You can sew a women's sundress for the office yourself. To do this, you need to know how to successfully choose a style according to your body type, and also read several step-by-step master classes on sewing different outfits.
Requirements for a sarafan for the office
In many companies where office workers work, there are dress code standards. Sometimes the company issues specialized clothing to employees, but if there is no such requirement, then each employee has the right to wear any clothes that are in line with business style. Business style clothing for women is a properly selected dress or skirt length, a neutral, unattractive color, and a strict style.
Sundresses are the most popular type of clothing suitable for work in the office. They can be combined with beautiful blouses, jackets and vests. The article below describes the basic requirements for office sundresses. Knowing these rules, you can choose (or sew yourself) a beautiful and elegant outfit that will meet business standards.
Colors and patterns
A women's office sarafan should not be too bright. Neon, colorful shades should be excluded from the wardrobe. Also, you should not wear a sarafan to work, abundantly decorated with rhinestones and sequins. It is better to save such an outfit for corporate evenings.
In winter, it is advisable to give preference to deep, dark shades, for example: blue, black, dark gray or dark brown. In summer, a woman's everyday work look will be decorated with a pastel and light-colored sarafan. Examples: lemon, coffee, pearl or camel hair color.
If the listed options seem boring, you can add some sundresses of other colors to your wardrobe:
- dark emerald;
- gray with a blue tint;
- pure red;
- dark red or cherry;
- light brown;
- olive;
- plum;
- billiard cloth color;
- peach;
- mustard;
- dark salmon.
You can wear sarafans with ornaments and strict patterns. Patterns should match the type of figure and age of the woman who plans to wear such a sarafan. An incorrectly chosen pattern can visually emphasize the shortcomings of the figure or hide its advantages. Also, some ornaments can make the image of a young girl less attractive, or, conversely, visually rejuvenate an older woman.
The table shows examples of correspondences:
| Type of pattern | Age from 20 to 45 years | Age 46 and above | Slender (normal) body type | Full body type |
| Large flowers | — | + | + | — |
| Small flowers | + | + | + | + |
| Goose foot | + | + | + | — |
| Scottish plaid | + | + | + | — |
| Burberry print | + | + | + | — |
| Narrow vertical stripes | + | + | — | + |
| Wide vertical stripes | + | — | + | — |
| Diagonal lines | + | + | + | + |
| Small cell | + | + | — | + |
| Small peas | — | + | + | + |
| Light top, dark bottom | + | + | + | — |
All patterns should be neutral colors. Small colored inserts are allowed, for example: stripes on the sides, edging of the neck, sleeves and hem, colored belt.
Length
A women's office sarafan should be of medium length - to the knee. You can wear ankle-length sarafans, but not longer. The hem can be above the knees, but not more than 6 cm.
Short sundresses that expose the hips are best left for walks, parties and other events not related to work. Long sundresses to the floor can interfere with work. It will be uncomfortable to move around the office in them.
Fabrics
When choosing fabric for sewing a sundress, you need to focus on the season.
Materials suitable for sewing winter and autumn sundresses:
- wool;
- velveteen;
- thick suit fabric;
- tweed;
- thick knitwear;
- artificial leather;
- jeans.
For summer and spring clothes the following are suitable:
- flax;
- cotton;
- fine knitwear;
- natural cotton mixed with synthetics.
It is important that the fabric is of high quality. When buying, you need to pay attention to whether there are any snags or stains on the canvas, and whether the edges are fraying at the cuts.
Styles
In the office, you should not wear sundresses with a deep neckline, open back, as well as very short and abundantly decorated with fittings and sequins. Sports and club cut items should also be excluded. A straight-cut sundress is considered a universal option. It will suit both adult women and young girls. You can wear such clothes with any type of figure.
Women with an apple-shaped figure will suit a sundress with a V-neck. It will help to visually stretch the neck, and also make the top proportional to the bottom. Such a sundress can be worn with blouses and shirts, and also decorated with false collars. Full-figured women should pay attention to wrap-around models. The beveled line formed by the wrap in front visually lengthens the silhouette.
The waist becomes more pronounced, and rounded shapes become neater and more attractive. This model also looks good on women with a slender build. Skinny and slender women will look good in strictly cut sundresses made of leather. They can emphasize a thin waist, as well as add volume to the chest and hips. It is important that the skin is smooth, without an animal pattern.
