So I have a growing pile of dresses like this…
Fairly large and either shapeless or oddly shaped.
This particular dress has been in my pile for about a year and a half. A long time I know but I really liked the print of the dress but I have been absolutely stumped by the shape and how to fix it.
So just on sunday I decided to take some before pictures of a few of these big dresses just in case I was inspired at some point and didn’t want to wait around and take before pictures and when I was putting the dress on I realized I liked how it looked with an empire waist and I remembered that on Burdastyle theres an awesome contour bust pattern which is great but I now know is too big for me.
So I chopped the top off of the dress and left the waistband.
I cheated and used the zipper that was already in place on the skirt and took in the sides enough to keep it up.
So the thing is I like how it turned out but I sort of wonder if it would be better as a shorter dress. Like if I carefully take it up from the waist so I can save the stripes at the hem. I think it would be fairly easy but do you think its a good idea?? Save me!
Thanks for your help!
PS So I am super excited I made my own signature… problem was I had no clue what my signature should be. My Blog name? My real name? A combination? I still have no clue but this is it for a start.
Oooh, love it! I would shorten it just a few inches…maybe two or four?
And your signature is cute- I like it as is.
I think just above the knee would be perfect! LOVE it!
I think a few inches should do. I wish i had the sewing talent you have! And the signature is a nice touch!
What if you made it into a romper!!! I think that would be great.
I think shortening it by a few inches would be very cute… though it’s already quite sweet! I too have that pile of odd-shaped dresses waiting for something to happen to them…
I would keep it exactly as it is. . . did you use a pattern? I have been wanting and wanting to make a dress with a sweetheart bust! I am absolutely envious of your skills.
Ya I linked to the pattern from Burdastyle which I used for the top half.
i really like it the way it is, but it would be an awful cute short dress or romper, as said above!!!!
I have so many dresses right now that are so very unshapely. and i have had them hanging up on the wall to figure out how to make them lovable.
This print is very cool, glad you got the inspiration for a refashion. I think it actually works at the current length, it has a nice retro vibe, but it’s not exactly versatile… If it were shorter you could pair it with more stuff, maybe even wear shirts under it to change the look.
Love what you’ve done with this dress – Super cute! Personally, I’d shorten it to just above the knee, as long as you can do it and keep the border print part. I prefer my dresses knee-length, or just above the knee, so it makes me look taller!
Could you shorten it from the top? Unpick it and lop off a few inches at the top of the skirt? I really like the lines at the hem, but agree that it should hit above the knee.
Wonderful upcycle, Angie! That bodice turned out perfectly and makes it so much more feminine than it was before.
Show off your great legs, girl.
If you chopped it, would you transplant the horizontal stripe at the bottom higher? Or would you cut that off and create a new hem of geometric shapes?
I think Id keep the stripes
Hi Angie,
I think you have a very good eye for dodgy looking clothes that you can make look stunning. well done.
I think it wants to be shorter, but really wants to keep the border. If you cut off the border then shorten the rest and sew the border back on, you would still get that clean cut look the border gives to the bottom of the dress.
The easiest way would be to carefully cut above the border, leaving a seam allowance. Then chop the rest to what would be the right length (with Seam allowance) and sew the border back on.
I was also thinking…not sure if you like a bit of ruffle, but you could use excess to add a bit of ruffle to the top of the bodice. If you think the bodice is too big, it might just create a bit of something that fills in gapping bits without having to take it apart to fix it.
Good luck! you are an inspiration.
Sandy in the UK
I think it should come up above your knees a bit. The easiest way would be to measure up from the bottom and take a few 2 inch or so horizontal tucks above the border print. Do you know what I mean? This is how we shorten petticoats for theatre. It can be done so the fold is on the underside of the fabric so you just see a seam on the outside which would most likely not be noticeable anyway. I’m better visually so if what I wrote doesn’t make sense and you want to try it just email or hit me up at my blog. Nice work by the way.
ps if someone else already wrote something like this, I aplogize. I didn’t read all the comments. Hee.
cut it, but just a tad, so that it hits JUST above the knee.
Love the dress!
I think you should keep it as long as possible since you already have so many short dresses. But I also do think you should shorten it a few inches.
i think you should either cut it or keep the length and make it a jumper!
No no don’t cut the hem! And you don’t have to unpick the top – Just sew a few tucks around the hem above the detail. That way you get to keep the fabulous hem and add to the interest! I shortened a great skirt that way the other day…. and it doesn’t need to be too short, just knee length to balance out the strapless top. Great dress! i always love your refashion posts, btw….x
Or maybe the terminology is a sideways pleat, or a long horizontal tuck… how do you call them??
Pretty! I’m one of those who’ve voted to cut it off though
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What size would you say the contour bust-dress is? I really like it, but I don’t want to waste time on it if it’s way too big for me (and I’m tiny, so chances are…).
Is it much bigger than my Tea-top pattern (I love your versions of it, btw)?
I usually make the size 34 and its much too big for me. I’d say its a 36 or 38 but you could try to adjust it?