My Scuba Mondrian Dress

The theme for Toronto Frocktails 2024 is Golden Age of Glam. [Frocktails is basically a party for sewists and creators to wear and share their makes, upcycles, thrifts, and vintage finds.] I think many will be taking advantage of this year’s prompt to play with gold and metallic fabrics. I do like gold! But, I already made both a gold self-drafted shift dress and a rose-gold Pattern Fantastique Mersis Dress for our 25th wedding anniversary, and I wanted to expand my range. So, for my first Toronto Frocktails, I decided I’d incorporate just a bit of “tarnished gold” into an homage to a Golden Age of fashion I very much admire. I was initially thinking of something dropped-waist and flapper, when it occurred to me: I could easily swap in a bit of subdued gold shimmer for that flash of yellow on the hem of YSL’s iconic 1965 Mondrian dress! For those of you who could care less about the down-and-dirty of how I made it, I’ll just stop here and post pictures of both the inspo dress and my frock! [I’ll add more photos in full-glam mode after the event on Saturday!]

INSPO

MY SCUBA MONDRIAN

Now, for sewists and all those interested, read on…

Thus began my deep-dive in YSL’s original 1965 Mondrian collection, its reception and swift replication for the masses in high-street shops and catalogues, and the YSL Vogue sewing pattern collaborations: V1557 and V1556. Fast forward almost sixty years and these, in turn, have inspired a pattern challenge on Season 4 of the Great British Sewing Bee and recent attempts by several sewist-bloggers to create something similar without access to the original, now very pricy Vogue patterns. Vogue Pattern Company, where is our reissue? [See my plentiful list of Resources at the bottom of this post!]

SQUAD GOALS:

Here’s a little closeup of the Mondrian collection, with a look at the construction of the iconic dress:

The above video gives you the best sense of the dress construction: The original dress was created in a wool jersey, with any bust shaping or darts hidden in the horizontal black stripe across the upper bust, a zipper cannily embedded off-centre in the black central stripe down the back, and a gorgeous silky-looking lining. Wool jersey is NOT easy to source. While I was out shopping for that fabric or its alternatives, I happened to be wearing an extremely comfortable ready-to-wear scuba dress, and it dawned on me:

Scuba! Why not make a Mondrian Dress out of Scuba? And let me tell you, scuba turned out to be a dream to work with and an excellent match for the YSL inspiration dress!

A few wee tests: I washed all fabrics separately in cold and hung to dry. And I tried all the fabrics with the steam iron: all were amenable to pressing with a cloth. And my “tarnished gold,” which was a flimsier fabrication, was amenable to a light, knit-friendly, iron-on interfacing, which was excellent, considering I wanted a crisp gold bottom panel! From my stash, I also gathered several metres of cotton muslin, more of said stretch-friendly iron-on interfacing, and both an 8-inch and 22-inch invisible black zipper. [Though, in the end, the zippers were NOT necessary!] And I got out my trusty rulers, cutting tools, pattern tracing paper, and sharpies for the hack ahead.

I wasn’t about to make my own pattern from scratch, although I came pretty close. I knew I needed a sleeveless, fairly straight shift dress as a base to “hack.” And, since I was using scuba, I wouldn’t need or want bust darts. All roads pointed to Vogue 9048 [out of print but still available from resellers at a reasonable price] as the pattern to hack for my very own modern Mondrian. My main hacker resource/goddess inspo, Tany Sews & Knits used this pattern as the starting-point for her fabulously documented make: Grace Kelly’s cross-style YSL Mondrian [see left photo, below, for her inspiration.]

The pattern makes for a great start, though, as Justyna Zawiejska suggests on her own Marchewokowa Blog, you really only need a basic shift dress pattern to hack your own dress, whichever stripes you choose to put on [see right photo, above, for a link to her pattern sketches]. Of course, unlike any of the other pattern-hackers out there, I wanted my dress to match the multi-colour-blocked YSL to the max in terms of design, which meant incorporating black tuxedo stripes down the sides of the dress. [I did this by treating those side black “tuxedo” stripes as if they were part of the dress “front” when preparing the final pattern.]

