I’m obsessed with classy wool dresses. I tend to avoid wrap designs though, because they create an unflattering gap that’s impossible to avoid by adjusting the pattern. My research showed that there’s one pattern that doesn’t have this problem and it’s a vintage one as well.

As soon as I saw wool crepe fabric on Minerva, and in such a gorgeous and flattering colour, I couldn’t resist it! It’s such a versatile colour that can be both formal and fancy, and the same can be said about the texture of this material. This fabric exceeded all of my expectations. It’s quite thin, but not to the degree of being transparent. It drapes nicely and easily and presses much better than regular thick wool fabric. And the crepe texture is absolutely incredible and so unique. The only thing to keep in mind about this particular fabric is that it does colour bleed. So it’s crucially important to pre-wash it with detergent a couple of times before cutting. As for the finished garment, it should be washed separately.

Originally I wanted to sew a vintage set of a Simplicity 8460 dress and a jacket. But after I received the fabric I realized that it’d be much better for something with more drape and less structure. I started searching for a pattern and vintage 50s #112 Burda Style 1/2018 one ended up being the one I picked. It has bodice and skirt pleats, wrapped style V-neck and long kimono sleeves. All I had to adjust was the size to a smaller one. I also decided to finish the skirt with a regular slit.

The dress is not fully lined - just the skirt. The trickiest part of the pattern was the sleeve gussets, but once it was done, the dress was very easy to sew.

I’m truly impressed with how good the wrapped neckline ended up! It doesn’t open or pull. It’s also quite modest and doesn’t reveal anything it shouldn’t. This design features a slightly raised waistline which is something not usual for me but I really liked it this time.

This dress is exactly what I needed for my wool dress collection. And the wool crepe fabric was the perfect choice for it!