32 HOURS | INTERMEDIATE | DRAPING AND COTURE TECHNIQUES
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Where do I begin with this dress…Truthfully one of the best creations I’ve made and proudest moments as a designer. Every spring I co-teach an event planning class that, at the end, we host a large fashion showcase where our seniors get to showcase their collections. As faculty and staff, we like to wear things we make to complement the event as well. This past spring, I made a dress inspired by 1950’s prom dress that included technical elements like an inner corselet, hand stitched tulle shell, and a big-ole bow on the back. I wanted to really push my limits as a designer to see if I still knew how to do these techniques, and create something that makes me feel like a princess. So thus, the 32 hour dress was born.
Skills in the dress
When you’re making a corselet, or really any corset, draping on a mannequin that is your shape is imperative to the success of the fit. When I draped, I used my The Shop Company half body mannequin that was padded out to fit my shape better. This probably took 4 hours to drape, sew, and fit to make sure the base of the dress was going to fit well. I draped the inner shell over the corselet for the top, and then messed with the tulle overlay as a way to add texture over the bodice. This fit was so important as well because if this fits well, then the dreaded pull up will happen. You know when you’re constantly pulling up your strapless gown? That’s the dreaded pull up. It’s not cute and your dress shouldn’t fit that way!!! It should fit snug and have you feel supported, hence the corselet fit being imperative.
The petticoat was a series of circle skirts that adds such a fluffiness to the dress that makes this twirly whirly dress perfect for any evening event. The tulle layered over chiffon then layering on the organza and finishing off with more tulle. The full circle skirt made it full without a petticoat, and made it so dreamy! It was complimented by the drapey shoulders and oversized bow on the back. The skirt took foreeeeever to cut because each layer was a full circle size that had to be cut one by one. Piecing it all together was a labor of love, and cutting the skirt and sewing it all together took roughly 5 hours.
The hand stitching was the final part that took quite literally the rest of the hours. Hand stitching the top to the inner shell was hard because I didn’t want to catch the corselet. If I did, it could hinder the stretch of the power mesh, which would just look weird in the final fit. I also chose to hand pick the zipper into the dress to make the finishings feel even more couture. Hand stitching also included the top wrap around the arms piece and the bow on the back.
Materials used
The materials used in this project were some basic, but some a little more elevated to ensure a quality fit. One of those choices was steel boning. Using this ensured a flexible but sturdy fit in the corselet. After using this in my corset, I refuse to use plastic boning. I’ll make a casing any day instead of using the plastic. The fit. The final look. The way it felt wearing it. Chefs, freaking, KISS!
Another choice I made in this project was a stiffer tulle rather than a softer tulle. I loved how the stiffer tulle gave more of a vintage feel to the final look and it was a perfect look to the dress. Paired with the organza that was a shimmery iridescent sea foam green, it fit our theme of unearthed auras perfectly. It caught the light so beautifully and really was such a great touch to the dress.
When hand stitching, I used clear thread which I hated btw. I just need to use it more to get used to it so it doesn’t tangle, which is exactly what happened while I was stitching a few times. Which really slowed me down and added to my final hour count. This is one of those tools I really want to use more, even though I hated it the first time, just to get better at it.
Final thoughts
This creative project was such a fun one, and one I hope I get to recreate something using these techniques again! Creating a corselet was challenging, however it was a great learning experience. Am I perfect at creating corsets? Nope. But the more you practice a skill, the better you’ll get. This was a learning project to see if I could still sew these skills and build confidence in helping students learn these skills as well.