A sundress with a crocodile or snakeskin texture will look too provocative for an office worker. Women with an hourglass figure will suit models with a peplum. The peplum can be wide or narrow. Its location can be straight or diagonal. The color of the peplum can be the same as the sundress or contrasting to it. This detail emphasizes the waist well and turns a strict business image into a flirty one.
Women over 46 years old will suit sarafans made of tweed. Models can be different: with wide and narrow straps, with a round or square neckline, as well as decorated with inserts made of other fabrics, various fittings and stripes.
Pregnant girls can wear wool sundresses in winter. The style should be loose. High-waisted options will look good. In summer, you can wear cotton straight-cut dresses, as well as trapezoid and A-shaped sundresses.
Stages of sewing a sarafan with your own hands
For the office, you can sew a women's sarafan using a straight-cut dress pattern (you can take a fitted silhouette). This is one of the simplest options for the product. Even a novice seamstress can handle sewing. Further in the article, you can consider in detail all the stages of sewing a sarafan with your own hands.
Taking measurements
In stores, you often have to try on several clothing options to choose the one that will look best on your figure. The main advantage of sewing a sarafan at home is the precisely selected sizes.
To construct the pattern correctly, you need to take the following measurements using a measuring tape:
- chest circumference;
- neck circumference;
- hip circumference;
- waist circumference;
- back width;
- shoulder width;
- chest height;
- length of the product from the base of the neck to the waist;
- length of the product from the yoke to the waist;
- solution for darts on the chest.
All indicators must be written down on paper using convenient abbreviations.
Modeling and design
Regardless of the thickness of the fabric, the patterns of the products will be cut in the same way. When sewing a summer sarafan, the allowance for a free fit should be about 1 cm, and when sewing a winter one - 2 cm. The basis for the drawing will be a rectangle with sides equal to ½ of the chest volume (+ 2.5 cm to the length of the finished product).
On the rectangle, horizontally, you need to make marks in advance:
- chest height;
- waist height;
- hip line.
Connect the marks with lines to create a grid. Then you need to compare the pattern sizes with your individual measurements.
How to do it:
- From the chest line, make a mark equal to the result of the measurement of the width of the back, divided into 2 parts. From the other edge, make a mark equal to ½ of the solution of the chest darts.
- Raise these 2 points to the top of the rectangle at a right angle.
- Put aside ¼ of the neck circumference value in the corners of the figure. Draw the shoulder seams, placing them at an angle.
- On the front panel, from the line where the raised mark of the chest dart solution intersects, step back 5 cm (it can be less, depending on the size of the dart). Put a dot in this place and draw the 2nd line of the dart.
- Lengthen the shoulder seam of the front panel. Its size should be equal to the tuck of the dart.
- The armhole area can be determined by dividing ½ the chest circumference by 4. Put this value aside from the point indicating ½ the back width. Draw curves. Connect the shoulder seams with a smooth line, drawing them through the chest area.
- Draw a perpendicular line through the middle of the armhole. It should intersect the bottom side of the rectangle.
- Determine the difference between the chest circumference and the waist circumference. Divide the resulting value by 2 and distribute it along the sides, forming 2 darts on the back and front of the pattern.
- Step back from the sides of the rectangle by ¼ of the hip circumference. Draw a smooth side seam.
The pattern for sewing an office sarafan is ready. All that remains is to transfer it to the fabric and cut it out.
Cutting and assembly
The pattern for sundresses is cut out in the same way as for other items. The pieces are cut out along the contour, leaving allowances for seams and their processing (1.5 - 2 cm). You also need to make an allowance for processing the hem, about 5 cm. If the fabric frays, then the allowances can be slightly increased. In the office, it is more convenient to wear a sundress with a zipper. The best option is a tractor or hidden fastener about 80 cm long.
It can be built into the side seam or located in the center of the back. For a comfortable step, it is advisable to make a small cut. You can also sew a sundress that is narrowed at the bottom. In this case, you will need to narrow the pattern along the side seams, starting from the hip line and reaching the edge of the hem. The narrowing should be at least 6 cm.
Decorative design
You can improve your business look with beautiful sundress decoration.
