DIY Tie-Front Dress

The concept for this dress has been gestating in my mind for weeks. I have spent the summer obsessed with open front dresses, dresses with cutouts, and '50s style beach babe cover-ups. When I stumbled upon some sweet candy-cane striped fabric at Joanns, my decision was made. Think modern married to retro chic.

The dress is actually a Frankenstein-like mixture of patterns. I modified a darted bodice to include the triangular cutout and ties, then I used the front pocketed skirt pattern from another. Being without a dress mannequin, I have to use my own figure to make the perfect fit. This means pulling on and off the dress about a 1,000 times, taking it in quite a bit here and a little there before the fit is perfect. One of the challenges with this dress was keeping the waist band tight enough so that it didn't gape when I stood still. Too tight and I couldn't sit down comfortably in it, but too loose and you could look down the skirt front. After much trial and error, I finally got it right.

This dress just announces summer fun. It is so light and airy with classic lines and baring just enough skin. Once complete, I tossed this sucker on and spent the rest of the day frolicking in the sunshine.

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Dress: self-made, necklace: thrifted, purse: vintage Coach