Summer Sewing #2: Strapless Dress

 I took a two week long class on how to make and fit a strapless dress using couture techniques. I chose to make a knit dress which required a lot more work than I had originally planned. This means a lot more hand stitching to work fit- because seam ripping knit is a nightmare.

 The inside features its own bustier. The dress is meant to be worn without a bra, and can stay up on my body without any special features like straps. The bustier was draped and fit by me, to fit me. It has steal boning, under wire and fusible fleece for support at the bust. The buster has a separate center back zipper that is hidden. 

The front bodice features structured princess seams and then transitions into a draped back.  To close the outer dress, there is an invisible side zipper. Instead of creating fit with darts or gathering, I decided to let the skirt cowl and have an open back.  It adds a little sex appeal, and is the main feature that makes this different from any others. The skirt has a very slight a-line with a side slit at the seam.

These are some details of the dress in process, a little closer look as to how a bustier looks on the inside. I took a corset making class before the strapless dress class, which is where I learned how to apply boning and fit. I am super excited to know the how to build the under structure of a strapless dress, because I will definitely be designing more in the future!

My next post will showcase two corsets I made, so stay tuned!