I drafted this Sarong Dress based on my reference photos of Shaheen’s work. Here are my sketches and plans for how I started the project.

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This dress started as an idea that I had in my head for about a week or so. The fabric looks blue here but it’s more of a turquoise. This bright Hawaiian-inspired print is my rebellion from wearing all black year-round for the past 10+ years.

I drafted the bodice top based on my bodice block. I made a muslin beforehand to see how everything fit.

Progress of the dress so far. At this point I had a feeling that the bodice was too boxy, so I made some gathers that i ended up incorporating into the final design.

The skirt is from my tried and true straight skirt pattern from the 1940s, with pleats at the waist. I sewed down the pleats since I wanted it to be sleek, and added a back vent and tapered the skirt so it would resemble a pencil skirt. The pleats don’t line up, but I’m OK with that.

Dress progress so far. The interfacing hasn’t been stitched down yet. The sarong drape is just pinned in place.