Smurfette is wearing it, so this must be a bad sign.

I finished this dress a few weeks ago, wore it once the day after. It actually didn’t look that bad on Smurfette so I thought I could pull it off.

Then I took pictures of it over the weekend and realized what an ill-fitting, lumpy, potato sack dress of fail it was. The bodice is loosely fitted by design which means the sleeves are baggy and there is no waist definition, also by design. After trying it the way it was meant to be worn it was severely unflattering, so I tried to salvage it by adding a belt that ties in the back. It looked somewhat fine on Smurfette, but what actually happens on me is that since the bodice is so loose and unstructured, it just looks like I put on a black pillowcase and stuck a belt on it.

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Pros
- it’s black
- it has lace

Cons
- No waist definition, so you have to be the right body type (rectangle?) to wear this
- Unfortunately, for those of us not of the right body type, it just makes you look like a lumpy, shapeless mass. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
- High collar is ridiculous and makes me look frumpy
- Not fitted in the shoulders (due to style of the dress) which makes me look like a large potato

I might end up salvaging the top part and turning it into a blouse, since I really like the lace yoke idea.

Merciless pattern review below.

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Pattern Review

Pattern Description:
Pullover dress (semi-fitted through bust) has back neck slit, hook/eye closing and narrow hem. Purchased bias tape finishes neckline. A, B, C, D cup sizes.

Pattern Sizing:
B5(8-10-12-14-16), F5(16-18-20-22-24). I made a size 10. Looking back now, this was probably too big and I should have made an 8, but I didn’t think it would be able to go on over my head if so.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
I didn’t read the instructions.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
See above.

Fabric Used:
Black lace, $5/yd
Black rayon, $5/yd

It kinds of breaks my heart to waste the black rayon on this, but I can always get more.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
After I saw how unflattering this was, I tried to salvage it by adding a belt that you can belt at the back. It didn’t work.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Hell no. Sew this only if you are the perfect rectangle type with no curves, or else you will regret it.

Conclusion:
It’s been two weeks since this fail of a dress, so I’m over it now. Lesson learned: pictures don’t lie, make clothes for your body type.