Sunday, August 26, 2012

Black Sheath w/ Structured Sleeves DIY

For most of my dresses, I tend to go with a sleeveless / collarless look as it keeps both the look and sewing simple.  However, I was enchanted by Wendy's structured sleeves here and decided to give it a shot on this black sheath dress.

The material is a ponte knit, which gives it structure with stretch and comfort.  The sleeves can be worn both flattened (normal) or pointed.  I rather like the pointed look.  It's something different than my usual aesthetic.

Black Sheath Dress w/ Structured Sleeves
Necklace 1 - my first thrift find!
Necklace 2 - Vince Camuto
Ollio Leopard Wedge Peep Toes

Deep side pleats for tummy hiding

Also replicated on the sleeve 


My husband, ever direct, asked, "Why do you have a ball on your head?"

Me:  "Um, I don't know.  I was trying one of those sock buns."

Him:  "I don't think you did it right."

Oh well, I tried.  If anyone has some tips on making my sock bun look more natural, please share!

43 comments:

  1. OMG..I am totally in love with this dress, S! It's so classy and timeless. I like how you paired with those necklaces as well.

    The conversation you had with A was so funny =) Maybe try to put your hair into a lower bun? Regardless, you look great!

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  2. ha ha! My boyfriend does the same thing! "What's that on your face?" "Lipstick..." :)

    You look great, and that dress is GORGEOUS. I would buy that in a second if I saw it in a store!

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  3. What an amazing dress and love the sleeves. I have a thing for sheath dresses so this is def one of my fave's! Regarding the sock bun, I think a smaller, thinner sock would help. It's alway shit or miss for me- sometimes they turn out perfectly - other times, it's big and weird...

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  4. Where to begin? I love, love love the outcome of this dress. The modern structured cap sleeves combined with the simplicity of an LBD is fabulous. The ponte material was a great choice too as it fits you perfectly and looks very Victoria Beckham. Too bad you're going back to work because I'd be lining up for this in the SPG store. I'm also looking forward to seeing a closeup of this necklace find. About the bun..maybe cut the sock shorter and then pin down part of your bun to your head, so it's less of a sphere on top of another sphere?

    PS - To answer your question, the Tinley Road silk blouse measures 17.25" across the chest : )

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  5. omg! I absolutely adore your sheath dress ...esp the structured sleeves! It's so chic!
    Oh great thrift find! Would love to see a close up of the necklace! :)

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  6. The dress is amazing! I love the sleeves and the whole thing just fits you so well. As for the bun, I've seen a lot of people rock it at the top of their head, but it's more of a flat circle rather than a "ball". You can probably try cutting off a bit of the sock and if that doesn't work, just move the bun lower. : )

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  7. OMG that dress is amazing. I love everything about the dress. The ponte material, modern structured cap sleeves and the simplicity of the dress. It's timeless and classic.

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  8. Such a timeless piece you've added to your wardrobe! Good choice with the material and I'm loving the sleeves. You are so talented!

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  9. Lovely dress!!
    I wanted to comment on the sock bun: when I rolled my sock into a "donut" and it actually looked like a donut, I ended up with a ball on my head like yours. Folding the sock so that it's flat, like a thick cut piece of calimari, helped to male it less of a ball. Hope that makes sense!!

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  10. Lovely dress!!
    I wanted to comment on the sock bun: when I rolled my sock into a "donut" and it actually looked like a donut, I ended up with a ball on my head like yours. Folding the sock so that it's flat, like a thick cut piece of calimari, helped to male it less of a ball. Hope that makes sense!!

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  11. that dress is stunning, i love the shoulders up like that. my hair isn't long enough for the sock bun, but when i used to do it when i was younger i made it look kinda messy and undone and it worked out ok :)

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  12. Wow, this dress looks absolutely amazing! Great job!! As for the sock bun, maybe try either making the sock donut smaller (less thick or shorter) or make your bun messier?

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  13. This is a wonderful DIY; I love love love sheath dresses and always look for ways to make them interesting while keeping them classic. This is a great way to achieve that. If you don't mind, would you be willing to create a tutorial for how you drafted and constructed the sleeves? Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Y! The sleeves are just normal gathered cap sleeves from a pattern I have. The only thing I did differently was pleating it rather than gathering it. :) I can show pictures in a future post.

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  14. your husband is too funny! i love this DIY. so sophisticated and the sleeves are nice addition. such a beauty!

