Day and night Appletons

Let's talk about wrap dresses, shall we? Despite the fact that so many women swear by them - including two of my style crushes, Jenny from Cashmerette and Lorelai Gilmore (who could rock a wrap dress like no one else) - I've never really been drawn to them. 

But when the Cashmerette Appleton dress was released this fall - including a kit that included the pattern and fabric for this gorgeous little polka-dot number - I HAD to have it. Immediately. 

Rookie sewing blogger move: don't pose in front of a black window in a black dress

I immediately purchased one of Jenny's kits, which saved me the trouble of finding something similar to that show-stopping polka-dot mesh on my own.  I made a straight size 14, which fit perfectly without any alterations.

The result is super sexy and classic and feels very RTW. It served me very well at a New Years Eve wedding and a swanky Christmas party for my husband's work.

Appleton in action on NYE. Champagne and a handsome husband make the best accessories.

Riding high on my wrap-dress success, when I saw a fun geometric knit at a Fabricland Boxing Day sale, I knew exactly that I wanted to make a second Appleton. I put the dress together in a week, just in time for my sweet baby girl's welcome shower in early January (nothing like the motivation of a deadline!). 

Gratuitous cute baby shot

The dress came together much more smoothly than my first Appleton (which still turned out very well, but was tough for me to get my poor little sleep-deprived mom-of-a-newborn brain around at times). For this version, I went up a cup size to add some more coverage at the bust.

I also added bit of volume to the skirt to make it a little more "daytime." To alter the skirt, I graded to a size 16 at the hip and then continued that line to the hem, straightening the angle at the bottom a bit so the skirt didn't get too full. 

Luckily, even with the extra weight of the fuller skirt, the front wrap still stays fairly straight. I think it helps that the fabric I chose has a busier print, so if there is any slippage, it's hard to notice.

All in all, I think I'm a wrap dress convert. They're just so classic and adaptable. I think Lorelai Gilmore, wrap dress queen, would agree....