Remember this post in October when I was avoiding FBA-ing a shift dress and sewing a leather clutch for an upcoming family wedding? Well, I bit the bullet on both (the wool jacket is yet to be started though) and here is the result!
The dress is my third Sew Over It Ultimate Shift dress (1, 2). This is the dress I originally planned with the pattern, and I’m glad it worked out. I didn’t add extra darts in the back this time, because with a print this busy I figured that shaping wasn’t going to be noticeable.
The fabric is a lovely stable sweater knit that turned up at a local Fabricland (even though it’s a chain store, there are always a few bolts that are different at each store.) I’m a sucker for a dark floral, so it had to be mine!
Honestly, there’s almost nothing to say about the dress – it’s just a basic pattern with a statement fabric! I did think about lining it, but just wore a slip instead.
For the wedding, I wore it with leggings, nicer boots, and my red double-knit coatigan. I enjoyed the casual 60’s vibe of the whole outfit, and it was great not to fuss about tugging anything up or down all night!
As it happens, I posted on the Curvy Sewing Collective this week about outfits to sew for holiday parties, ranging from retro to lagenlook. I have so many everyday clothes in my wardrobe, but I’m definitely lacking in cocktail dresses and party frocks! For now, I’m enjoying keeping it comfy and casual, like this outfit, even when I could go a little more glam. (My sister wore the knit Anna dress I made her last year, and look fab… and my mom wore a really cute short asymmetrical knit dress that we’re going to try to copy. Guess the penchant for casual formalwear runs in the family?)
Do you like to go all out for fancy occasions and really dress up, or do you prefer “everyday but nicer”?
Crafting A Rainbow 
Saw this on the CSC. It looks great. I love it with the coatigan . You look really nice. This is a lovely pattern. The first picture is lovely but you must have been freezing. Xx
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You know, it was actually lovely and still that day, and with no wind I was warm enough! (For a couple minutes, at least! Was definitely the fastest photoshoot I’ve done in a while! 😉
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You are gorgeous in this! Red really works for you. I’m more of an everyday but nicer sort. But I tell myself I’m so fabulously stylish that that’s all that’s necessary 🙂
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LOL – you are definitely more elegant day to day than me! 😉
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You look gorgeous! Red is your color and I love the dark floral. I’m a big fan of casual formalwear, too. And look at all that snow!! (Says the girl from SC!)
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We did have a really beautiful first snow! The nice, picturesque kind of snow, not the ugly stuff we’ll have for the rest of the winter! 😉
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OMG THAT FABRIC IS AWESOME!! You look so terrific in this outfit I don’t even know where to start! Brilliant job. Keep wearing red – it looks gorgeous on you.
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Thank you! I don’t have as much red in my wardrobe as I used to, but it is nice to wear in winter!
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Pretty fabric! I’m glad you put your coat on though, it looks COLD there!
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Nah, not SO cold – though I admit I took about 1/4 of the number of pics I usually do!
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You look gorgeous in that dress! The fabric really is a stunner, great print and looks perfect with your colouring. 🙂
I can go both ways when dressing up, though I guess it depends on the occasion. I don’t have a lot of me-made formal wear yet, seems a bit of a waste when I don’t get to wear it often. 😉
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The lady at the store who cut the fabric for me gave me an “are you crazy?” look when i said I was making it into a dress – I’m glad I was right and she was wrong! 😉
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I know I said this on instagram too but I really love this dress and how it looks on you! It goes so well with your coatigan too. i wish I had more occasions to dress up but Since that’s not the case, no ‘all out fancy’s for me, sadly!
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I don’t have many occasions to dress up either… and then when I do, I go and make the kinds of clothes i’d wear to work! 😛 It’s nice to feel confident in clothes though, and I feel too self-conscious in tight/revealing/fancy clothes!
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Love this casual/formal outfit. And what a fairy snow scenery!
As a very practical person, I would not work on a dress for a single occasion. It must be wearable as an everyday outfit, just like this one. You totally nailed it.
