tomigaya dress fabric and inspiration

Liesl Gibson

1 month ago

Let’s talk about fabric and styling for the Tomigaya Dress today, shall we?

As I mentioned when I introduced this pattern, this is an all-season style that can be sewn in a variety of fabrics for different looks and seasons. Cotton and linen will be especially great for this style. And as I’m partial to the color black, I am drawn to these photos…

Think ahead to summer and light colors, too. Cotton shirting, lightweight lawn or sateen, linen, and even gauze works well!

And if you’re looking for something that’s all-season a chambray, poplin, or a pretty rayon would be very versatile. I love the fabric, bottom right, with the small print. It would be suitable for so many occasions: work, weekends, dinner. It all depends on how you style it. I’ll show you some examples of how I style my favorite version of this dress soon. I made it in black linen and I love it.

There are lots more photos to inspire you in my Tomigaya Dress Pinterest folder if you’re looking for other ideas!

I especially love that you can make a traditional shirt sleeve OR a cute ruffled short sleeve with this style. The ruffle is great for summer and makes the style a little more flirty and fun. The more traditional shirtsleeve version is really versatile for all seasons, however, and can easily be rolled or pushed up for warm weather or to make it look more casual. What I especially like about it is that it’s terrific for cooler weather and layering as well.

So how to style it? Add a belt. Pull a sweater over the dress to make it look more like a skirt or for a layered look, or add a jacket. (Or both if you want!) Try it with sandals in the summer and boots in the winter, or with loafers or ballet flats anytime. I’ll be showing you styling examples soon.

Some favorite fabrics for this one? I’m going to link to my current favorite fabric store, which is in Belgium and has lots of amazing deadstock fabrics from designers like Dries van Noten. Obviously these won’t be available forever, so don’t email me when they sell out, ok? These are just some ideas to help you get thinking, to give you some inspiration. There are lots of places to find great fabrics; these are just some examples to help you get started.

(It goes without saying that you should order a swatch of any fabric before you purchase it, right? I haven’t seen these in person, and some of them may be a bit too heavy or too sheer for this pattern. I’m just going off the description, photos, and weights provided on the website.)

lightweight cotton denim is so versatile for any season

this cotton denim is described as especially fluid, which would be idea for the Tomigaya Dress

cotton gauze is so nice in summer, especially

Here is a cotton sateen that’s not too shiny, but is also very fluid. I adore this color.

Based on the photo and the weight, I suspect this cotton voile might be a bit sheer for a dress. But it’s lovely, isn’t it?

Here’s a linen viscose blend with a simple but large-scale print that would work so well for this style. The spaces in the floral gives it a minimalism that doesn’t compete with the details of the dress, so both can shine!

If you haven’t notice yet, I have a thing for light-blue shirt dresses (I sewed three of them for the photos!), and this soft blue linen appeals to me a great deal. The color is so fresh and pretty!

Here’s a linen cotton voile with a stripe that’s absolute stunning, and I can’t stop thinking about it. It may be a bit sheer, however.

Remember that printed dress I mentioned? This linen cotton jacquard has all the requirements for a versatile but not overwhelming print. I think, however, that it may be a bit heavy for this style…

So does that get you thinking and dreaming about the fabrics you might choose? I hope so! I can’t wait to see what you choose and how you wear it. Like I said, I’ll be back with more styling ideas and photos for you soon, including how our testers sewed this style.

In the meantime, you can pick up your own copy of the Tomigaya Dress sewing pattern either in paper or in digital format. I can’t wait to see how you make this style, and I hope you’ll tag us #tomigayashirtdress and #lieslandco so we can see what you do with it!