Decoration options:
- The neckline is embroidered with stones that match the color of the sarafan.
- Lace collar.
- Collar with colored inserts (geometric or with braid).
- Sewn-in belt loops.
You can also complete the look with a mesh sweater or a white tight turtleneck. You can also wear turtlenecks and pastel-colored T-shirts underneath.
Models of beautiful office sundresses for girls and women. Patterns, step-by-step sewing
A women's office sarafan should be selected based on the individual features of the figure. Further in the article, you can consider various styles of sarafans and learn how to change basic patterns to get one or another model.
Case
This style suits slim women, as well as those with an hourglass figure and wide hips. This model of sundresses visually balances the figure. To construct the pattern, you need to use standard templates for a sheath dress with short sleeves.
What needs to be changed in the standard drawing and how to sew a sarafan:
- Make the bodice area more closed by slightly raising the Golovina line. You can make a shallow triangular neckline.
- Along the side seams, closer to the bottom, the pattern will need to be narrowed.
- Adjust the length of the product. The best option is to the knees. Women with full calves and voluminous mounds should give preference to longer versions of this sundress, for example, below the knees (7-10 cm).
- Mark the location of the zipper. It should be inserted from the left or right side.
- Next, the pattern needs to be transferred to the fabric, taking into account seam allowances.
- Cut out the pieces and place them face down.
- Sew the side seams using a sewing machine.
- Finish the sleeves and armholes.
- Turn up the hem and stitch it with a double stitch.
This model of a sarafan can be worn with a thin blouse or a turtleneck. The sheath model looks good with a thin belt. To make it stay in place, you need to make belt loops at the waist.
Tunic
The model is loosely cut. It is suitable for women with a "pear" or "apple" body type. It will also look good on thin girls who do not want to emphasize their thinness too much. Knitted fabric is required for sewing. The classic tunic dress pattern should be used as a basis.
What to change in the drawing and how to sew a sarafan:
- Deepen the cutout slightly (literally by 3-4 cm).
- The neck will be draped. Therefore, it is necessary to mark the draping step, so that later it will be easier to calculate the volume of fabric that is necessary for work.
- Adjust the length of the garment. The optimal length is to the knees. Owners of slender legs can sew a sarafan a little shorter.
- Transfer the pattern onto the fabric.
- Finish the neckline and drape.
- Treat the sleeves.
- Hem the edge of the hem.
This model does not have a fastener. The sarafan is put on over the head. The product can be worn with thin blouses or with a "mesh" sweater. The color of the blouse or "mesh" can be contrasting or monochrome, in relation to the main color of the outfit.
Sundress with straps
A sundress model for slender women. Girls with a massive top are not recommended to wear sundresses of such styles. The straps will visually add fullness to the arms, grille and back. A sundress with straps can be sewn from suit fabric or from knitwear with the addition of viscose. As a basis for constructing a pattern, you can take a template of a strict skirt.
How to change the drawing and sew a sarafan:
- Attach a piece to the top of the skirt that will fit around the waist like a corset.
- Create a classic bodice shape. Remove the neckline.
- Separately cut out 2 pieces for each strap. The role of the straps is decorative. The top part of the sundress will stay on without them.
- Mark the location of the zipper. It needs to be inserted into one of the side seams.
- Transfer the pattern onto the fabric.
- Insert the zipper. Sew the side seams.
- Turn up the hem.
- Sew the straps and attach them to the sundress.
- Treat the neck.
Black fabric can be stitched with white or red threads. This will make the outfit look more impressive.
Wrap style
Women's office sarafan (use a wrap dress pattern as a basis) this model is suitable for owners of curvy shapes. There is no need to change anything in the construction of the classic pattern.
How to sew:
- After transferring and cutting out all the details from the material, you need to fasten the product along the side seams, turning the elements with the front side inward.
- Also pin the shoulder seams of the bodice.
- Stitch all the fastened places on the machine. If the fabric is crumbling, it must be processed on the overlock.
- Sew the seams on the sleeves. Process the seam allowances.
- Sweep the lining parts of the bodice, then stitch along the edges and shoulder seams.
- Gather the sleeve pieces at the top. Sew into the armholes.
- Process the edges with an overlock machine.
