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Nothing makes a special occasion feel extra special quite like sewing your own dress.
Over the years, I’ve learned that the right dress pattern can make all the difference when you want to feel confident and stylish.
Whether it’s a wedding, a holiday party, or a summer gathering with friends, sewing your own outfit means you can personalize every detail to your taste and needs. I love knowing that my handmade dress isn’t just unique, but also fits me exactly the way I want.
Below are some of my favorite types of dress patterns that are perfect for memorable events. I’ll share mood boards to give you styling ideas, include tips on fabric and pattern choices to help you make each piece special and uniquely you.
1. The Classic Little Black Dress
I have to start the list with a little black dress.
The thing about a little black dress is that you can pick the details you like and leave the ones you don’t. You can go midi or mini, sleeved or sleeveless, high necklines or low necklines. No matter what, it always embodies elegance and sophistication.
Elevate your little black dress with subtle embellishments like a beaded neckline, pleated yoke, lace appliqués, or a jeweled belt.
Here are some ideas to get you started.
Patterns and Fabrics for a Little Black Dress
One of the most popular choices for an LBD is crepe, a fabric known for its soft drape and slight texture.
Crepe comes in many weights, so you can select a heavier crepe for a structured look or a lighter one for a more flowy silhouette.
It's ideal for fitted or semi-fitted styles and holds its shape beautifully, making it perfect for cocktail dresses or elegant evening looks.
The Frankie dress would look stunning in crepe, because it has a fitted waist yoke, and the 6-gore skirt has plenty of movement. It also has long sleeves to balance the silhouette.
Silk charmeuse adds luxury and sheen to your LBD. Charmeuse is lightweight and fluid, best for draped or bias-cut designs.
The Emma dress would be a stunner in a silk charmeuse.
Knit fabrics also work for a little black dress. For a sleek, body-hugging style that has stretch, consider using a black ponte knit or rib knit. The difference between the two will be how they cling to your body.
Ponte is thicker, so it hugs your body without clinging too much. It’s also wrinkle-resistent.
The Brit dress works well in ponte, because it will hug your curves on the fitted skirt while it stands away from your body to emphasizes the bishop sleeves.
Rib knits tend to cling more to your body, stretching easily as you move. They also often have more drape than ponte.
The Greer dress in a black rib knit would make a stunning little black dress. If you need help sewing with them, check out this guide: A Guide to Rib Knit Fabrics: How to Sew Stretchy, Stylish Garments.
Other fabric ideas include velvet, stretch velvet, brocade, jacquard, sweater knits, and even a simple linen.
No matter the fabric, aim for high quality in a deep black so your LBD remains at the front of your closet for years.
2. The Comfortable Shift Dress
I’ve made so many shift dresses for my wardrobe, including a few pinafores I wear all the time.
A shift dress is ideal for events where you want to be both stylish and comfortable. Shifts are typically cut straight from the shoulders down, skimming your body without defining your waist. This simple, loose silhouette allows you to move freely, but you’ll still look so chic.
Their simplicity allows the fabric and details, like hemlines or necklines, to shine. Add decorative buttons down the back, piping along the seams, or playful trims at the sleeves or hem.
Patterns and Fabric for Shift Dresses
You have a lot of fabric options for shift dresses, like linen, cotton lawn, or rayon for a casual, summery look. For something more formal, look for fabric with a bit of structure or a slight sheen, like satin, velvet, twill, or a jaquard.
If you like a little sparkle in your dress, a shift is the perfect blank slate for sequins or metallic knits—or keep reading to get even more sparkly dress ideas.
One of my favorite shifts is the Dani pinafore. You can wear it on its own, but it looks so great layered over a billowy blouse.
The Bryn dress is part pinafore, part shift, which makes it a fun project for layering depending on your event. It looks great in suiting or even a dark denim if your event is more casual.
The Georgia dress is easy to sew, so it’s a great shift for beginners.
For a knit option, try the Nora dress. This dress also looks great sewn in sheer fabrics with a slip underneath. More on that kind of fabric in the final dress idea below!
3. The Elegant Wrap Dress
The wrap dress is a timeless choice for casual and more fancy moments, so you can wear it to weddings and cocktail parties. Wrap dresses also have a very adjustable fit, so you can wear it snug or relaxed.