I first modified the Vogue 9048 by removing the bust dart from the front middle piece of the pattern, using the excellent tutorial from Helen’s Closet. [Note: Big pattern company patterns tend to run a bit large. I ended up cutting the Vogue size closest to my own body measurements, since I wanted a bit of a roomier fit. I would have probably gone down a size if I wanted it tighter below the arms and around the bum.] I made sure to even out the bottom of the panel to a straight line. And I straightened the gentle curve in the side seam at the waist into a straight line to make adding the tuxedo stripe much easier down the line. Then, I taped the bottom panel of the dress front to the this amended middle panel. Likewise, I taped the back upper and lower dress panels together [as seen on the left, below.]

I next modified the front and back yokes of the dress pattern by adding approximately 1.25 inches of length, while keeping the curves at the base of the original yoke patterns in tact. [The curve gives SOME shaping around the bust without affecting the strong straight horizontal line across the bust.] Here, I also had to make make sure I stayed true to the curve of the armholes as they continued into the upper front and upper back dress panels. Next, to offset the added length of the yokes, I modified the front and back upper dress panels by marking a line 1.25 inches below the original horizontal line at the top of each pattern, where I then cut my draft.

Then, I got to work making a muslin of the dress with my amended pattern pieces. Since I was using a stiff cotton muslin, I wanted my prototype to “just fit.” And I left a long opening at the back where the original pattern’s zipper might have been. First time was a charm! Then, I took off the muslin and marked it with pencil, denoting where I wanted all the stripes and colours to go. Then I set my design in stone with sharpie. [I love this muslin. It’s a work of art in itself! Note where an offset inset zipper might go with a stiffer fabric!]

Sharpie stripe maths: The horizontal stripe across the front and back upper bust is placed at the top of the amended dress pattern, extending from the upper-yoke-to-the dress-body at 1.25 inches. [Note: the piece will be 1.75 inches wide with the seam allowance]. I placed the dropped-waist-belted horizontal stripe above the hip at 1.5 inches wide [2 inches with SA], and the bottom black horizontal stripe just below the knee, back at 1.25 inches wide [1.754 with SA]. Did I mention I wanted my dress below the knee, longer than YSL’s original, and a slightly roomier fit overall? My front vertical stripe down the centre front yoke measured 1.25 inches wide [1.75 with SA]. But the middle and lower front vertical stripes, off-set by about 2 inches from the centre, I widened to 1.5 inches [2 with SA]. Meanwhile, the centre back stripe I kept to the dainty 1.25 inches wide [1.75 with SA] in all three quadrants: the yoke and the middle and lower panels. I placed my “tuxedo” stripes, which are curved at the armholes, at 1.25 inches wide [1.75 with SA] on each of the middle and lower front panels of the dress [which meant that I really needed to know my dress was going to fit before I cut into the good stuff]. Once I had my muslin marked properly, I used pattern tracing paper and made my own patterns from my already modified V9048 pattern pieces and from the muslin itself, using that .5 inch seam allowance throughout to make the sewing mindless. The images below are really terrible, sorry! Consult the little pattern grid further below if you’re really searching for a model.

I ended up with 24 Main Pattern Pieces, resulting in 32 cut pattern pieces of fabric, and 4 cut pieces of interfacing:

