OFF THE SHOULDER DRESS TUTORIAL

 DRESS MADE BY ME (ALMOST IDENTICAL DRESS HERE AND AN OPTION UNDER $40 HERE AND HERE) | GOLD GLADIATOR SANDALS | STRAW POM POM TOTE BAG | SUNGLASSES

I posted a little sneak peek of this dress when I wore it in Hawaii, and I'm excited today to bring you the full tutorial on how you can make a custom off the shoulder dress for your next beach trip! Before we left on our family vacation to Hawaii last month, I was itching to sew an off the sleeve dress for a beach cover up. There are so many adorable off the shoulder dresses for sale (this one and this one are my favorites), but I had some really pretty lightweight coral fabric in my stash that I wanted to use up. I came across this dress online and I knew I had to recreate it with my coral fabric.

The off the shoulder trend is one of my favorite trends this summer, because I feel like the clavicle and shoulders are such a pretty and classy way to show a little skin. Plus, you don't have to worry about getting tan lines if you wear it as a cover up to the pool and beach.

To style an off the shoulder dress, I would say skip the necklace, especially if you are wearing it as a swim cover. Throw on a simple pair of stud earrings intead, and pull your hair away from your face a bit. If you throw too much jewelry on it distracts from the silhouette of the dress. When it comes to resort wear, I really think something more simple, understated, and less styled ends up looking a lot more chic and timeless.

GET THE FULL TUTORIAL FOR THIS TOP AFTER THE JUMP BELOW..

If you don't know how to sew, now is the time to learn! We are running our big summer sale over at moderngirlsewing.com where you can get 25% off of any of our online sewing courses with the code: SUMMER25. The sale ends on Monday! Summer is the best time to sew, and this dress is really great for a beginner. You can find out more about the courses here. 

Materials:

• 3 yards of fabric (I used a light weight polyester/cotton blend)
• 1 1/2 yards of 1/2" elastic
• matching thread

STEP 1:

Cut out 2 rectangles of fabric that measure about 1 1/2 x your chest width, and 28" long (you can make it as long or short as you would like). Cut out small arm holes (keep in mind these can be very short holes, since the top will hit you a few inched underneath your armpit).

STEP 2:

Lay your 2 bodice pieces Rt sides together and stitch up either side with 1/2" seam allowance (sa).

STEP 3:

Open your bodice and serge around the armpit opening, then fold under 1/4", press, and stitch.

STEP 4:

Cut your 2 strips of fabric 15" wider than your bodice pieces, place them rs togther, and stitch up the sides with 1/2" sa.

STEP 5:

Serge around the bottom of your stitched together strips of fabric, fold under 1/4", pin your trim along the edge and stitch.

STEP 6:

Fold the top of your long strip over 1" and stitch all around leaving a 2" opening.

STEP 7:

Slide the bodice through the exact middle of the long strip of fabric and place the seam allowances together. Stitch all around the top of the round strip with a 5/8" seam allowance, leaving a small opening where the elastic will fit 

STEP 8: 

Insert one of the ends of the elastic into the top of the bodice through the 3" opening. Pin the end of the elastic in place so it doesn't pull all the say through, and stitch the 2 ends together. Hem along the bottom of the bodice with 1/2" sa. 

I found a lot of similar dresses that you can shop here: