I hate, hate, hate this dress (sing it with me, people!)

[candycanechild]

This dress is so hideous. I might as well paper bag--it might be more form-fitting than this dress! I look like I weigh a million pounds when I wear it, and I look kind of snobish. It's something you'd wear to a country club (yeah, I've done that), funeral (guilty of this, too), or maybe a wedding (actually, two weddings). And I need something to wear to my friend's sweet 16 on Saturday, June 18. Yeah... a little over two weeks away. Can somebody please help me?

This picture was taken into a mirror, with another one at an angle behind me. So you get a back/side view, too. This picture would look better if there was no laundry behind me, the lack of a flash didn't discolor the whole thing, and I didn't look so huge.


Please excuse the clutter on my desk. Actually, it's really neat. My friends think I have OCD.


Bring on the ideas! I can sew by hand and with a machine... so don't rule out any options! Thanks in advance!

[chutes to narrow]

Maybe you can buy some tulle(sp?) of your desired color and sew it underneath the skirt and sew on some appliques or something

[lilgothkatt]

why don't you make some darts in the waist so it fits better. Maybe change the neckline? Add some color? Like a wide satin ribbon around the waist or something?

[ubercraftygal]

how about a combination of the two ideas that were already given!

you could find some cute colored tulle (maybe pink or green) and then find a wide satin ribbon to match it. tye your hair up with the ribbon too! no matter what, you'll look totally cute. it's all about the attitude! no worries :-D

-lauren-

[bagged_cereal]

i agree, darts and the neckline should definitely be considered. you could hack off the neck and arm area all together to make the top a tube top, then sew another brighter contrasting colored shirt into it. (and cut off the rest of the shirt below where the dress would start so the dress is all one piece)

you'd need something with either capped sleeves or maybe 3/4 length sleeves so it doesn't look like you wore a tube dress over a bra. if you want to keep the look formal and not so random diy, sew a nicer white top into it, and wear a sheer white caplet or sweater over top.  and to pull it all together (possibly creating more of a waist) tie a white bow under your boobs with a sheer ribbon just like the caplet. 

is that confusing enough? it's kind of hard to explain, especially being that it's just a 'vision' and i don't know how well that would work, if the dress would still be too loose around the waist, if it would look too mod etc.. my vocabulary is so limited today. bleeh

[slowgraffiti]

I concur with the darts idea, or if you're lazy just tie the waist with a wide ribbon so its fitted.  My idea for the neckline is make it off the shoulder; it's hard to tell exactly what you already have to work with above the bust, but it seems large enough so that it could be cut and reshaped so it doesn't have those plain wide straps, AND if there's not enough material to redo it that way, why not choose a wide contrasting band of something bright or satiny and use that to make a band across the top of the bust and sides of the arms?

[LRS]

If you decide to improve the fit, try this:

Put the dress on inside out.  Then you can pin in princess darts, shape the side seams, maybe add front darts - whatever.  Then take if off carefully so you don't get stabbed with the pins.  Handbaste the changes and PRESS it.  Try it on, rightside out, and see if you've improved it. 

If you do add darts, there's an oppportunity for embellishment:  sew beads along the darts, or an embroidery stitch. 

Or - a really glam jacket or wrap would give it a completely new look.

LRS