Add a fabric-covered belt, lace trim along the neckline, or subtle embroidery for an even fancier dress.
Patterns and Fabric for Wrap Dresses
A wrap dress is the perfect dress for a luxe fabric, like silk. Budget friendly options are rayon and cupro—you’ll still get that flowy, elegant drape for a lower cost.
The Taylor dress would look lovely in silk, cupro, or rayon. Here’s a video I made with tips for sewing with silk.
While woven wrap dresses can stun in luxe fabrics, if you need more comfort in your dress, find a pattern that calls for knits. Choose medium-weight knit fabrics like jersey or bamboo blends if you need that stretch.
The Erica dress is designed for knit fabrics, so you can pick a stretch velvet or modal jersey.
If you want short sleeves, try the Ruth dress. This wrap dress works in fabrics that are easy to sew, like lawn, linen, double gauze, or rayon.
4. The Flowy Summer Dress
This is my go-to outfit for special occasions in warm weather: a flowy summertime dress.
Summer dresses are great for outdoor gatherings, garden parties, or summer weddings.
A summer dress can have a few definitions depending on your style. It can be maxi or mini, but it often features lightweight fabrics and a loose, breezy silhouette that’s both stylish and practical when it’s hot outside.
There are so many ways to embellish summer dresses, either with accessories or details added to your pattern. Sew on fabric flowers, use contrast stitching on the hem, or add a sash belt for definition at the waist.
Take a look at my Baker dress, and I’ll show you 6 vintage details that look so beautiful on summery dresses, like a delicate sleeve tie, vintage hemstitches, and lace on bodices, cuffs, and hems.
If you need a more formal summer dress, switch up your fabric options. Go for fabrics like chiffon, georgette, or silk satin for a graceful drape.
Patterns and Fabric for Flowy Summer Dresses
When you’re picking out fabric for a summertime dress, channel a cooling summer breeze. Opt for airy fabrics like chiffon, cotton voile, seersucker, eyelet, lightweight linen and rayon challis. Prints and bold colors can add a fun and playful vibe on lightweight fabric.
The Leighanne dress has an empire waist, delicate double straps, and a gathered skirt that looks so beautiful in flowy fabrics.
The Siahra dress is also great for really warm events, like beach weddings. It looks stunning in a print or eyelet.
Here’s a tip: Don’t feel limited to just dress patterns. You can hack any pretty top pattern into a dress! Here is a tutorial to help you.
I lengthened the Madhu top I legnthened into a tiered dress and used ladder lace between each tier. It’s one of my favorite summer dresses!
5. The Timeless Slip Dress
This is one of my favorite date night looks—and an ideal outfit for layering in any kind of weather.
A slip dress is a minimalist, chic option for almost any special event, like weddings, upscale dinners, and work parties. It has a sleek silhouette you can dress up or down and layer with different pieces like cardigans, blazers, wrap coats, and wool jackets.
Since a slip dress has such a minimalist silhouette, don’t get too wild with the embellishments. Add lace trim along the hemline, a delicate beaded neckline, or a thin ribbon tied around the waist for just a touch of romance.
Patterns and Fabrics for Slip Dresses
You don’t need to use the fanciest fabric in the world for a stunning slip dress. A more casual slip dress in cotton lawn—imagine a Liberty of London dress for a summer party—is a totally beautiful look. You can also use modal or silk jersey if you want stretch.
However, since slip dresses don’t use as much fabric as sleeved dresses, they are the perfect excuse to use luxurious fabrics, such as silk charmeuse, satin, or chiffon, for those really special occasions.
The Ash dress is one of the most popular Seamwork slip dress patterns. It’s designed for lightweight, breezy woven fabrics, like linen, challis, cupro, silk, and Tencel, and it layers so easily with wool coats and fuzzy cardigans.
Grace has thicker straps for more bra coverage, and it’s bias-cut, so it will look really luxe in silk and challis. If you want to learn more about sewing bias-cut patterns, read this tutorial: A Guide to Working on the Bias.
6. The Midi Dress with Statement Sleeves
A good strategy for picking out a special occasion dress is to focus on one part of the dress that will be the star of the show—and I like to highlight the sleeves.
Statement sleeves can be trendy, but they also make it so easy. Just pick the sleeves you like, and they’ll carry the rest of the dress.
