MEET MY NEW FAVOURITE MINI DRESS (MADE BY YOURS TRULY)

This is part 4 ( the final part ) of the

Made By XDF Spring Summer 2021 Capsule Project.

The Made By XDF Spring Summer 2021 Capsule Project consists of 4 different looks I have designed and sewn in order to order to bring you fresh style inspiration for this time of year…

Enjoy!Xx

Whilst minimalism and simplicity should never be dismissed, there is nothing wrong with going all out or wearing a fun and exciting statement piece that really embodies your style. Well, lo and behold, a mini dress can be used to do exactly that. The mini dress is not “one style fits all”. Despite it being a small and easy piece of clothing, it can hold so many features, and show up in so many different variations.

With this creation, I started off by sketching a basic mini dress and instantly felt underwhelmed and bored by the visual presented infront of me. It was giving me nothing. So, I picked up the pencil again and I started to really think about my own personal style. I then began to add in a bold cut out feature, and a double chained waist belt; two features that immediately bought the look to life, and added a little XDF flair to it.

Ironically, dull shimmery silvery grey is what I would call my favourite colour, so I tried it out for this dress to see if it would suit me and look pretty against my complexion. I am in love with it. Not just because of the fact I have an unhealthy attachment to the colour (but don’t you worry, I shall ~ not ~ be decorating my home to match the stone cold, crushed velvet vibe that most influencers tend to love off of), but because it looks so stunning under the sun!

I also love this look because it gave me another opportunity to wear something other than black and white! I know I had a moment in my other post where I wore black, but I am happy to be back to my self set goal of expanding my wardrobe’s colour palette!

I am very glad I added the silver double chains because they brought out the glimmering flecks in the fabric, making it my new perfect mini dress for summer. I did not sew them in permanently so I can play around with how they sat on my waist – switching the angles and sides that it dangles from. Here I changed the chains the other way so that it creates an ‘x’ shape as the lines from the cut outs cross with the lines of the chain. Loving this as it represents the x in xdesfan ;).

Above is a clear photo showing how I can bring the chain to curve around my waist better, whilst the bottom photos show how I moved the chains to mirror and enhance the cut outs that are on the mini dress.

And of course, as they aren’t sewed in I can also remove them. As this creation is part of my spring summer capsule, if I was to wear this dress when the sun is beaming out, the chains could get very hot. Picture how hot the seatbelts get during the summer, now imagine that metal slung across your body. Yikes!

The cut out features are undeniably my favourite thing about this number. At first I designed it to be an equal shape with the top and bottom cut out, but as I was sewing it I changed the design to what it is now (I find that changing the design last minute can bring many pleasant surprises – most of the best things in life are unplanned!). I prefer this to my initial design as the asymmetry gives the mini dress more character, and it is also more flattering on my body type. Also, this design has just the right amount of skin showing! Not too much that I am overly cautious of a wardrobe malfunction, and but also not too covered up that it looks boring and bland like the first mini dress I sketched out.

I also like the slight detailed ruching I added by the hip area of my dress. This adds even more character to the dress, perfectly hugging – and accentuating – my curves. The ruching also prevents the mini dress from being a plain Jane without the presence of the double chains!

If you have seen my other creations for the SS21 capsule project then you would know that I have actively avoided the incorporation of zips throughout my designs. My last outfit was no exception! I sewed on mini silver clasps to match with the silver chains.

I styled this dress with a colourful purse I picked up from my Mum’s old stash of handbags (not ashamed to admit my Mum’s wardrobe is my favourite store! She’s always offering a ton of vintage gems!). This pop of colour compliments the look very well by making it more fun and lively. Considering how the dress is not bright and vivid but rather slightly dull with a matte shimmer, the contrast between the two is greatly welcomed and therefore suits the outfit well.

As said in my title, this is my new favourite mini dress! Despite being mini, it holds lots of charms and characteristics, embodying my XDF style. I encourage you to not play it safe and start trying out new styles of mini dresses!

So this is it! The Made By XDF Spring Summer 2021 Capsule Project has now come to an end! I have not sewn a dress since I was 14 years old and I am more than pleased and satisfied with the outcome. I am very excited to create more dresses in my later projects!

Hopefully you have been inspired by all 4 (or at least one!) of my creations in this project! Although the British Summer that 2021 had to offer wasn’t the best in regard to the weather, good fashion is timeless and therefore defiant of trends and seasons. Do not wait until next summer to try out some of the things you’ve seen! There is no time better than now!

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you have enjoyed the creations of my first public project. I will see you in my next one!

-XDESFAN