One dress: three ways

I recently posted about my Little Folks Sweetheart Dress, which I made using New Look 6723. This pattern is commonly referred to as the Audrey Hepburn dress, because when made with the bateau option in black, it is similar to the LBD Holly Golightly wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

I've made this pattern twice before, and each time I've made alterations to impact the final design. While all three have similar components — princess seams, knee-length skirt, etc., — each dress also has significant design differences.

The Little Folks dress followed the pattern explicitly... only substituting a blind hem and invisible zipper for a hand-stitched hem and standard zipper. I chose view D, the sleeveless dress with a sweetheart neckline.

The following two dresses were each made with the same pattern, but with significant modifications. The first time I made the dress, I attempted to emulate an Armani design I had recently seen. The dress featured a reverse pleat skirt and a wide midriff band, resembling a cummerbund.

And my interpretation:

The reverse pleat was an easy enough alteration and I made a wide sash to mimic the midriff. The fabric is a men's shirting material that I found in the red tag clearance section for $2-$3/yard. In total, including the zipper and thread, the dress cost less than $10... certainly not Armani, but about 1% of the cost.

The second time I used the pattern, I wanted something more dramatic. Our 12-year anniversary was fast approaching, and I wanted a sexy, romantic frock to wear out to dinner with my husband. Months before, I had ordered navy silk twill fabric, which I got at a deep discount - about $5/yard. I traced the bodice pattern and set about making changes... first, the neckline became a v-neck. Simple enough. Next, I cut the back into a deeeep V.

Probably too deep -- without some hook and eyes above the zipper and the sash belt, this dress would probably never stay on... the shoulders slip as it is. I realize now that I probably should have started with a different pattern for the bodice, as the shoulders are set too wide on this particular design. Live and learn. I still love the dress! I wore it to dinner and dancing and felt beautiful in it. Of course, my company that evening might have had something to do with my mood.

Once again, I garnered inspiration from NeimanMarcus.com for the skirt portion of this dress. (Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this...) This time, the classic Prada belted dress.

Instead of a gathered skirt, I made two inverted pleats on each side of the front skirt and added a belt-like sash. The back detail is inspired by Cynthia Rowley's Simplicity 2593.

Just a few fun ideas to incorporate some high fashion into my wardrobe... and still have enough money left over to pay my mortgage.