A midi dress that features statement sleeves is perfect for making an entrance at a special occasion. It’s more trend-resistent than a mini dress, and not as overwhelming as a maxi.
Bell sleeves, puff sleeves, or bishop sleeves can transform a simple dress into a standout piece.
Patterns and Fabric for a Midi Dress with Statement Sleeves
The Sloan dress is a perfect example of this. It has bubble sleeves that stand out on an otherwise simple, sheath fit.
It’s beautiful in a solid color, like cream, navy, or black, but it also looks gorgeous in prints, like bold florals or stripes. To maximize the sleeves, pick a fabric with a crisp hand, such as linen or taffeta, or a fabric that will hold its shape, like brocade.
The bonus version of Sloan has more subtle sleeves, but they’ll still look striking at any special occasion. These sleeves have a little less volume, but an eye-catching leg-of-mutton shape.
The Bertie dress has full-length sleeves gathered into tied cuffs. It’s a small detail that makes a big impact, even if you sew it in a solid color. If you want more relaxed sleeves, choose a drapey fabric, like rayon. If you want a more exaggerated shape, look for a crisper poplin.
7. The Sparkly Holiday Dress
This is when your dress can get so fun.
Holiday parties or New Year’s Eve events are the perfect excuse to sew a shiny, sparkly dress.
You can look for patterns with fitted bodices or A-line shapes that shimmer under the lights. Or, sew a puffy, layered skirt or a short, swishy mini dress.
Get creative with the silhouette, fit, and shape, so you only need to focus on the fabric. That’s the fun part anyway.
Enhance the sparkle with rhinestone straps, a beaded belt or headband, or make matching shiny bag.
Patterns and Fabric for a Sparkly Holiday Dress
Since this dress is all about the fabric, it helps to think about the kind of material you want to use before you pick out the pattern.
Here are some curated fabric and pattern pairings.
Metallic knits + a fit-and-flare dress: Metallic knits are ideal for fitted, bodycon styles that hug the body and stretch comfortably, and they also look great for fit-and-flare dresses. This fabric's sheen and flexibility make it perfect for a sleek, party-ready look. Try the Luxsy dress with a metallic knit, like this one from Mood.
Sequined fabric + a shift dress: Sequined fabric makes a big statement, so simple silhouettes like a shift dress work well. A shift dress provides a clean shape that lets the sequins shine without overwhelming the look. Try Georgia with some sequins. You can use them on the whole dress or just at the top or bottom. These are sequins from Mood.
Satin-backed crepe + slip dress: Satin-backed crepe is smooth and flowy, making it ideal for slip dresses with simple lines. This fabric creates an effortless, drapey look. Try it with the Ash dress. This is a crepe-backed satin from Mood.
Velvet with glitter or foil print + a wrap dress: The soft, luxurious texture of glittered or foiled velvet works perfectly with a wrap dress. Try it with the Erica dress. This is a foiled stretch velvet from Blue Moon Fabrics.
Mesh with embroidery or beading + an overlay dress: Mesh with embellishments is ideal for an overlay dress where the mesh acts as a top layer over a simpler underdress. This combination creates a delicate, ethereal look with just the right touch of sparkle. Try the Nora dress for this look. This is an embroidered stretch mesh from Blue Moon Fabrics.
Chiffon with metallic accents + a tiered or ruffled dress: The lightness of chiffon lends itself to a tiered or ruffled dress, where metallic accents will catch the light and add movement. This style is flowy and whimsical, perfect for dancing! Try the Benning dress. This is a metallic chiffon from Boho Fabrics.
Organza + puffy sleeves: Organza’s volume and sheen work well with structured styles, like an A-line or sheath with dramatic puffy sleeves. This would be a great fabric for the Sloan dress. This is a deadstock organza from Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics.
Stretch crushed velvet + sweater dress: Crushed velvet’s texture and subtle shine work well with an sweater dress. Try the Jones dress, which has a V-neckline and sleeves that gather into cuffs. This is a crushed velvet from Ice Fabrics.
Did you get enough dress inpsiration? Bookmark this page any time you need a special frock, and you’ll never run out of ideas.
Which look is your favorite? Are there any fabric or silhouette combinations you like to wear for special occasions?
