Tied with a bow: Vogue 1176

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!