Homemade party dress re-do

Homemade party dress re-do

• 1.15.2011

Early in my blog career I made a party dress out of some changeable silk dupioni my mom had leftover from a cousin's bridesmaid dresses.  I only had about a yard, I think, but it was enough to use McCall's M5806 with a contrast (elastic) waistband.

I never really like it that much once it was done, and never wore it.  Now, more than a year later, I pulled it out of the closet and remade it.

I guess I was kind of loosely inspired by these...
ModCloth:

Anthro:

Valentino:

Lulu's:

Shoshanna:

I wanted it to have a natural waistline, so I added a 4" or so wide midriff band.  I also made the skirt pleated instead of gathered, and I tapered it so it's sort of a bubble shape instead of flaring out from the fullness at the top.  I took the lace off the bottom of the skirt, too, and instead added fabric lace on top of the black satin at the midriff panel.  Don't know if you can tell in the pics...

I think it's much better now.  I still wonder about the contrast of the purple/orange silk and the black, but it would be fun with some black accents worn with it.  What do you think it would pair well with?