The Silk Road

From the birth of Pop Art to the renaissance of Art Noveau, cutie jackets with curved French darts, the brilliant glow of hope for a better world, nude lips and sleek hair…There’s something chic about the Sixties allure. This dress would be completely authentic if it were made of polyester and not quite so short. True, the miniskirt was a product of the Sixties alternately credited to both Mary Quant* of London and Andre Courreges of France, but most A-line dresses fashioned in the characteristic subtlety of mod style usually have a hemline that falls “just” above the knee.

I’m going to demonstrate with photos how I made this dress so that you will be able to create one that is similar for yourself. You can easily lengthen (or shorten) the pattern I’ll suggest here, and you are not limited to using the same fabric as I chose for myself. Recommended fabrics for this project are cotton, hemp, or silk. I would even use wool if you like fine wool dresses, however that would require a lining and this garment is nicely breathable and washable without one.

I drafted this pattern for myself using a Dutch patternmaking method but you can use almost any dress pattern as long as it fits you. It’s very easy to retrace a pattern from one that you bought or made previously and alter some parts of it to make a dress like this. The most important factor is to use a pattern that you know will fit you well. Burda makes some nice patterns if you are just starting out. Remember: just because a pattern lists off your measurements doesn’t necessarily mean it will fit without some alterations. If you are using a new pattern for the first time I recommend that you make a sample out of cheap cotton muslin or some other non-stretchy fabric. You can use stretchy fabric for the dress but not for a sample as you don’t want to risk distorting the fit. For a dress pattern to work you need to ensure the sample fits you from the neckline to past the hip, but it’s unnecessary to make a long gown as you won’t be wearing the sample other than to test how the pattern fits you. You will be able to use your new, sophisticated dress pattern to make tops later on too.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Quant

Makeup: Face: Mad Minerals, Eyeliner: Smolder by MAC Makeup, Mascara: EccoBella, Kitten Heels: Kenneth Cole Reaction, Nylons: Hue.

You may not have much sewing or design experience but I’m going to show you exactly HOW TO MAKE THIS DRESS.

A BIG thank-you to Russ Hewitt Photography!

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