Anyone that knows me would agree that I like a formless dress. Open my closet and you will see all the ways a dress can not define a waist! I jokingly refer to them as my sack dresses! I love my sacks!
However, to call the Roscoe Dress and Blouse by True Bias a sack is a real disservice. Yes it has all the criteria of a formless dress but it is also light and elegant, flirty even! Making this dress has been on my mind for awhile and this week I finally went for it.
The Pattern:
I've read many reviews of this dress and the consensus is you will want to size way...way down! After reviewing the finished garment dimensions I agreed. Based on the size charts I would be a size 16, but I decided to make a size 4 which still provided plenty of ease in the finished garment.
For this project I did make a muslin, despite my previous statements, sometimes a formless dress can go wrong. Its the difference between loose fitting and still flattering and loose like a wearable tent. So I wanted to be sure. I found and old loose weave fabric in my personal fabric stash that a friend brought me from India years ago, it was lightweight and had a closer (but not exact) drape to my final fabric. I made the blouse version...I loved it! It was flowy, and it draped well. Because of the raglan sleeves and plenty of ease I didn't need to worry about my usual rounded back or forward shoulder adjustments, so on I went.
This dress is listed as advanced beginner, but the most complex part of this pattern is the gathers. There is no interfacing or tricky sleeve attachment. If you are a true beginner and you are ready to level up, this is the perfect pattern for you!
The Fabric:
The Oasis Night fabric is one of my absolute favorite fabrics we carry. This fabric by Atelier Brunette is a stunning print with abstract shapes in such pleasing colors of pinks, tangerine and saffron. Its a lightweight viscose that feels like luxury in your hand! Made from Lenzing™ EcoVero™ certified fibers, this fabric is Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified.
The Conclusion:
This fabric and this pattern were a perfect marriage! I am so happy with how this dress turned out, I know it will get lots of wear all year long. For my next Roscoe I will take several inches off making it a true mini - perfect for wear over leggings or fitting slacks. I'd also really like to try this off the shoulder hack from True Bias!