i haven’t seen a lot of online reviews for this pattern, which is a shame because i think it is a really great design/pattern and it is drafted beautifully.
i made this to wear to various weddings i will be attending this year. i fell in love with the original michael kors dress, aka my ~inspiration~, but at $2500 that wasn’t going to fly with my bank account:
but it is lovely, no?
fortunately, michael kors released the rights of the design to vogue, who made a pattern for it!
unfortunately, the envelope and styling is ugly as hell:
Pattern Description: lined, fitted, below mid-knee length dress has pleated bodice, invisible back zipper, and center back slit.
Pattern Sizing: 4-18. i cut the bodice in a 6 and the rest of the dress in an 8.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? for the most part! mine is MUCH more fitted than the pattern envelope (but looks more like the runway version).
Were the instructions easy to follow? other than a few hairy parts involving the side insets, the instructions were fairly straight-forward and didn’t leave me with a lot of head-scratching. i did quite a bit of research before diving into this pattern (vogue labels it “intermediate” but a lot of the blogs i read felt it was more “advanced” and yes, i was afraid), so i was mostly prepared.
link 1
link 2
link 3
definitely definitely DEFINITELY check these out if you plan on making this dress. they saved mine from becoming a total wadder!
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? i LOVE the bodice pleating… i think it is so flattering. i love that the dress is fully lined, and that they drafted a separate lining (as opposed to the usual cut-out-your-pattern-pieces-in-lining-and-drop-them-in) and i love the facing on the lining. i think the whole effect looks very professional.
Fabric Used: i used a great cotton twill from gorgeous fabrics. my lining was a slinky black polyester, although i wish i had used rayon… polyester gets HOT.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: a full bust adjustment (my first!!!) to accommodate mah bewbs. i had to throw in some darts along the back neckline bc it gapped a little. also, i had a small issue with the lining making it WAY too tight in the butt/hips… i ended up letting out the seam allowance until it was about 1/4″. i’m still not really sure why that happened, since the actual dress fit perfectly all over.
Would you sew it again? i think i would like to do this in a soft lightweight wool suiting… similar to what the model is wearing on the pattern envelope (albeit with less ease). and i would use rayon lining bc i am pretty sure that i hate polyester forever.
Conclusion: i love this dress and my only regret is that i don’t get enough opportunity to wear it!
pictures:
obligatory muslin shot
bodice detailing
pleating detailing
lining & facing
LLADYBIRD 
Cute dress – you did a great job!!!
Absolutely gorgeous dress!