My preferred style of dress has always been a sheath dress. I know a lot of women like skater styles or dresses with full skirts. But I love a sheath dress. And this pattern – Vogue 8872, which is a play off of the ever-so-popular Black Halo Jackie O Dress, is no exception.
My preferred way to wear a sheath dress is close-fitting. Sheath dresses look elegant and slimming, especially when they’re form-fitting (not skintight). This is something you must keep in mind when picking fabric. I like fabric with a little bit of stretch for wearing ease. That’s why the fabric I chose for mine is this gorgeous Italian peacock blue stretch wool (98% wool, 2% spandex).
I cut the size 14 because it was already in my stash. I added 3 inches to the length of the skirt. I like for my sheath dress hem to hit at the knee. I had to take in the bodice about an inch or so. It’s lined in a white nylon tricot from my stash. So understitching is a very important step to not skip in order to make sure that lining doesn’t slip out.
I self-lined the corset-style midriff. Two layers of this fabric gave a secure, Spanx-like fit. I can eat while wearing this dress!
Since the bodice is cut on the bias, it naturally has a beautiful drape. I let it hang on the dressform for a few days and the neckline decided who it wanted to be. I just went with it. I left off the “shoulder wings”, they weren’t necessary for me. And I also omitted the belt carriers. If I decided I want to wear a belt, I’ll just add a thin one at the waist.
And my final alteration that I make to my sheath dresses (and pencil skirts) is to peg in the bottom. My formula is that the hem should be four inches less than the hip point. With a vent opening, it’s walk-able and the fit is perfect!
