Last Dress of Summer :(

48 degrees Fahrenheit.

That was the temperature this morning here as I left the house for work.
I miss summer already.

I finished my Banana Republic/Milly knock-off dress this weekend, and regardless of the weather, it had to be worn! My denim jacket did a great job as my "top layer" today, and since the day was going to warm up to a balmy 61, I chose my sandals over my boots, and headed out the door!

It was love at first sight when I first spotted this dress in InStyle magazine last year. I knew that the bodice would have to be changed so that I could wear it at work, but I *loved* the bias striping on the skirt! I tried to search for a similar fabric, but to no avail.  When I saw this blue/green/black striped voile (cotton/poly blend) on the bargain table at Joann's last year, I scooped up 3 yards and took it home. Sadly, it wasn't until the end of this summer that I finally had time to take on those stripes!

The inspiration dress by Milly for Banana Republic

I'm really very pleased with the final outcome, as the dress fits perfectly and is exactly what I wanted. The stripes matched up easily at every seam, even at the zipper (which I moved to the side so that it could be hidden, just in case I messed up.   It has a lovely drape and weight and was quite comfortable to wear at work all day.

Pattern: Simplicity 4070, bodice from view A, skirt from view E.

Perfect amount of circle skirt for the fabric I had (3 yards), I think I will get a lot of use out of this pattern in the future!  With the fabric being nearly sheer, I lined the entire dress with a navy blue poly blend.  Here are some pics and details from mid-construction.  The black belt was hanging in my closet (along with a brown one that will also work), so that was ideal!

 Look at that stripe matching!!! I'm SOOOOOOOO proud of myself!

  

I'm still trying to figure out if I can squeeze one more wear out of this with the addition of tights and boots. Anyhow, it's time to put the chiffons, batistes, and voiles away. Time to bring out the sweater knits, denim, and wool. Someone, hand me a pumpkin spice latte...