4 Reasons You Need a Wrap Dress, Tutorial

There are many reasons why Diane von Furstenberg is one of my favorite designers,
former princess,
master mixer of patterns,
wise & positive thinker,
cancer survivor,
goodwill doer,

annnnnnnnd of course, being the inventor of the wrap dress puts her mighty high on my favs list!

2014 marks the 40th anniversary for Diane’s famous wrap dress. This look is everywhere. Whether it’s a wrap dress or wrap top, functioning or non-functioning wrap, it continues to dominate as one of the most flattering fashion pieces ever. Von Furstenberg once said “the wrap dress is the most traditional form of dressing: it’s like a robe, a kimono, a toga. It doesn’t have buttons or zippers. What made it different was that it was jersey; it made every woman look like a feline.”

Some could argue with the above statement and rightly so, as all bodies are made differently, however the same applies to all wrap dress dresses these days,

real verses fake wrap (the wrap look without actually wrapping),
jersey vs. fitted woven wrap,
waistline placement: natural verses empire,
waistline details, gathered vs. smooth,
skirt silhouette: flared vs. straight,
picking the right sized pattern (ie. flowers, animal, etc) on fabric for body type,
picking the right size wrap dress for body type, etc

Here are FOUR reasons why you need a wrap dress

The neckline draws attention to the wearers face and neck, hello accessories!
Gives the illusion of a smaller waist and curves to those without, moi,
Creates an hourglass effect for those with a more voluptuous figure,
Comfort, of course after you are tied in place, the wrapping takes away zippers, buttons, and elastic waistbands.

With fall finally reaching us in Southern California, I wanted to make a wrap dress that could transition from fall to winter, and hopefully with the right accessories transition from day to night. So this week I’m altering Butterick pattern, B6054, and what better than with maxi lengths!

4 Reasons You Need a Wrap Dress, Tutorial | Riva La Diva

“the wrap dress is the most traditional form of dressing:
it’s like a robe, a kimono, a toga. It doesn’t have buttons or zippers.
What made it different was that it was jersey; it made every woman look like a feline.”
– Diane von Furstenberg

My friends, I am obsessed with this floral leopard-ish fabric, the colors and prints are amazing!!
It was really fun to add a hint of stripes to the mix with the sash and trim around the neckline.

I am so obsessed with stripes right now.
And plaid.
Denim.
Fur.
Bright colors.
Leopard… oh, I love leopard, aka “my favorite color“.

Back to wrapping….

I picked this Butterick pattern specifically because I loved the waistline, the drape-like detail helps slim any waistline insecurities.

Additionally, the sleeve is at a great length, I could add layers to this with a cardigan or jacket and no worrying about bunching of sleeves.

The one change I made to this pattern was the length, nothing crazy but something that really changes the look of the garment….

I traced the original skirt pattern onto large paper,
add 23″ inches to the hem, and blend added allowance to the left side of the skirt as shown in picture below.

Sew the garment according to pattern instructions.

Pretty easy right? Yup.

The length instantly adds glam to the previous fun look. Not to mention, pairing the fur scarves from last week. très cool.

I am loving those faux fur scarves and so glad to see everyone else is, as well!
Such an easy accessory and so EASY to use from day to NIGHT.

It’s one of my favorite DIY’s to do with friends. You can tell a lot from a friend by the kind of faux fur she buys… ha!

Weeeeeeeeeell, that’s a wrap!
Thanks for visiting and have a glamorous day.

ps. NEXT WEEK is my birthday week!
Monday – Friday, I have a bunch of new posts to share with YOU – nothing but a few of my favorite things!!
So…. you know, leopard will totally be in the mix. TOTALLY.