Style Arc Brice

No, this is not my Christmas dress.  I actually made this dress over a month ago when it looked like Houston was going to get a cold front.  We did. For about four days. #mustlovetexasweather

This pattern comes from Style Arc and is the Brice Jumpsuit/Dress I've made both and will share the jumpsuit in a later post. Let's talk about the pattern first.  Style Arc's description of this pattern says: "Boardroom to bar, work or weekend, this versatile jumpsuit pattern comes with pants or skirt and can be made with sleeves or sleeveless. This understated style has a V neck, tie belt and is fitted to a comfortable and flattering silhouette..."

I LOVE this pattern! Ok, now that we have that established, let's talk about the why's. 

• It's well drafted - yes, this should be a given for all patterns, but as anyone who has sewn even a smidge knows, this is not always the case. When a pattern says it's "loose fit", "close fit", etc., it's supposed to be giving you a general idea about the ease.  This has just enough ease to be comfortable while still skimming the body to be figure flattering. 
• The option of both a pencil skirt and pants is well thought out.  As I mentioned, I've made both, but even if I wore them back to back, you wouldn't think they were the same pattern.  The skirt has a lovely kick pleat in the back that allows for ease of walking. While that might not be needed in a knit fabric, it's a lovely design detail and was easy to do. 
• It's SO comfortable. I can dress it up for work or style it with a jean jacket on the weekend and it works either way.  Part of that is due to my choice of a solid colored fabric 

There are no real negatives with this pattern.  The directions are minimal, as is typical with Style Arc, but this pattern wasn't difficult to sew at all.  I really liked the way they had you set in the sleeve and then completely sew up each side seem. Everything went together beautifully this way.

Overall, I'm very happy to add this dress and this pattern to my collection!