Vintage Plaid Button Down Maxi Dress upcycled into 4-Piece outfit

Love is in the air and boy do I have a love story to share! This retro long sleeve button down maxi dress was certainly not love at first sight. Funny thing is, I almost passed on it!

I remember picking it off the rack in disbelief like, “Who the heck would wear such a thing. Or better yet, how?” Once I got over the initial shock, I just couldn’t peel my eyes away from the print. Plus, it didn’t help that there was lots to work with!

Right off the bat I knew it was vintage based on the fabric. After a little research, I found it to be good ol’ crimplene. This was my first time working with it and let me tell you, it was a dream! The colors stay pristine, it doesn’t fray and best of all, it’s wrinkle-resistant! Whats not to love??

For the skirt, I wanted a style other than the obvious button-down-the-center, so I decided on an asymmetrical look. A skirt from Finders Keepers sparked the idea for the uneven hem. To avoid a TLDR situation, I broke the tutorials up into two parts. This post will feature the dress and skirt.

Here’s What I Did

(Skirt)

1. I started by measuring and cutting the skirt from the bottom of the dress. I made sure I wasn’t taking away too much for the skirt and leaving too little for the length of the dress and vice versa. To offset the buttons and resize the skirt all at once, I tried it on then pinned the excess to ONE side. Next, I outlined the new side seams and removed the excess. Before finishing with a straight stitch, I first shortened the back hem leaving allowance to finish it later.
2. To form the uneven hem in front, I folded it to the desired shape; pinning, then pressing it in place. Once that was done, I removed the pins, undid the original hem and trimmed it to match the new hemline. I then finished all the corners and completed the hem by hand.
3. Afterwards, was the waistline. I cut a few strips from the scraps for the belt loops and stitched the casings by hand.
4. Lastly, I turned the waist inside approx. 1 inch then pressed. Using a blind stitch, I hand sewed it to the inside of the skirt. I then positioned and pinned the loops in place, securing them with a straight stitch. To finish it off, I added a snap closure to the waist.

(Dress)

1. First I redid the hem after cutting the skirt.
2. I then cinched the waist by making 1/2 inch tucks along the dress darts, tacking them in place.
3. Lastly, was going collarless. Once I removed the collar, I simply reattached the facing directly onto the neckline, then understitched it back in place. Afterwards, I tacked the facing back onto the shoulder seams…and voila!

I hope I explained everything somewhat clearly. If not and you have questions, let me know! Next up is the handbag and detachable collar tutorials so stay tuned!