Christian Dior Silk Dress Recreate

 

**Still in DRAFT form**

Front bodice draping tape.

Back bodice draping tape.  This is where the portrait collar will be sewn.

Pleated skirt muslin.  Knife pleats and box pleats combined.

Draping the bodice front, with waist dart and double pleats above the bust.

Draping the bodice back, with neckline dart and waist dart.

Front bodice draping, with the shoulder piece.

Finished bodice back draping and trueing the seams.  There was a neck dart in the original Dior dress.

Adding the skirt to the bodice to check the look and the fit.

Draping the portrait collar.  It has been cut on the bias grain for a pleasing drape.

Draping the portrait collar.  It has been cut on the bias grain for a pleasing drape.

The original dress had an attached bodice shell under the outside bodice.  Here is the finished drape for the bodice front shell.

The original dress had an attached bodice shell under the outside bodice.  Here is the finished drape for the bodice front shell.

Cutting out the pieces in a light blue silk shantung fabric.

The bodice has also been cut out of muslin for the underlining.  Bias strip boning casings have been added.

Cutting the proper length of boning pieces for the boning channels.

Pinning the side seams to check the fit on the dress form.  When working with many layers, seam allowances need to be adjusted to accommodate the many layers.

Checking the fit of the bodice shell.

Checking the fit of the outside bodice with the underlining, boning, and the shell.  Seam allowances will be adjusted for a good fit.

After sewing the shoulder pieces to the bodice front and back.

Adding the muslin portrait collar to check the size.  

I have cut two layers of stiff netting and am basting it to the wrong side of the silk skirt at the waist.

I have cut two layers of stiff netting and am basting it to the wrong side of the silk skirt at the waist.

Checking the basted skirt with the bodice.

Checking the basted skirt with the bodice.

Draping the silk portrait collar to the bodice neckline to determine the length of the collar.

Collar is sewn but not pressed on the fold to leave a soft appearance.

Pinning the collar to the bodice neckline.

Sewing the collar to the bodice neckline.

Pinning the bodice lining to the neckline.  The collar is sandwiched in the middle.

Sewing the neckline so that the collar is enclosed between the outside bodice and the bodice lining.

Understitching the bodice fronts and the neckline.

This is probably not the construction sequence of the Dior dress, but I chose to sew the armholes next so that I could then turn the bodice right side out.  I have pinned the outside bodice armhole to the bodice lining armhole.

This is probably not the construction of the original Dior dress, but I chose to sew the armholes next so that I could then turn the bodice right side out.  I have pinned the outside bodice armhole to the bodice lining armhole.

Clipping the curves of the armholes to release tension.  Then pull the front bodice through the shoulder opening to turn bodice to right side out.

Clipping the curves of the armholes to release tension.  Then pull the front bodice through the shoulder opening to turn bodice to right side out.

Sewing the bodice side seams.  The outside bodice will have a smaller seam allowance for the “turn of cloth.”

Press side seams open and press armholes.

Pin the pleated skirt to the bodice.  This will be very bulky because of all the layers.

Sew the bodice to the pleated skirt.  This was a little tricky because of the surplice bodice.  Stop stitching when arriving at the surplice seam and break stitches.  Then continue stitching on the other side of the surplice seam.  All the waist seam allowances will be enclosed inside the bodice lining.

The zipper in the Dior dress was very interesting.  There was a crease at the center back opening, but no topstitching or hand stitching.  The zipper was sewn on the dress’ wrong side, with stitching the zipper tape to the seam allowance.

Stitching the zipper to the CB seam allowances.

Finishing off the bodice shell with bias tape.  Added fabric strips to CB for the hook & eye closure.

Because I wanted the waist seam allowances to be enclosed, I added the wrong side of the bodice shell to the wrong side of the waist seam allowance.

Sewing the bodice shell to the waist seam allowance, tracing over the previous stitching.

To finish off the raw edges on the inside of the bodice, the bodice lining has been turned under at the waist seam allowance and slipstitched closed.  The CB lining was also slipstitched to the wrong side of the zipper tape.

Adding straps to the bodice shell.

Charles James Draping Platitudes

 How to Make Charles James' Draping Platitudes

I first learned about platitudes from the book "The Couture Secrets of Shape" by Homer Layne, Rick Owens and Dorothea Mink.  Homer Layne had been the assistant of designer Charles James when Charles lived at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City.

Platitudes are flat pattern pieces that have shape to them, to help find design lines of the dress form that can become seam lines in a garment.  It can work like a ruler, and help inspire interesting shape to a garment.  Platitudes can be used to create an Empire seam, princess seam, a hip- or shoulder yoke, or a neckline on a garment.  Two platitudes can be mirrored and wrapped completely around the dress form.

I began by using four layers of fusible woven cotton interfacing.  I fused them all together, with the fusing all facing towards the inside of the interfacing.  This will make a thick, but pliable piece of fabric to work with.

I made some paper patterns of various platitudes.  The first pattern came from the book "The Couture Secrets of Shape."  Trace the shapes on the top layer of the fused interfacing.

I am making more of my own platitude designs.  Many different shapes can work.

Placing them on the fused interfacing.

Tracing the platitude patterns to the fused interfacing.

After cutting out the platitudes, edgestitch around the raw edges to prevent them from fraying.

Front view of Charles James' drop waist shape, or belt

Back view of Charles James' waist, or belt

 

Using two mirrored platitudes

Using a platitude to form a shaped bodice

Using a platitude to form a shaped bodice seam

Mirrored platitudes to form a shaped skirt seam

 

Mirrored platitudes for bodice seam shaping

 Happy Designing 😊

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