DIY Plaid Pinafore

I’m trying to bring thisischichi.co.uk back to the niche that I started it with originally and focus more on fashion from a design and artistic practice perspective than a styling one. Therefore you’ll being a lot more runway reports (such as my latest on Valentino’s pre-fall 2015 collection), DIY tutorials, advice for other students and my own work.

 I’ve been meaning to share this dress on my blog for a while now. It is one of the easiest, fastest and simplest item of clothing I have ever made before and I assure you even with only a basic knowledge of dressmaking you can attempt this DIY. I needed something smart to wear to a family event that wasn’t too dressy or evening wear-ish so I pulled together this pinafore in about 40minutes. This may seem like a long time to some but after slaving over intricate corsets and fitted floor-length fishtail gowns in my textiles coursework it seems like a dream to finish one garment in under an hour. I recycled the fabric from a skirt I made and wore in this post, which was £2 a metre from Portobello Market!

This pinafore dress consists of two pattern pieces and elastic straps. I didn’t line it because I only intended to wear it to one event, therefore I didn’t really need it to be that durable (however I feel now that I will re-wear it again and again) however I did hem everything for a clean finish. To design the shapes of the two pieces you can use a dress you already own as a guide for the length and create any neckline/ back shape you want! Its so simple. I chose a V-neck cut because I thought that would work really well layered on top of polo necks and fishnet tops. I styled it over a black top with slits on the elbows because I am really loving layering monochrome with patterned pieces at the moment. I also wore lace up heeled boots and a leather jacket to carry on the grungey look. Would you like to see more of my handmade pieces incorporated into my personal style posts?

Pinafore Dress Handmade, Top Choies, Leather Jacket Allsaints, Boots Kurt Geiger

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