creates more interest and the neck band is twisted bias.    At the shoulder, there is a ribbon/snap to hold your bra straps in place.   These photos were taken May 2010 in Black Mountain NC.   I wore an orange cotton swimsuit bra and orange wedges.   I like orange and gray together so it didn't matter if the straps showed.