Outfit inspiration!

Are you making an outfit for Frocktails? While you definitely don’t have to sew a dress especially for the party, we know that some of you may be thinking about it. Today we’re sharing our own potential Frocktails patterns and fabrics. If you’re struggling for ideas, or you’re on the fence about making something, perhaps you’ll find some inspiration below?!

Meagan

Simple can be elegant! It doesn’t have to be a fancy and intricate dress - I think the material often makes the dress, so don’t be overwhelmed by trying to make something too fancy! I just made a Stevie dress (from Tilly & The Buttons) to wear to a wedding. The material I chose made it look less casual.

The Stevie dress by Tilly & The Buttons. Image source.

Lilly

Making a dress for Frocktails is a good challenge for me, because I started out making mostly dresses and then as I have started to realize what I actually wear day to day, I have started sewing more basics: jeans, t-shirts, button-up shirts. I do try to sew a dress for myself every year for my birthday, so the last two birthday dresses I have sewn were the Emery dress by Christine Haynes and a Sewaholic Cambie. If I don't have time to sew something new for Frocktails, I will wear one of those. As for fabrics, I'm not a fine fabrics kind of sewer, and the one time I sewed with silk and lace was for my wedding dress. For more casual dresses (which is more my style) I LOVE a good rayon. They feel good, drape well, come in great patterns and are easier to sew than the more slippery fabrics!

Lilly in her super-cute Cambie dress. Image source.

Susanna

I'm thinking of making something fairly simple, but feminine, with some added length for a little Fall drama. I like the Chalk & Notch Fringe Dress with the maxi hack, or maybe the Sew Over It Eve dress, again lengthened to a maxi. Athina Kakou’s version is really dreamy!

Athina Kakou’s Eve dress - isn’t it pretty?! Image source.

Jo

I know I want to make my outfit, but I also want to make sure I have other opportunities to wear it beyond Frocktails. I thought about making a dress, but then I had a brainwave. Why not make a skirt and a top out of the same fabric so it just looks like a dress? I really like the pleated skirt from the Sew Over It Vintage book, which I made a year or two ago for a wedding and is likely a little small for me now. For a top, I think I’ll keep it super-simple and go for something like the Seamwork Akita top. Made up in a slinky fabric these patterns could look pretty good! I’ve ordered a couple of swatches from Blackbird Fabrics, so watch this space!

The box pleat skirt from Sew Over It Vintage