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Home , Bustline, Neckline, Wrap (clothing), Wrap dress

Perfect the Learn how to make it fit and flatter your figure

BY CHRISTINE JONSON

Wrap offer comfort, flexibility, and easy sophistication.

Pattern: Vogue 8784; Fabric: crepe, Fabric.com (no longer available).

38 THREADS he is synonymous with Classic Front Wrap chic, easy-wearing, go-anywhere This is the most essential of wrap styles. It flatters the wearer based on good fit T . Its nearly universal ability alone—no extra design details are necessary. A classic front wrap is simple to sew, to flatter a woman’s figure is well-known, and many patterns are available. and it has become a fashion icon in its own right. The way fabric drapes, hugs, and folds across the body directs the eye, camou- flaging and enhancing the figure—and this is precisely why so many women love • Key elements are a streamlined silhouette, front V , fitted a wrap dress. Wrap dresses perfectly com- , and unfussy aesthetic. bine style, fit, and function. Interesting versions abound and make it possible for you to create a of chic and dependable dresses for any • May be fitted with darts, , or other occasion. The wrap dress just may be the shaping details. ideal dress for every woman, and once Wrap you identify your most flattering and comfortable style, you can whip up a wrap dress for every day of the week. • May have a , or bodice and In this article, I will discuss the advan- as one. tages and challenges of essential wrap dress styles, explain how key variations Dress affect the overall result, and share simple tips and techniques to solve common fit and construction problems.

PICK FLATTERING STYLE DETAILS A wrap dress can take many forms, depending on its cut, details, and silhou- ette. Determining your ideal wrap dress may take some experimentation, but the results are well worth the effort. • May have a slim skirt or To help you determine the style that an A-line skirt, which can be narrow or full. works best for your figure, consider a wrap dress’s primary elements—neckline shape and detail and skirt length and fullness—individually before evaluating how they work together. Careful thought Fitting and construction tips: and planning, along with the following suggestions, will help you determine the • For a stretch knit fabric, choose a best neckline and skirt variation for cre- without darts, facings, ating a dress with a balanced silhouette or a and with that flatters you. straight seamlines and Pattern: Vogue 8784; close-fitting armholes. Fabric: / blend Radiance, Fabric.com. Neckline shape and detail • For a nonstretch woven, A wrap dress’s overlapping bodice sec- choose a pattern with tions, which cross diagonally over center bust and waistline darts, front, naturally create a V neckline. It’s and a neckline that crosses the bust high at the most common neckline found on center front. continued ▸ ▸ ▸

www.threadsmagazine.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013 39 Fashion Detail Wrap Retro Back Wrap Showier design elements can Dresses that wrap to the back take the aesthetic in a modern, instead of the front were popular romantic, or avant-garde direction. in the 1950s and ’60s. The front Common details include draping, bodice fits securely and can be dramatic asymmetrical elements, made with any neckline shape, flounces, or ruching. The biggest while the back V neckline crosses challenge is maintaining a diagonally over an area of the balance between interesting body that requires very little design and a flattering fitting. There are few new pattern silhouette. designs for back-wrap dresses, but many vintage patterns, available.

• Back V beautifully highlights • The bodice may be the nape of the neck and fitted or more relaxed, upper back. with or without eye- catching elements.

• The front bodice fits • Slim wrap ties can securely and can be be used like a made with any neck- to further define line shape you wish. the .

• Details like dramatic asymmetry, cascades •  are fitted, or draping, ruching, with the waistline flounces, or origami positioned at the folds can highlight or natural waist. camouflage certain figure areas. • Details may include a wide waistline or closures.

•  are typically full and gathered or a full A-line.

Pattern: Colette Pattern: Butterick 5898; Crepe; Fabric: cotton Fabric: silk knit, eyelet, Fabric.com. MoodFabrics.com.

Fitting and construction tips: Fitting and construction tips: • Achieving proper fit • Choose patterns with details designed to in the front neckline camouflage or enhance the figure. is no different from fitting any other • Carefully evaluate patterns with lots of design pattern’s bodice. and draping; they may create too much volume. • Stable woven • Avoid excessive volume at the waist or at the chest, if fabrics are best. you’re busty. • Always make a • Neckline may need stabilizing to maintain proper fit. muslin to assess fit.

