How to Make a Wrap Dress

Last Updated: February 16, 2022 References

Modern wrap dresses were popularized by designer Diane von Furstenberg in the 1970s. Unlike many fashion trends, wrap dresses have remained in style ever since.^{[1]
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Research source} Their popularity is due to the fact that they are comfortable, stylish, flattering for every figure, and appropriate for most occasions. The infinity dress is another style of wrap dress that can be worn many different ways. Both types are also two of the easiest dresses to make on your own.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Working from a Pattern

1
Size whoever will wear the dress accurately. Even the most flattering types of clothes will look better with an exact fit. Use flexible measuring tape to measure the bust, waist, and hips.^{[2]
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Alterations Express
Alteration, Tailoring, and Dry Cleaning Specialists
Expert Interview. 15 September 2021.} Use these measurements to accurately pick the correct pattern size to work from.^{[3]
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2
Find your pattern. You can buy sewing patterns from fabric stores or download them online. Most pre-printed patterns you can buy will come with multiple sizes on the same sheet. On the other hand, many pattern websites have separate files for use each size. Because wrap dresses are often worn loose and flowy, it's fine if the pattern is slightly larger than your measurements.
- Consider what style of wrap dress you would like. The classic wrap dress has long sleeves and stops just above the knee. However, there are variations that include all sleeve types and skirt lengths. You will also need to decide between a real wrap or a faux wrap.
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3
Pick the right fabric. The best fabric for a wrap dress is stretchy. Good choices are knit or polyester. You may choose any weight fabric, from light to heavy. It can also be a solid color or patterned.^{[4]
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- You can also make a wrap dress with non-elastic fabric. However, it will not hug your curves or drape the same way.
4
Cut out your pattern pieces. Cut along the black line as guided by your pattern's specific instructions. Use a pair of scissors especially designated for cutting paper. Do not use your fabric scissors, as the patterns will dull them.
5
Cut out your fabric pieces. Use straight pins to secure the pattern pieces to your fabric. Mark the pattern using tailor's chalk or some other non-staining writing utensil. Remove the pattern pieces and then cut along these lines.
- The typical wrap dress will have about six pieces: two fronts, two sleeves, one back, and one for a tie or belt.^{[5]
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- Double check your measurements to ensure they're correct before you make any cuts.^{[6]
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  Alterations Express
  Alteration, Tailoring, and Dry Cleaning Specialists
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Sew the pieces together. This step will be dependent on the specific pattern you've chosen and varies widely. In general, remember to keep all seams at 5/8" inches. All free edges, such as the bottom of the skirt, should also be hemmed to 5/8".
7
Try the dress on. Either wear it yourself or place the dress on an appropriately-sized mannequin. Make sure you like how it looks and check for any areas you may have missed hemming. Re-hem any areas where the hem is uneven or doesn't fit right. If the dress is too loose, try widening the hem in that section. Test run the new seams using straight pins before you actually begin to sew.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making an Infinity Wrap Dress

1
Find your fabric. You will need about three yards of fabric to make this dress. The best fabric types you can pick will be ones that are stretchy and drape well. Polyesters or knits are both good choices.
2
Take your measurements. Like all clothing, tailoring your dress to exactly what you need will make it look its best. You will need just two measurements before beginning:
- Your waist at its smallest part.
- The length from your waist to where you want the bottom of the dress to be. This will be its skirt length.^{[7]
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3
Mark and cut out your skirt piece. Fold your fabric in half once and lay it on a flat surface. If your fabric is rectangular, make the fold along its length. From one of the two parallel free edges, use measuring tape to measure out the skirt length you determined earlier. Make sure the tape is straight and parallel to the long edge, not diagonal. Mark the skirt length on both sides of the fabric using either fabric chalk or straight pins. Cut straight across along these marks using sharp fabric scissors.^{[8]
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4
Sew the sides of your skirt together. Take the free long edges of your skirt and sew them together. The result should be a long tube.^{[9]
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- Many fabrics, especially ones with patterns, have only one side meant to be visible in the final garment. If your fabric is like this, sew the nicer sides together facing each other. You will flip the tube right-side-out later.
5
Sew a gather stitch near the top. Make a wide and loose stitch about half an inch from what will be the top of your skirt. Sew it completely around the tube. When you're finished, gently tug on one of the thread ends.^{[10]
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Research source} This will "gather" the skirt, creating a slightly ruffled appearance.
- Do not trim the edges of the string until the complete dress has been sewn together. If you trim it now, the gather stitch will come undone.
6
Mark and cut out your waistband piece. On a section of fabric, measure and mark what will be your waistband. This will need to be a strip that is six inches wide and one half to one third of your waist measurement.
- If your fabric isn't very stretchy, use your actual waist measurement instead. The more stretchy the fabric, the shorter this piece should be.^{[11]
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Fold the waistband in half and sew it into a circle. Make the fold lengthwise. Then, sew the two shorter ends together. Make sure your stitches include all four layers of fabric.^{[12]
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8
Mark and cut your straps. You will need two long strips of fabric to create the transformable "wrap" part of your dress. The length and width of these strips will be determined by your figure.^{[13]
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- The straps' widths should be around 10 inches (25 cm) for a smaller chest, 12 inches (30.5 cm) for an average chest, and 14 inches (35.6 cm) for a large chest. You can make them wider if you would like your dress to have more coverage.
- Strap length should correlate with your height. If you are on the short side, make them around 85 inches (216 cm) long. Those of average height should use 95 inches (240 cm) and taller people will need about 105 inches (267 cm). If you are unsure about how long they should be, add a few inches and trim after assembling your dress if needed.^{[14]
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9
Attach the straps to the skirt. Place the two straps with one short edge flush with the top of your skirt. Position the straps so that they overlap each other slightly by roughly a half inch. Make sure that the unfolded straps lay parallel to the length of the skirt rather than in the opposite direction. Sew the straps to the skirt along the top edge.^{[15]
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10
Add the waistband. Pin the waistband around the top of the skirt so that the bottom of the waistband is upside-down and flush with the top of the skirt. Sew the two pieces together.
- Position the seam in the front center of the dress so that it will be hidden by the straps when worn.^{[16]
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- The waistband will be smaller than the top of the skirt. Gently stretch the waistband while sewing to properly line it up and give a snug fit.
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Invert the waistband and wear. Once you've finished sewing, flip the waistband up and inward. Your dress is now ready to wear.
- One style is to wear the dress at the waist with the straps pulled over your chest and around the back of your neck.
- You can pair the dress with a similarly-colored tube top for more coverage.