I’m so happy to be able to introduce you to our two newest Liesl + Co. styles. Today it’s dressing for daytime. And tomorrow we’ll get right for nighttime. So here we go!
I love a good wrap dress. Do you, too? I like how they make it so easy to get dressed in the morning, especially when you’re in a hurry and don’t want to spend time thinking about what to wear. A wrap dress is like putting on a bathrobe–just slip on, tie the waist, and go–and yet it somehow manages to look pulled-together, a little sexy, extremely laid back, and very elegant and refined. We’ve released two wrap dress patterns in the past, but this time I wanted to give you something different. And I’m so pleased with how our new Copenhagen Wrap Dress turned out!
The Copenhagen Wrap Dress is a very different spin on the wrap dress. The bodice is dramatic and blouse-y, with pleats and wide sleeves (and both long- and short-sleeve options, which look quite different from each other to give you more options from one sewing pattern) and with a close-fitting neckline that keeps you perfectly secure. Meanwhile, the skirt is adjustable, close fitting, and resembles a refined sarong, with darts, pleats and a dramatic tie at the hip. The combination of the two parts together is a really flattering and unique silhouette.
The details: a pleated, full, blouse-y bodice with dramatic sleeves. The long sleeves are bat-wing and blouse-y with button cuffs at the wrists. The short sleeves have a crisp fold-back cuff, and they’re a great option for summer styling. The neckline is finished with an external facing that allows you to add a contrast color or print if you want. Meanwhile, the skirt is asymmetrical with darts and pleats for shaping and draping, and with two long ties to knot or bow at the hip. Because of the ties, this style is flexible and can be adjusted for weight fluctuation, which is nice if you’re going to be eating or dancing, etc. I wore this style to my niece’s wedding this summer and felt great in it, including for the dancing!
Does it have pockets? Yes! Yes, it does, most certainly. You can eliminate them if you want, but they are very convenient on-seam pockets that stay in place securely because they’re connected to the waist seam. So very nice pockets, actually!
I always try to include lengthen and shorten lines on our patterns because I know sometimes you want a different length–or maybe just options! You can easily lengthen or shorten the dress this way. I love a longer skirt, so I often add length when I sew our patterns for myself. In other words, options are good!
Just for fun, I lengthened the skirt and sewed just the wrap skirt from this pattern because I love to try things like that. It’s very easy and fast to make. I’ll tell you how I did it in another post, because it’s a nice hack and another way to use the pattern to get the most mileage from it. For this one I used unbleached linen, and I wore it a lot this summer!
Fabrics? I’ll talk about them more at length later, but I made this in linen, tropical wool (great for fall, winter, and spring!) and printed cotton. I also recommend lightweight cotton twill, rayon, viscose, and drapey silks, which would all be beautiful for this style! Try drapey wools like gabardine for a multi-season dress. I’ll give you more fabric ideas and styling inspiration in my next post about this style, too.
This pattern is great if your measurements vary between sizes. I recommend that you choose your size based on your hip measurement. The pleats at the waist can be made larger or smaller, and the bust is very forgiving because of the pleats, so you won’t have to do much more to get a good fit.
I can’t wait to see how you sew it! You know I love to see how you make our patterns your own, with your own fabric and styling. I’ll have some inspiration for you next, but in the meantime you can pick up a copy of the Copenhagen Wrap Dress for yourself in paper or in digital format. I hope you’ll tag us #lieslandco and #copenhagenwrapdress so we can see what you do with it!
So cute!!! Can’t wait to sew it!