Designer Inspiration: Fall/Winter Dresses

Yesterday was the most perfect day of the whole year, I think. Blue skies, breezy, not humid and not dry, not cold and not hot--somewhere in the mid to high 70s. The leaves are starting to fall and it was just like Hollywood's idea of Autumn, where the heroine walks through brilliant, drifting foliage in a sleeveless shift dress with boots and bare legs and it never rains or requires outerwear.

However, I know this enchanted Indian summer can't last (and indeed, it's much cooler today) and so my thoughts turn to what in the world to sew for Fall and Winter. After having inventoried my summer dresses and finding that I have over a month's worth I became sad when contemplating a long cold season with my paltry eight or so winter dresses. That's not even two weeks' worth! So I went on the hunt for some designer inspiration.




One of my top picks is this David Meister side pleat dress.
Vogue 7762 is a reasonable facsimile, especially if it is feasible to pleat rather than gather the side seam.




I loved the yellow and green colors shown in this recent post on Capitol Hill Style, especially the mustard and chartreuse. I will be heading to NYC for work in a couple of weeks and am hoping to fit in a little bit of fabric shopping on the day I'm not speaking, so I tried to tell myself I could look for a wool crepe in New York. But then I found a mustard wool crepe on Fabric Mart (still a few yards left) and was done for. I haven't received mine to verify that the hand is suitable for dresses nor that I can wear this tricky color, but I am in eager anticipation.







The mustard dress project will probably take a backseat to a quickie version of this Akris wool challis dress.
I'm thinking McCall 5661 is pretty much a dead ringer if lengthened into a dress, and with little fitting and the only complicated details at the sleeve and the neckline, this should be an easy $1390(!!!) dress.


I am still thinking on how, exactly, I will do the lining (wool voile is too sheer and lightweight to be unlined), but it's not going to be complicated. This will be great for Fall, and can transition into winter with a turtleneck underneath.










I thought I'd seen every variation on the twist but this Michael Kors is new to me and I *adore* it. How in the world you do a twist on a functional (?-so it appears) button placket is beyond me. It brings to mind a little bit Meli88a's fantastic Vogue 2742, but of course this out-of-print pattern doesn't appear to be available anywhere. Curses!!!! If you have this pattern sitting unused in your stash, I will happily purchase or trade for it.












Ah, Dior, you are so scrumptious. I could probably cobble together something like this from various patterns (hint: Vogue 2975 (now OOP) and Burda 08-2009-128) but I would not look like a 6 foot tall Amazon in it, more like a neckless pygmy with an abdominal growth, so it will remain in the realm of eye candy if I know what's good for me. But I love the demure high neck and knee length, with the fitted bodice adding a little frisson of sexy to the schoolmarm.











How is it that I don't have a pattern for this? It is such a great, simple shirtdress silhouette with the single drama element of the collar.







The closest I can come is Burda 01-2008-121 (starting size 38, ugh). Hmm. I guess the BWOF isn't actually that different, I'd just have to chop off the cut-on collar and add a new one. I would not wear it slit up to there, though.




This one struck me only because it is similar to vintage reissue Vogue 2787, although with the "coffin dress"* problem remedied with the S seam continuing onto the back. It had never occurred to me to consider this pattern in a knit, but I can definitely see it working (with a lowered neckline--when I made this I found it way too high--and more relaxed armscye).

*Although I wholeheartedly concur with Kathleen Fasanella's distaste for clothes that are fancy in front with nothin' going on in back, in the case of this circa 1948 pattern, I would guess it has something to do with lingering wartime shortages/fashion preferences for fabric-economical designs.

I found lots of other great pieces with great details that are beyond my capability to create, I just like to look at them. This vavoom Pucci is to die for! It would make for some hot winter date nights (I am already tired of my winter date night staple Vogue 1020 and I haven't even worn it yet this season!). And of course we have the magnificent Carolina Herrera.

Can I just say that I'm so happy I sew in a world where taupe is apparently the "loud" color? Ick! When skies are gray and all the trees and plants are hibernating, you have to bring your own color to the world, not succumb to the dreariness of black, gray, and taupe. I think that's why the Akris dress caught my eye--it's a (very very subdued) print with (very very subdued) color. Shocking!

There are plenty more pieces to drool and plot over in my inspiration folder.

What's on your sewing list? Seen any great dresses I should check out?