In this project we were asked to design a dress that emphasise a human body part. The approach is to use various techniques of pattern making or creative structures instead of embellishments. I chose to make a dress with a very full mermaid tail sweep to emphasise legs. The bodice and the yoke of the dress are body conscious, which make the godet pop out. And the full sweep also adds movement when the wearer walks.

 

As for colour, I chose red, dark brown, tan and white to create a warm and contrasting look. In order to get the best combination, I tested it out in Illustrator and chose my favourite one.

 

My dress has a lot of curves, which is very different from my last skirt project (which only has straight style lines), this is to compliment the flowing mermaid sweep and also to add elegance to the final look.

 

The making process is a lot easier compared to my first project, because I have learned a lot from my mistakes and failures last time. However, I still made a mistake. After tracing the slopers of the bodice, I forgot to add side seam allowances on my patterns so my muslin bodice turned out to be too small when I did the fitting. Luckily, under professor Rutter’s instructions, I managed to fix the mistake without starting from scrap.

 

Overall, I can see my improvements from the project, but I also have a lot more to learn about pattern making and sewing techniques. I am more than happy to challenge myself in the following projects and discover more possibilities of design.