Jacquemus inspired dress
I think a lot of creatives would understand the journey of starting a project and forgetting about it… only to come back to it months later. This dress was one of those projects.
I had all the intentions to create it within a few weeks but life happens and the most important point is that it got completed, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out! I don’t think it’s an exact dupe to the Jacquemus Saudade dress, but it’s a very close-inspired version which I think I like even better. It has the key characteristics: the open back, and the ruched side. I think it makes a very flattering silhouette for anyone looking for a summer event dress. You can make it in the short version or the long version depending on your comfort level. I attempted the short version this time but I would be interested in creating a longer version as well!
The following instructions are a general guide to creating your own pattern and toile. I highly recommend creating a pattern to start, or you may find yourself re-installing a zipper too many times.
*The new Saudade dress is slightly different with an extra fold at the neckline, the one I used at reference was from the previous season with just a straight neckline
COST | $
DIFFICULTY | Medium
2019-2020 Jacquemus Saudade dress (no longer available)
What you’ll need
2-2.5yards of a linen blend woven fabric, light-medium weight
Invisible zipper
Hook & eye (optional)
matching thread
General Pattern Shapes
If you would like more gathers, feel free to extend the length of the ruched side.
Other patterns that can help with drafting your own pattern or modifying the above:
Steps
*These instructions do not include a lining construction.
Create a pattern using your own body measurements and reference the above general shape pattern. If you have a similarly shaped dress or a mannequin this will greatly help in drafting!
Cut out your pieces, you will need one front piece, one back piece and two long pieces for the straps
Sew the front darts at the bust area
Sew in the invisible zipper on the straight side of the dress
Hem the bottom edge of the dress. I recommend a baby hem or a double folded hem. If your material is too thick like mine, I would serge the edges and double top stitch to hold.
Sew two gathering stitches (length of 5) on the ruched edges of the front and back pieces
Gather the ruched area and distribute it evenly; you can play with around how high you want the slit at this time
Match back up and sew the side together with good sides facing
Create the straps by folding it into quarters inwards to the center and top stitching it closed to create a flat strap
Cut two two-inch pieces for the side loops
Place the straps and loops in place and fold over the side edges of the front torso section to hide the open edges. You can also sew the straps and loops secondary to hemming the remaining open edges
Hand tack on the hook and eye closure if it’s needed above the invisible zipper
Alterations
In the video, you can see in the first try on, the dress wasn’t well fitted and I mentioned that I did a few alterations off camera. This is due to 2 things: I didn’t create a pattern or toile prior to creating the dress. If you follow the general shapes section you should have fewer alterations needed (I’ve taken these alterations into consideration when creating the general shape guide).
These are the following alterations that I made to my dress:
Brought in the neckline 1” on either side. The neckline was too wideset for my frame and caused gaping in the initial try on
Lowered the back with a scooped line so that it would better hug the small of my back
Took in the side (gathered side) of the dress so it would fit a bit nicer around the hips. I also helped in creating more gathers by hand tacking it on the inside.
Reinforced the slit area with some hand stitching so it would tulip nicely with the curved edges