Dress pattern like this? Or keywords I could search? (pictures inside)

[bec]

Hi everyone

Hope you're well. I'm also hoping you'll bestow some of your wisdom..

I've been asked if I'll have a go at copying this dress. I'm an enthusiastic novice and some parts of it look alright: I have a boxy blouse pattern which I can reuse and change to be an all in one sleeve if needs be - it looks like the bodice is fitted to the waistband with two big darts anyway so I think that part of things will be alright.
The skirt baffles me though and extensive searching has yielded nothing similar. I think it's because I don't really know what I'm looking at so I'm not searching for the right terms. Do you know where I'd find a pattern for something like this please? Or do you know what the style is called (especially the tucks at the front of the skirt)?






If there's no similar pattern, I think my next plan of attack will be to open some big darts into the centre front of a pencil skirt pattern and see how it looks to just fold them up.

Bonus question: do you think cotton poplin would be too heavy?

Thank you for taking the time to noodle on this with me

[BrendaP]

I think that you are looking at an ankle length button through A-line skirt with the centre fronts pleated onto a knee length button band opening. 

Judging from the back which has a centre back seam, I'd guess that both centre back and centre front seams are cut to taper out a little rather than on the straight grain.

It's the sort of thing that shouts try a mock-up using an old or charity shop bed sheet/duvet cover.

The top is a dolman sleeve shirt, or shirt with 'grown-on' sleeves.  Unless the intended wearer is very confident and elegant I'd suggest a couple of buttons or a camisole top worn underneath.  That neckline is very low!

[BrendaP]

Bonus question: do you think cotton poplin would be too heavy?

Not so much too heavy as too crisp.  The fabric used there is very drapy and looks to be a fine knit rather than a woven.

[bec]

Thank you so much @BrendaP  much appreciated!

[Esme866]

This dress reminds me so much of my favorite dress ever that I made in '88 or '89. Mine however did not have all of the pleating on the skirt (I always tried to "play down my hips) I did, however sew buttons on the top, but made certain to strategically place the buttons so that I wore it almost (but not quite) that low cut.

I would definitely use an old sheet to experiment  with the pleating on the skirt. All of this is pleating - no darts involved. The design of the dress is gorgeous, the execution as presented is not. The way the front button placket is pulling to one side at the bottom front of the skirt and the weird pulling at the bottom of the back of the skirt would have driven me nuts to wear back then and I'd have been in my 4-1/2" stilettos taking tiny steps.

The resulting fit of the skirt is that of a pencil skirt.

The dress I made had working buttons and buttonholes all the way up the back, from the bottom of the skirt to the collar stand. Sorry I can't even remember which of the big four made the pattern, the now "vintage" pattern would have been an excellent starting point.

One other thought, I bought an issue of Threads magazine a few years back that featured an article on bias cut dresses. I feel very certain the fabric is a very drapeable woven and the skirt is cut on the bias.  Whatever factory that produced this dress did so without appropriate expertise on working with bias cuts. This explains the way that it hangs "wonky". It is cut on the bias so that the woven fabric would cling across the bum in back and would narrow underneath the bum. The "give" of the bias fabric would make it easier to walk in. Also explains why there's no back slit for walking ease. Woven fabric will "stretch/give" when bias cut instead of cut on grain.

If you're fairly new to all of this, it could get quite tricky, but then again, it would be an excellent learning opportunity. :thumbsup:

[BrendaP]

On closer inspection I think that @Esme866 is right about it being cut on the bias.

Having a seam or placket at centre front and centre back would certainly help with cutting on the bias.  A lot of fabrics will stretch differently in the two bias directions and result in a very wonky garment if the whole of the front or the whole of the back is cut in one piece.  I had that once in a RTW dress.  After the first wash the front left armhole and the back right armholes (might have been the other way around) stretched so much more than the front right and back left.  I just couldn't put it right so the dress ended up in the bin.

[charlotte]

Not quite the same, but this video shows how to draft pleats - yours will just have different placement, and you'll be pleating into a straight waistband/buttonband, rather than the curved piece shown in this demo.

Agree with others that it may be cut on the bias, but I don't think you would have to cut it on the bias if you used fabric with enough drape. I think the cotton poplin would work cut on the bias, but a lighter and/or more drapey fabric would be fine cut on the grain.

[dolcevita]

If there's an old shirt dress that can be sacrificed, that could make for a super quick muslin of the skirt portion. Check out the pleats on the skirt button band - there are 2 per button length.

- where the skirt joins the centre front band, mark the location of each button(hole) on the skirt edge.
- divide each length in half with another mark
- strip off the button band and pleat each mark up to the next
- add the button band back on again.

It may not be exact, but I think that will get you a long way there for the skirt. All you need then is a deep waist piece and an oversized dolman blouse that you can pleat into the waist piece.

[Catllar]

Have a look at Japanese Draping on mr google. Lots of inspiration.

[The Frenchie needle]

Thanks for the tip ! Indeed some Japanese draping are amazing ! 

[Ouryve]

The dress pictured is a £30 dress from those cheap Chinese stores so the reality is probably even more badly executed than the pictures. The fabric looks to be a cheap polyester. A viscose crepe would probably provide the best drape, or a tana lawn or fine cotton sateen, if a little more body is OK.

I would start off with a grown on sleeve shirt or dress and try to figure out the skirt and the ruching/pleats from there.

You posted this a few weeks back, so it would be interesting to see if you've made any progress, figuring it out.