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  15. Oh I love how it turned out! Love the pointy sleeves and it looks so good on you! I bet you'll be every girl's envy when you wear this dress :-) Your husband is so funny.. haha. Never tried the sock bun but have seen these bun stuffing in Clairs. Hope that helps.

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  16. Very elegant dress and I love your shoes :)

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  17. I had no idea that you could DIY something like this. What a great idea!

    http://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
    Twitter: @GlamKitten88

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  18. Ha ha ha, too funny about your husband's comments! I would suggest using a smaller, thinner sock, but it looks great on you! Such a fabulous DIY result. . .you are just so talented! PS, absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the skirt you made on Phiphi's blog today! Gorgeous!!

    xo Jenny
    www.crazystylelove.com

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  19. Great dress with great sleeves. I can see many people wanting this dress! I love how you build versatility into the things you make! And LOL on your husband's comment. They say silly things!

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  20. Good find on the necklace. I like how you put this outfit together. Im following you via bloglovin and i really like your posts.

    -Mong
    Petitetomatoes.com

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  21. Wow the dress is beautiful. Such a a glam and timeless piece. Love how you styled it.

    www.justpatience.com

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  22. The sleeves turned out so cool on this dress! Depending on the styling, I can see both flattened and pointed working quite well.

    HAHA @ the ball on head. Sigh, what do guys know ;) Tam has a great tutorial for the sock bun if you haven't seen it yet. I've personally never tried any myself, so I don't really have suggestions. I wonder if it's more noticeably like a "ball" because you're looking downwards?

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    Replies
    1. Haha, good point! It didn't look ball-like in the mirror when I did it. But definitely more ball-ish to observers (LOL) and when looking down. Thanks for the link!

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  23. You look perfect, love your dress! :)
    xoxo

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  24. omg die! hahaha ur husband is funny. this is what men must really think of the things women come up with. aye...they're so simple & safe.

    jean is right. this is very VB-esque. LOVE! you're too much little lady. i can't handle it. i feel too repetitive, saying love this love that. i have no other words though. =P

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    Replies
    1. Aw Aubs, as the honest commenter, I can't tell you how much this means to me! Thanks so much!

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  25. Love this dress!!! The pleated shoulder detail adds something über sophisticated to an otherwise average lbd. One of my favorite
    DIY's that you've done! And I am clueless about sock buns so can't offer any useful advice! -Elle

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  26. Lol! Your husband's so funny. Mine would probably say the same thing! At least you were able to form the bun! I cant even get mine to form properly.

    Maggie

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  27. Love your LBD! The sleeves are hot! And your husband cracks me up. I've never done a sock bun for fear it would come undone and someone would point out "hey there's a sock stuck to your head."

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  28. I second Ping...very sophisticated! You look great! Love seeing more of you in the pics, too!! :) Lol! at your husband's comment!

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  29. Love this lbd. Wonderful for a dinner out or the office. It reminds me very much of one of my favorite dresses from Ann Taylor. They had this one very stylish season about mmm...3 or 4 yrs ago and I bought so many of the dresses. Unfortunately it's too small for me now but I've got it tucked away.

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  30. You are so talented! I love the way you styled the dress, and I think your bun looks really cute! I love it!

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  31. LOL I can't stop laughing about your husband's question!! That's definitely something that my husband would ask me!! Actually when the sock bun trend first started, my husband and I sat on our bed watching youtube videos trying to learn to do it to my hair...it was a disaster. I needed his help because I'm horrible with my hair. LOL.
    Anyways- to your dress- this is absolutely stunning!! I adore the sleeves and think they are perfect pointed! The style is so chic!!
    :)
    Allison
    A's Fashion Files
    Shop Kawaii Kitsch by A on Etsy!
    Win a $50 Giftcard from Mont Affair!

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  32. i like your bun, it's cute! :) and i also really love this dress, it's a classic! :)

    <3, Mimi
    http://whatmimiwrites.blogspot.com/
    Mile End Bakery Giveaway: Win a dozen cookies of your choice!
    Open internationally: Win a set of temporary tattoos!

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  33. roflol at the husband's comment

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  34. i like how the sleeves puff up a bit but not too lady gaga-like. it's toughened up work appropriate! (awesome! ohio is for lovers :D always happy to find fellow ohioans)

    pandaphilia style

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  35. The easiest way to make a sock bun is to use children's socks. They are smaller so have a lot less bulk than adult socks do. Also if using hair pins (not bobby pins), which I do, don't pin too tightly. A little looser makes a great bun. My hair is almost to my waist right now and I live in a very hot part of the country so I keep mine up most of the summer.

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