1. Front yoke right [blue], front yoke left [white], 2. Centre front yoke 1.25 inch vertical band [black, 1.75 with SA], 3. Front horizontal upper 1.25 inch band [black, 1.75 with SA], 4. Front middle large left offset-panel [red], 5. Front middle offset vertical 1.5 inch band [black, 2 with SA], 6. Front middle small offset panel [white], 7. Front middle left- and right- side black 1.25 inch vertical tuxedo bands [black, 1.75 with SA], 8. Front horizontal 1.5 inch belt band [black, 2 with SA] 9. Front lower large left offset-panel [white], 10. Front lower vertical offset 1.5 inch band [black, 2 with SA], 11. Front small lower right offset panel [white], 12. Front lower left- and right- side black vertical 1.25 inch tuxedo bands [black, 1.75 with SA], 13. Front lower horizontal 1.25 inch band [black, 1.75 with SA] 14. Front and back lower hem bands [gold and interfacing], 15. Front and back lower facing bands [gold and interfacing], 16. Back yoke right [red], back yoke left [white], 17. Centre back yoke 1.25 inch vertical band [black, 1.75 with SA], 18. Back horizontal upper 1.25 inch band [black, 1.75 with SA] – Note: You’d cut this slightly differently [In half, with one band longer than the other, and additional SA] if you were going to add a zipper to the back of the dress. 19. Back middle left and right panels [white], 20. Back middle centre vertical 1.25 inch band [black, 1.75 with SA], 21. Back horizontal 1.5 inch belt band [black, 2 with SA], 22. Back lower left and right panels [white], 23. Back lower centre vertical 1.25 inch band [black, 1.75 with SA], 24. Back lower horizontal 1.25 inch band [black, 1.75 with SA].

I also cut 6 Lining Pieces all on the fold [white], by retracing the muslin [conscious of all of the seam allowances added by the black bars, one could also tape/combine the above pattern pieces back into: 1. Front yoke, 2. Back yoke, 3. All middle front pieces [including tuxedo stripe portions curved at the armhole], 4. All middle back pieces and middle back bands, 5. All lower front pieces [including tuxedo stripe portions] and lower front bands [except the lowest “gold” band and facing], and 6. All lower back pieces and lower back bands [except the lowest “gold” band and facing]. You might also decide to combine and cut the middle and lower front pieces [including tuxedo stripe] and the middle and lower back pieces as one lower front and one lower back piece, to make for 4 total Lining Pieces [2 yokes, front and back, and 2 main dress linings, front and back.] The lining is almost the same as the original Vogue pattern, except for the incorporation of the yardage and shape of the “tuxedo stripe” on the sides into the front of the dress lining [and the subtraction of that yardage and shape from the back of the dress.] This deviation is necessary to face the neck and armholes of the dress properly, as you sew the side seams of the upper bodice and lining at the same time. [Note: For stiffer fabrics, divide the back lining thoughtfully to incorporate an off-set hidden zipper into the back along the side of the central horizontal stripe.]

I assembled the dress using a walking foot and the scuba-friendly jersey/stretch needle, most often with a black bobbin and white upper thread [or vice versa], changing my threads whenever I wanted or needed an exact colour match or all-one-colour.

Yokes first: I constructed the front and back yokes with the vertical black bands spanning 1.25 inches when finished in the centre. And I matched them up to make sure the black stripe was the same width!

Middle Front & Back: Then, I constructed the middle front pieces, attaching the red and white pieces to the thick offset black centre band, then adding the top horizontal black band, and, finally, the side black tuxedo bands.Similarly, I constructed the middle back pieces, with the 1.25 inch finished horizontal band at centre, and then attached the narrow horizontal upper band to the top of the middle back pieces. [All seams get pressed open under a cloth so that the dark fabric does not show through the light fabric, etc.The front pieces are always going to be “wider” than the back pieces, because the tuxedo stripes comprise the sides of the body!]

Yokes to Middles: Then, I attached the front yokes to the front middles, and the back yokes to the back middles, sewing along that curved yoke, which adds shape but does not mess up the horizontal line. I did the same with the coordinating lining pieces.

Shoulders: Finally, I sewed the front and back upper pieces together at the shoulder seams. I did the same with the coordinating lining pieces.

All in one facing, Neck and Shoulder Seams: I then sewed the lining to the main dress at the neck seam and then at the armhole seams, understitching the clipped and trimmed seam allowance to the lining for a flawless finish. [For a good video tutorial on creating an all-in-one facing for both zipper-back and non-zipper-back sleeveless dresses and tops, see this Threads YouTube Video.] The underarm seams of the bodice and lining get sewn together last and at the same time, which is why you need your lining pieces to match up with the bodice pieces along the back seam of that “tuxedo” stripe. Then, I turned the dress right side out and pressed. The seam-work and the scuba fabrication really gave the impression of the thick and sharp YSL neck and armholes. I was gobsmacked!