- Sew the middle seam on the back parts of the skirt. Machine stitch the front parts. If the model includes a lining, it should be sewn in the same way.
- Sew a zipper along the center seam on the back of the bodice.
- Iron the edges of the zipper.
- Sew the skirt to the end. Iron the seam allowances.
- Place the bodice over the skirt and stitch it in place.
- Process the seam with an overlock machine.
- Overcast the bottom edge of the garment. If the sarafan is sewn with a lining, you will need to sew 2 layers at once.
Sew the bottom edge of the hem with a double stitch.
Sundress with buttons
For this model, a pattern of a fitted dress with a straight skirt will be suitable as a basis.
What to change in the drawing and how to sew a sarafan:
- Reduce darts.
- Lengthen the neckline.
- Draw perpendiculars from the obtained points.
- Raise the shoulder cut lines at the front by 0.5 cm and at the back by 0.8 cm.
- From the end of the shoulder, measure 8 cm for the neckline.
- Make the sleeves one-piece.
- Transfer the pattern onto the fabric.
- Cut out all the pieces.
- Sew the product along the side seams.
- Finish the neckline and turn up the hem.
This style of sundress is considered universal, as it looks good on any body type.
Belted style
Belts look good on 4 styles of sundresses:
- silhouette A;
- strict straight cut;
- case;
- model with straps.
To insert the belt, you need to sew on belt loops. It is important to remember that a wide belt will look good on slender women. For those who have a little extra volume in the waist area, it is better to use a thin belt.
High waist style
Usually such a sarafan is sewn on straps, knee-length. Cotton mixed with wool, linen or calico can be used for work.
How to construct a pattern:
- Mark the neckline. Measure down 19 cm, to the middle of the front.
- Use a ruler to draw a horizontal line.
- On the back, set aside the same distance as on the side part of the front. Draw a line.
- Measure 2.5 cm from the sides of the armhole.
- Draw a horizontal line across the back pattern.
- Cut off the excess.
- Make a bodice fold in the front. Transfer the right half of the pattern to tracing paper. Set aside 3.5 cm to the right side. Cut out the front part of the sarafan from the fabric.
- When creating a pattern for a skirt, you need to remember that the size of the top frill should be equal to the length of the bottom of the bodice, multiplied by 1.7 cm. The width of the frill will be 32 cm.
- The length of the bottom frill is the length of the top frill multiplied by 1.7 cm. The width of the frill is 30 cm.
- A strip of fabric equal to 10 cm will need to be sewn to the bottom. A strip about 4 cm wide will need to be sewn under the bodice.
- Sew the front and back bodice pieces together.
- Sew the back pieces.
- Sew the strap strips.
- Sew the side seams.
Finish the neckline and bottom of the sundress.
Ideas for pregnant women
Pregnant girls are advised to choose fabric for sewing sundresses that will hold its shape well.
Examples:
- jeans;
- viscose;
- cotton with viscose or wool;
- thick knitwear.
Thick fabrics will help to slightly ease the load on the spine. The ideal option would be sundresses with a high waist, flared, or straight silhouette. The colors can be any, but if you want to look a little slimmer, it is better to buy fabrics of dark colors: black, blue, khaki.
Girls in late pregnancy can wear sundresses with elastic inserts in the abdominal area. They will help reduce pressure on the abdomen. Strict blouses in light and pastel shades will look harmonious with such sundresses.
How to decorate a sundress for the office?
Accessories should be worn in such a way as not to overload the image. According to the rules of business etiquette, a woman should have no more than 5 pieces of jewelry.
Options suitable for wearing with formal sundresses:
- Pendants and lockets (up to the chest).
- Brooches with large stones.
- Thin scarves tied around the neck.
- Wide bracelets.
- Belts made of leather, metal chains or rhinestone threads.
- False collars made of lace or beads.
What shoes will go well with sundresses:
- Shoes with thick heels or stiletto heels.
- Pumps.
- Closed toe sandals.
- Batillions.
- Lace-up boots.
The height of the boots should be selected taking into account the length of the sarafan. A women's sarafan for the office can be selected for any type of figure. The main thing is to learn how to properly decorate the outfit and combine it with other clothes so that the image turns out beautiful and harmonious.
Video on how to knit a women's sarafan for the office
How to sew a universal sundress: