Two dresses, one pattern--last summer's success

Two dresses, one pattern--last summer's success

• 6.15.2010

Last summer I was inspired by I Love You, Man and the darling outfits Rashida Jones wears--I've blogged about them before!--and I really wanted to copy a cute sheath dress she wears.  Navy, yoked, with wide white lace down the center and cap sleeves.  This is the best screen shot I could find, unfortunately, so you'll have to watch the movie!

Anyway I searched and searched for a pattern that would make something similar, and the best I could find was my variation on the dress from Simplicity 2896.

I made the dress, but used the exact sleeves from the cap sleeve jacket--they fit the armholes.  I used a textured cotton in off-navy from JoAnn's that was on clearance in several colors.  It didn't need a lining, just the facing at the neck.  Here I am wearing the dress while setting up at a party last summer:

It's so fun and simple, and I feel so cute wearing it!  I love easy cute outfits like this dress--just throw it on and you're dressed.  I tried it on to take another pic of it and remembered, I looove this dress!

I made another version from the same pattern a month or so later (I know it's a simple style, but this one fit so well!), but I wanted a different neckline, so I did some combination of the dress minus the gathers plus the yoke piece so the front is all one piece... whatever, I ended up with this:

And of course I put vertical trim down the front, this time some vintage ric rac I had lying around.  I think I was sort of stuck in the mindset of the center front trim since that's what the blue dress had.
It's great to use the same pattern twice--you only have to cut out the paper once, and you know if it fits you once you make the first version!
So I know they're not recent, but there are some of my cute-and-easy dresses from last summer (that blue one I think of as a particular success).  Wonder what my faves will be this summer...?