One of the things that’s great about working from home is that I can wear pretty much anything I want to work (although, I admit I have got a no-pyjamas rule). That said, there are days when I have to actually leave the house and meet people and look like a professional, and that’s where the Trudy dress comes in.  

The Trudy dress is a relatively easy make, and although based on a simple shift dress, with the addition of some simple features, you’ve suddenly got a classic dress straight out of the swinging 60s.

I made my version of Trudy with fabric from Abakhan, and used a fab navy blue floral pattern to make the dress more akin to some of my other work wear. I also used a contrast colour – in this case cream – for the collar and cuffs to really big up the 60s aesthetic.

In terms of the make itself, Trudy was pretty straight forwards; I toiled the bodice, but the only real alteration that I needed was to move the bust darts higher. I chose the middle sleeve length as I knew I wanted some sort of sleeve rather than the cap sleeve option, but find I’m often rolling long sleeves up anyway. I used a smaller hem on the skirt than the pattern called for (I used half an inch) as the length was pretty much perfect when it was unhemmed for me (I’m 5’7”). I also added in some anchoring stitches on the back collar to hold it down as I found that once the interfacing and the collar were combined it was quite stiff and stuck up more than I wanted it to.

The result is a great dress that has become part of my workwear rotation. It’s smart enough that I can go into meetings confidently but is also similar enough to my everyday clothes choices that I don’t feel like a totally different person; a definite plus as far as I’m concerned!

Rhiannon blogs at http://www.morebluefabric.co.uk/