Pattern: Vogue 8028, view A

Fabric: Navy blue stretch corduroy (28 wale) from fabric.com

Cost to make: Fabric $12, Pattern $4, Buttons $9=$25 total

Boots: Nine West

I’ve never given much thought to the humble shirtdress, but lately I seem to be a bit obsessed with them!  This dress was inspired by the Refined Cord Shirtdress at Anthropologie this season.  My dress has a few differences – the waist is pleated rather than gathered, and I did not choose to add pockets to the bust.  Other than that, I think it’s pretty darned close! This pattern suffers from one of the worst envelope drawings yet, but it’s really cute made up!

A few pattern notes… I made a size 8 on top, 10 from the waist down.  It isn’t tight, but it’s perfect with a belt.  I made the shorter length, but I still chopped 4 inches off the bottom – what height are they making dress patterns for exactly?  This was my first collar with a stand, and it went pretty well – I made liberal use of some online tutorials!  I interfaced the collar with plain muslin, but left the cuffs and buttonband alone – this fabric is pretty stiff!  28 wale is pretty fine, and it’s almost got a velveteen appearance.  I don’t like stretch in corduroy because it makes a non drapey fabric even worse, but it’s working pretty well for me here.  It does pick up every piece of lint within a 50 mile radius (that’s why no close-ups – I ran out of lint roller sheets this morning!)

I like this dress so much that I’m making another, in this fabric:

Love this shirting.  This pattern is decent for plaids because you only have to match the center.  The cuffs and collar will be bias cut.   Hopefully I will finish it this week as well.  I have another shirtdress that I’m refashioning (it’s almost done, I just need some matching thread for the hem,) and at least one, possible two more that I will make this winter.  I’m happy to have a basic shirtdress fitted to me – it can be done in so many fabrics with different results!