Let's be honest, we are all over winter now, we have had enough of the rain, the extra powerful winds and we want to feel the sun on our faces once again. More importantly we want the hope that the Spring and Summer brings. Now we aren’t quite there yet, but we can look forward to it in more ways than booking a holiday. By planning our Spring/Summer wardrobes starting with dresses….
Polka Dot Summer Dresses
Polka dots have a long history linking them to classic summer wear but this year they are going to be especially popular, remember the Zara Dress that was everywhere? Well, it could be a repeat of that or to do something a bit different this year, how about making a polka dot skirt? In terms of keeping it classic then you can’t go wrong than a navy summer skirt either, as you always pop your favourite navy jumper on with it until we get that one weekend that is boiling hot. So this Special Purchase Crepe is perfect it has the drape to create a floaty, pretty summer dress and is a special price, the only down side is once it’s gone it’s gone.
Special Purchase Navy Dressmaking Crepe with Big White Spots
Seersucker Summer Dress Fabric
Nothing is more quintessentially summery than seersucker fabric, perfect for everything from light summer dresses, pretty little tops or even a pair of super chic pyjamas because let's be honest, we can’t quite let go of the loungewear just yet. Our Seersucker range right now is pretty darn good. The light weight of the cotton means it’s great for warmer weather and it’s 100% cotton making it one of the easiest things to sew with. But back to dresses: we have been thinking that the Helen’s Closet Reynolds dress would look especially good in a seersucker, the long length would look amazing with the stripes going vertically.
The Foldline Reynold's Top and Dress
Looking for something to wear to work during a heatwave, well seersucker is crisp and smart making it a great summer workwear option, especially as we have great navy and black options.
Dressmaking Cotton Seersucker Stripe in Navy Blue
Shirt Dresses
Speaking of work wear and let's be honest summer work wear can be a fraction tricky, but you simply cannot go wrong with a shirt dress for work especially if you keep them in more muted colours. Now we are aware that this might sound slightly dull, but what about adding a statement sleeve, the Anna Allen Anthea Blouse and Dress is the perfect combination. This would look amazing in both a smart linen for work but equally a pretty floral lawn for the weekends.
The Foldline Anthea Blouse and Dress
would look fabulous in one of our linen fabrics....
Collars
A trend that has been quietly worming its way into our consciousness is Collars (no, not quite the Harry Hill kind). Starting off with blouses and now ending up on dresses, collars are becoming a bit of a thing.
Now Gingham never really goes out of fashion, and it’s certainly not going away this summer; a dress with a big collar would work especially well in a gingham fabric. But which colour should you choose, navy, aubergine, yellow or this summer’s "it" colour - green?
Dressmaking Gingham in Sunshine Yellow and Olive Green
The Queen of Collar in the pattern world has to be Nina Lee and the Bakerloo Blouse and Dress would look great in Summer with a pair of sandals. (And save the pattern, because it would look great in something heavier with tights and boots too).
The Foldline Bakerloo Blouse and Dress Pattern
Floral Midi Dress
Dresses are a great throw-on option at any time of year but especially for the warmer months, and you simply can’t go wrong with a pretty floral dress. What is great about this year in particular is that even though the micro mini is doing the rounds, there is still plenty of space for a relaxed midi, perfect for a last minute dinner or party but equally with trainers for a slightly more pulled together look for the park.
Now the fabrics that come immediately to mind are ones with a lovely bit of drape, something which will float in the breeze and feel light on the skin. Now for that you can only really look to our viscose range. The gift that keeps on giving here is Petra, pretty, ditsy but equally a bit more grown up; the other perfect fabric is a linen and viscose mix especially the Lady Bird Meadow.
Petra in Red & Navy and Lady Bird Meadow in Cream
Slight Mini Dress
We are hardly slaves to fashion, but mini dresses are going to be everywhere this summer and maybe beyond too. So we thought we should mention them, but we aren’t for the extremes. The ideal pattern for that would be the Stevie Tunic by Tilly and the Buttons and even better it can be made in many things - cotton floral poplins, twills or maybe even a bright silk if you fancy it.
The Foldline Stevie Tunic Dress Pattern
We were thinking it would be nice in one of our new Cotton Twill Stripes or maybe a chambray stripe. Honestly, endless options. This dress would be handy for those days were you are running around on errands and you just need a denim jacket and a pair of trainers over the top.
Dressmaking Cotton Twill Stripe Fabrics
Layering over a Summer Dress
Now we are in Britain, famously it rains every year during Wimbledon and sometimes we get one or two scorching weeks but normally it’s not the whole summer. So it might be a good idea to whip up a new sweatshirt too, just in case. The great thing about sweatshirts is they go just as well with any slip dresses or cotton dresses.
But to make it slightly more summery what about using a double gauze? We were thinking if you teamed with some denim cuts offs and trainers what a great care-free summer look, and not only that, when it gets cooler again (let's not think about it too much) you can layer it up with t-shirts underneath.
Shop for Summer Dress Fabrics Online
Well golly, we sure have covered a lot of summer dress fabric ideas for you to explore - hopefully something grabbed you and you find a great dress fabric on our online store but don't forget you can always call our expert team in the London fabric shop on 020 7738 9589 .