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Thanks Helene!
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That dress looks gorgeous! The colours are so good on you – the pinks really bring out your skin tones and the red is lovely on you. Great photo shoot too – so jealous of the snow! The red and the black and the white snow, just lovely images, so crisp and clear 🙂
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The fresh snow definitely makes my apartment driveway look a look nicer than the mud we have right now! I”m not complaining though – I drive a lot every day, and it’s nice not to be contending with snow yet!
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Totally get the driving thing. Snow is something we only get once or twice a year, so we get really excited about it! Forgot to say too, I’m with you on the “every day but nicer”, and I don’t do wedding hats either, despite them still being a bit expected in England. Are they over there too?
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You look so pretty in your flowery Outfit! I love this coat with it and it Looks so modern! 🙂
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Thank you! I’m always excited when two me-mades work together! 🙂
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It’s a lovely dress, and looks great with your coatigan! I quite like dressing up a bit for formal occasions, but I definitely still have to by comfy otherwise I just spend the whole time worrying about what I’m wearing, and that’s never a good look!
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Exactly! Being self-conscious takes all the fun out of clothes!
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I’m definitely an “everyday but nicer” type of wedding go-er. THat way I can rewear the outfit with normal clothes. Loving your colour scheme with the snowy backdrop!
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I used to love getting really dressed up, but these days I’m definitely on Team Casual! 😉
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Great dress & very nice pictures! Looks like the kind of dress I would reach for all the time.
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Love this whole outfit, you look great!
I’m a dressing up person, but my everyday wear is usually more on the formal end. I think as long as one looks neat, nice and put together at an event that’s all that matters
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Such a beautiful and vibrant dress, and what photos!!! So striking and fresh.
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It looks lovely! And you are a braver woman than I am, baring part of your arms in the snow, lol.
I’m torn–I like dressing up from time to time, and my job even calls for it on occasion. But I’m not performing that often right now, and I kind of hate the thought of using my precious sewing time on outfits that would only get worn once. I do have an occasion this spring that I’ll need an outfit for, though, so I’d better figure out which way to go!
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This is so gorgeous Gillian!! I love the fabric and your pretty white back drop 🙂 I’m a dressy kinda casual myself – especially since having a baby, but I can’t wait to fit back into my fitted dresses again, they look so lonely in my wardrobe. I wear a lot of tops and skirts at the moment…
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Hi Jennifer! Yup, your three comments came through! I’ve got WordPress set so that I have to approve a commenter the first time they comment. How are you and the baby?
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Phew, I was wondering why they weren’t coming up – normally a little message pops up saying ‘your comment will be visible after approval’ but nothing did, so, I tried two more times then gave up, haha. We are doing well thanks very much 🙂 He’s a time suck, but he’s cute, so we’ll keep him 🙂
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I don’t know why it’s making your comments wait for approval!!! So strange. Be nice, WordPress!
I’m glad life with babe is going well!
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FabricLand is kind of like a box of chocolates… You really never know what you’ll get!!
This looks wonderful, and I it paired with the knit coat!
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Hahaha – what a GREAT description! That’s it exactly. I often visit the other Fabricland stores in my region just to see what treasures they hold!
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Gorgeous Gillian!! I absolutely love your entire ensemble!! And your snowy pictures…sigh…
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I love this outfit, and I’m with you about going dressy-comfortable for events. I think your outfit is perfect for a winter wedding! I just don’t see the point of getting all fancy and being so uncomfortable. I was sitting at my husband’s christmas party this year, thinking that I was so happy to be wearing something I made that was comfy. So many women looked fabulous but really stiff. LOL
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What a great look! The dress is gorgeous and it looks so nice on you! I actually like to get really dressed up every once in a while… it’s a nice change of pace from my everyday, SUPER casual life. But my me-made fancy clothes are much more comfortable than anything I’d ever bought RTW– skirts were too short, or armholes were too high, or something else was always happening that made me uncomfortable!
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So pretty!
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