2-in-1 Sew-Along: Selecting Fabric

Simplicity 1880 calls for challis, crepe back satin, crepe de chine, silk or rayon types, voile, double georgette and linen and linen blends. What does that all mean? To start, these are all woven fabrics. I think you could potentially use a stretch woven too - like a stretch cotton sateen or stretch cotton poplin. Sometimes it's helpful to narrow down fabrics by considering the style. Let's start with the shirt dress view.

When considering the shirt dress, I think it's important to consider structure. This style has a collar and collars usually mean interfacing which means that stability is factor in how that thing is going to lay. While you could very well make this style in a drapey silk crepe de chine, you might find that a simple cotton or linen will fare better, especially in the collar area. When you're at the fabric store or shopping online, consider looking specifically for shirtings, cotton midweights, cotton lawns or voiles and linens as these have stability, yet some drape to them.  To give you an idea of what this means with regards to fabric selection, I've decided to make 2 shirt dress views - one with the cap sleeve and one with the 3/4 sleeve. For the cap sleeve version, I've picked a cotton double gauze. This fabric has some nice properties including a stability that will work well with the collar, but a bit of drape that will work nicely with the skirt.

For the 3/4 sleeve version, I've selected a window pane check linen/cotton blend. This fabric reads fall-like season to me and so I felt that it paired well with the 3/4 sleeve. It has similar properties to the cotton double gauze, but is slightly stiffer yet has a lot of weight which means that the skirt will hang well. These kinds of fabrics, the linen/cotton and cotton double gauze, tend to stand away from the body a bit.

The wrap dress has a much less structured appeal to it and those gathers/pleats in the bodice at the yoke and waistline add a softness that could be highlighted in a drapey fabric. The same gathers and pleats are in the shirt dress style, but I'm saying that you could highlight them in different ways that corresponds to the style of the dress. For the wrap dress version, look for rayon challis, crepe fabrics, those kind of fabrics labelled "silkies," double georgettes, etc.  I've selected a vintage cold rayon from the 40s which is very similar to silk crepe de chine. This fabric will tend to hug my curves more than the cotton and linen types, yet slither right over them too.

I've determined to line my skirt sections of each of these dresses as well and have chosen some rayon bemberg lining for the task. I'll show you how to line the skirts in the upcoming posts, so if you're interested, definitely get some lining for that. How much will you need? Two skirt lengths. Measure the length of the skirt (please factor in if you intend to lengthen the skirt) and then purchase two lengths of lining. If your skirt is going to be 30" long (76.2 cm), 2 skirt lengths would be about 1 5/8 yards (1.5 meters).

Sometimes it's also really helpful to look at some inspiration images and give names to the fabric properties in the image. This ensures that you develop the look you want without a ton of trial and error. Have a look at this shirtdress:

I notice right away that the skirt stands away from her body. See how it kind of keeps its shape and doesn't cling to her curves. This is what a cotton fabric will do. This is probably a cotton sateen.

Same idea going on here. I see that the fabric has structure, yet still has some drape. The collar looks like it holds its shape, yet the skirt has some nice folds in it and aren't stiff as a board.

Let's compare those with these:

See how the fabric is laying against the body? It kind of falls in pools about and on the body. Very liquid almost. This is more like a rayon challis or possibly silk crepe kind of fabric.

This one is very drapey too and highlights the pleats in the garment softly. You can see from the belt/sash on this dress that the fabric is not as stiff as the shirt dresses exhibited above.

I think this gives you an idea of what I'm thinking. You might be thinking something totally different and that doesn't mean that it won't work! Definitely go with what you feel is the right thing. In sewing our own clothing we get to try whatever we want and see what works and what doesn't.

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