A Classy Navy Knock-Off Dress

I finally made something brand new for myself! Not a refashion, not an upcycle- but something completely brand new and mostly original. 

I love summer and I love dresses- especially easy pull-on dresses that are pretty. I fell in love with this dress I found on Pinterest. I loved the color, but mostly, I loved the neckline. I recreated the neckline but the rest of the dress is quite different. Check it out!

I started by creating my own bodice pattern based on my personal measurements then I copied the neckline from my inspiration dress using bias tape and added fluttery sleeves for a little more detail. The skirt is a tulip shape, very different from the original but so easy to recreate by just cutting your fabric in a curve at the edges. And then I added the elastic inside at the waist and finished the skirt hem with more bias tape and voila- a very classy dress in one of my favorite colors and patterns! 

It only took a couple of hours to complete because there are no buttons or zippers to fuss with. I used a chevron chiffon fabric and a navy silk-like polyester. 

I believe the total cost of materials for this dress would be around $3 only! Yep! I got a great deal on these fabrics at my local Walmart a couple months ago. The chiffon was $2/yard and the navy fabric was $1/yard. I only used 1/2 yard or less of each fabric for my dress and a little elastic from my stash and I got this awesome dress out of it! This is why we should all make our own clothes, right?

In future, I would pair this dress with a colorful skinny belt, maybe yellow, and matching shoes. And yay- I do have yellow peep toe flats that would look adorable with it!

I originally wanted a fuller skirt but am glad I went with a more close-fitting version. It balloons out from the empire waist when sitting and if it was any fuller, I'd probably look pregnant. Slimmer skirt equals slimmer silhouette. =)

I loooove how it turned out! It's comfortable and so pretty. I'm thinking of making another one in a peach color and when I do, I'll share my bodice and skirt pattern with you all so you can make one too. Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you found some inspiration in my latest project and definitely stay tuned for a future tutorial and pattern for this dress!