The fabric for this dress is another Paris souvenir from Tissues Reine. It’s a spongy wool with embroidery on the border. I fell in love with the embroidery and thought it would make a great strapless for winter to wear with turtlenecks. The strapless-with-turtleneck look has to be my favorite look of the season.
I used this pattern (Vogue 2086, which I’m sure is oop). I’ve had it for many years. I think I first purchased it for the jacket, but I was looking for a strapless dress pattern, and this sort of jumped out at me. When I opened the pattern, I saw that it includes a full foundation! I’ve been meaning to learn how to make a proper foundation, so it was a very pleasant surprise to find one in there. Usually, I just draft my own from the shell pattern, but this was so much better. It feels really secure when it’s on. I should have taken a photo of the foundation before I attached it to the dress, because I really can’t take a photo now without the dress getting in the way. I think I’ll make this again, though, so I’ll make sure to photograph the foundation. I made the foundation out of a lightweight black cotton twill.
The pattern shows a dress with a slit, which is a bit sexier than the look I’m going for. With no slit, it is a little harder to walk in, but it’s not all that bad.