Happy New Year and welcome back to my space. I’ve been missing in action for a while and doing all sorts of things. If you follow me on Instagram you will see that I was actively traveling, trying out new recipes, socializing and basically doing the most. But what I hadn’t been doing was making time to create garments for myself.
I guess I lost my mojo for months. But I did create a few pieces here and there and even made 3 wedding gowns for 3 amazing women and I was so proud of that. The idea of sewing for myself just didn’t seem as appealing as it was to design and create gowns for other people. Isn’t this what they call a creative block?
I knew I had to break out of my rut and simply jump back to just doing something, anything. To help with that, I just went back to the basics with simple silhouettes and prints. After shuffling thru my fabrics and commercial patterns collection, the winter slip dress idea came about.
To create the dress, I used McCall’s 6696 pattern, view E. I extended the length by 2 inches and added a thigh high slit to break up the print a bit. The leopard print fabric was a polyester blend found at my favorite local fabric store.
To be able to wear the dress during the cooler temps, I decided to pair it with a turtleneck found at Target. An easy way to wear slip dresses in the winter is to simply layer them. The more layers, the better. Wear it over a turtleneck, under a chunky sweater or hoodie, and even a heavyweight blazer. I chose to wear these sheer socks and heels with my look but could have easily worn with your favorite heels or even sneakers.
To style the winter slip dress look, I pulled out a thrifted Armani velvet tailored coat. This coat is seriously one of my favorite thrift finds. I found it during a weekend visit in North Carolina at a random consignment store for less than a $100. Who would give away such a classic garment?
The versatility of slip dresses, especially a leopard print one is endless. I’ve worn this dress on a vacation, to dinner, and even to a baby shower. Can you tell that it’s one of new favorite pieces?
Oh and a side note, I plan to update this blog space twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. Hope to see you back.
~ChiChi
I think the heavy blazer recommendation will look great with a short sleeve low cut dress I have. And I’m using the sheer socks idea. Thanks!
Author
You’re welcome. The sheer socks are so much fun. And they were so affordable too.