Hip Belts: Next, I attached the hip “belt” pieces at their side seams [the front piece is longer than the back piece to account for the tux stripes at front] and attached them to the body of the main dress, matching the seams with the black front-tuxedo/white back seam lines on each side of the upper dress.

Lower Panels: Then, I constructed the front and back lower panels of the dress, making sure to match up the seams of the horizontal black bands exactly with those on the existing upper and middle parts of the dress. I only basted the front and lower back panels together at those black front-tuxedo/white back seam lines before sewing the lower skirt to the upper dress, so that I could make sure my stripes aligned. Once I was set, I made sure to go back with regular stitches.

Black Lower Band: Next, I sewed the bottom black 1.25 inch band in a loop and attached it to the existing dress, matching the seams of this band with the black front-tuxedo/white back seam lines on the panel above.

Gold Lower Band/Facing: Next, I interfaced the lower gold bands and gold facings. Then, I sewed the two band pieces together into loops and the two facing pieces into loops. Then, I sewed the bands and facings to one another and understitched on the facing portion. Then, I folded the main gold band up and under at .5 inch, so that the seam connecting it to the facing would NOT be visible on the front of the dress, and I did a crisp pre-iron of that hem under a pressing cloth. Then, I sewed the gold band to the bottom black band of the dress, with the facing portion free. [Note: The side seams of the golden band intersect the two tuxedo stripes on each side of the dress.] I also stitched in the ditch down the front of the dress in gold to support my gold band a bit and to make sure the seam allowance edges would be secured into the facing.Then, I folded the free end of the facing onto itself, ironed a crisp fold on the raw edge, and hemmed the folded top of the facing to the interior structure by hand.

Lining: Finally, I sewed the remaining dress lining to the dress, hemmed the lining with the machine [you don’t have to hem the scuba, but I wanted to be consistent], and sewed french tacks by hand to attach the lining to the lower inside of the hem at the left and right sides of the garment, just below the top of the gold facing band.

HERE IT IS! My finished Scuba Mondrian Dress!

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Resources:

Teresa Leiti [Tany], Couture et Tricot, Tany Sews and Knits, Next Up: The Mondrian Dress, The Mondrian Dress Pattern Hack, How to Sew & Finish the Black Bands, My Mondrian Dress is Finished, Notes on the Finishing Details. Find her @Tany0471 on Instagram.
Justyna Zawiejska, The Carrot, Marchewkowa, How to Create a Pattern for the Mondrian Dress [Polish to English translation via Chrome]
Pattern: Vogue 9048 bought from Etsy seller ShopJennMadeThis
Loic Pringent, The Mondrian Dress that Made Yves St. Laurent Rich, YouTube
Helen’s Closet, How to Remove a Bust Dart
Threads, All in One Facing, YouTube

See Also:
Nancy J. Troy & Anne Marguerite Tartsinis, Mondrian’s Dress, Yves St. Laurent, Piet Mondrian, and Pop Art. MIT Press, 2023.
Lizzie Bramlett, The Vintage Traveler, The Trickle-down Effect
Wendy Gardner, Wendy Gardner Demonstrates the Vogue Mondrian Dress Pattern, YouTube
Billie’s Sewing Corner, 35. Make that Look: YSL Mondrian Dress, YouTube
The Great British Sewing Bee, Season 4, Episode 5, 1960s Week, Colourblock Dress Pattern Challenge
Hardie Grant, Pattern Downloads, 1960s Colourblock Dress, From Stitch To Style, (does not include instructions)
Sew Essential, The British Sewing Bee Mondrian Dress
Threads, Fabric Kate: YSL Mondrian Dress
Fabrikated, My Favourite Dress
Musée YSL Paris, The Mondrian Revolution