Pattern: Vogue 1176, a Michael Kors Design
Fabric: 2 yds polka dot suiting (Rebecca Taylor, from Mood,) 2 yards red china silk lining
Shoes: Alfani
Notes: I’ve had this dress in my queue since it came out, but I kept waiting for someone to review it! I’ve finally seen one review, and they didn’t indicate that there was anything crazy, so late at night last week I got started. I was drawn to this design because of the pleated bodice and bow – pretty and striking, but not over the top with girliness.
I made a muslin and ended up taking in the bodice by 1″ and letting out the skirt by 1″ (I had originally cut an 8 bodice and waist and a 10 skirt.) In my opinion this ratio seemed a little off. I also shortened the skirt by 2″, giving me a hemline right at the top of my knees. I recommend this pattern highly – the pleated bodice went together really easily, and all the pieces were well drafted. It’s really not hard at all, just follow the directions (and make a muslin… there are no finished bust measurements provided on the tissue.)
I had a few issues. The skirt is eased onto the bodice, giving a bit of a puffy effect. I had a little trouble easing the back, but I managed. It seems that it was designed for someone with a less flat behind than I have, because as you can see the back is a little loose. The darts were identical for all sizes, which may be the problem… shouldn’t they be different? I would reduce them if I made the dress again. The other issue was not the pattern – it was my fabric! This fabric has a stitched stripe, and it was really easy to accidentally snag. You can see a row on the back that has a little pulling. I don’t know if I can recommend the fabric for that reason – I had to make the straps twice because I somehow lost a row of stitching!
I like this dress in a suiting, because it’s appropriate for day (with a sweater or jacket) or evening. I can’t believe it hasn’t been more popular – it’s fabulous, and seemingly not nearly as hard as some of the other Kors designs (like the Starlet dress… someday!) Now I’m going to take a few nights off from sewing – I had a sinus infection this weekend, so I stayed in and literally only sewed this dress!