40 THREADS Photos: Jack Deutsch, stylist: Jessica Saal, hair and makeup: Sokphalla Ban for Halley Resources. Illustrations: Rosann Berry. Styling credits: (p. 38) —Robert Lee Morris (Macys.com), bracelet— (Macys.com), —Marc Fisher (LordAndTaylor.com); (pp. 39 and 43) necklace—(Anthropologie.com), bracelet—Anne Klein (Macys.com), shoes—Guess (Macys.com); (p. 40, left) and bracelet—Charter Club (Macys.com), shoes Enzo Angiolini (Macys.com); (p. 40, right) necklace—Carolee (Bloomingdales.com), shoes—Enzo Angiolini (Macys.com) www.threadsmagazine.com dress’sthe shape neckline complement to fullness and length skirt right the in choosing lies silhouette balanced to a key The lengthandshape Skirt look. the softens also shoulder and neckline effect at the or awaterfall folds creates that Draping neckline. to the roundness of element an it adds and whimsical, is band scalloped-edge A finish. more a substantial creates asimple band while look, the softens narrow drawsand attention a Adding face. to the appearance wrapclassic dress polished a gives a simple -style or to For better you. a adding example, edges front-bodice and neckline to the YouV neck. can apply avariety of details mayshapes stretch, or gape. sag, other dressand the it keep in place, helps by wrapping neckline on the tying and tension many placed too The problems. it can introduce because shape, neckline dress’s front-wrap a dramatically change shapes. differentneckline to use wrapped you style,enables which aback- or trying with additional details flatter, shape the ameliorating I suggest For shapes. face and not it those does wrap dresses, it and flattersmany figures A basic substantiallyV necklinecanbeenhanced avariety by details, of suchasabandededge, collar, shirt waterfall drape, oraflounce. But don’t you have to settle for aplain don’tI attempting to recommend flatter figure. your You any pattern’s canadjust figure. your bettersuit length andfullness—to skirt—in A wrap dress’s andcomplement fullness andlengthshouldbalance its bodice’s skirt styleanddetails, as aswell proportions. proportions. dress’s bottom and own your and between the balance creates best the that length the and its fullness, skirt dress’s style neckline and and bodice wrap figure, forconsider your the length To volume. the skirt ideal the determine or without itsdraping—to own balance paired best is with astraight skirt—with with Awrap draping bodice or folds full. from narrow to it and can vary designs, most bodice it balances most common; is A-line shape The shape. askirt ing choos when flatterto best your curves gatheredhave skirts. full, styles—may vintage some—particularly straight or skirt an A-line although skirt, wrap dresses with are either a designed figure. your as well as Most detail, and Consider waistline definition and how and definition waistline Consider

- falls gracefully falls into place. else everything area this well, fits When neckline’s bust. its and fitover the height, front by on the focusing challenges ting You awrap candress’s overcome fit FIT NECKLINE THE FINESSE of small tucks along the neckline edge edge of neckline small the tucksalong area. crucial this at body’s the hug and ease neckline curves bust the to below and reduceabove the shaping. Isuggest reshaping edge the no typically edge has neckline diagonal but awrap dress’s concaveand curves, of awoman’s of aseries convex torsois bust fits and securely.The topography dress are neckline that it flattersyour qualitieswrap mostfor a important The the neckline Sculpt As shown on page 42, pinch a series 42,pinch shownon page aseries As AUGUST/SEPTEMBER2013

- 41 Sculpt the neckline fabric, stabilize the curved edge with fusible stay tape or .

Create full coverage If you want to raise the V-neck’s point so WEBextra For tips on repositioning a wrap dress Fold that it rests higher over your décolletage, tucks. waistline for a better fit, visit first determine how much additional ThreadsMagazine.com. fabric is necessary to achieve the desired coverage. One-half inch to 1 inch is usu- ally sufficient; adding a little at the wrap’s BODICE neckline level and more at the waistline FRONT level creates additional coverage without adding excess fabric at the neck. Tape the front and back bodice pattern pieces to Ease a gaping neckline a piece of tissue paper. Then, as shown Create a securely fitting wrap neckline by taking small tucks in the neckline edge above and below below left, draw lines to extend both the . shoulder lines the necessary length from the neckline level. Raise the center-back on a test muslin to shape a slight curve bodice’s neckline seam the same amount. between shoulder and bust and another Redraw the front and back . between bust and waist. Transfer the Either taper the front diagonal edge to tucks to the pattern, and true the edge. nothing at the waistline level, or add For a knit, the bodice’s diagonal front height at that point as desired. edge should measure at least 1 inch shorter than your corresponding body Ease a gaping neckline measurement. Immediately after cutting Gaping at the front neckline can be the bodice sections from a knit or woven caused by a combination of factors. A tight fit across the full bust can cause the front Create full coverage neckline to warp and Extend front (and back) pull away from the body; To correct a slightly gaping neckline, evenly 1 shoulder seam by /2 inch. the solution is adding a distribute the neckline ‘s excess length by

1 pinning it to twill tape on its wrong side. Add /2 inch at at the side seam or neckline level. waist, or altering for a full bust. But the most Blend with a common reason for gap- correct measurement) on the neckline’s smooth line. ing at the front neckline wrong side. the fabric to the tape at is that this bias-cut edge close intervals, distributing the excess stretches out of shape as neckline length evenly along the tape, as it is handled. To prevent shown above. Secure the easing with tiny BODICE stretching, stabilize the hand stitches. This can also be done after FRONT neckline the moment it the garment is finished. Simply ease the is cut, and handle it as bodice’s neckline using matching seam little as possible. tape and . The stitches should be You can correct an invisible from the right side.

1 already-stretched neck- Add ⁄2 inch to 1 inch at waistline line by easing it. Pin a Christine Jonson is the designer, pattern- level, or taper to strip of 1/8-inch-wide twill maker, and owner of Christine Jonson nothing. tape (cut to the pattern’s patterns. CJPatterns.com.

42 THREADS A wrap dress is always chic and flattering. Every wardrobe should include a few versions of this tried- and-true, easy-wearing style.

www.threadsmagazine.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013 43