How to Make a Gothic Dress

Goth Girl.

Gothic dresses are all the rage. Pop stars and media figures have been embracing goth fashion. The goth subculture and fashion movement started in the early 1980s and have made appearances in mainstream culture and media ever since. Corsets, handkerchief hems and dark colors are all frequently seen in gothic fashion. This dress has a corset-inspired bodice and a full, frilly handkerchief-hem circle skirt that can make anyone feel like a gothic beauty, cloaked in comfort and style.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Fabric (amount variable depending on your size)
• Scissors
• Wide dressmaker's elastic
• Wide ribbon
• Tailor's chalk
• String (variable amount)
• Sewing machine or needle and thread
• Calculator (optional)
• Embellishments, tulle or lace scraps (optional)

Instructions

Calculating Measurements and Yardage

1. Use your measuring tape to measure the circumference of your bust at its widest point. Divide this measurement in half. Measure around your natural waist at its widest point and divide this in half. Add 4 inches to these measurements to allow for seams and tailoring.

2. Measure from the top of your neck to your natural waist. Add 2 inches to allow for seams.
   Add the final numbers from these measurements to calculate how much fabric you will need for the top.

3. Measure the widest part of your hips, and add 6 inches for the skirt.

4. Use the measurement of your hips plus 6 as the circumference for a circle. Using the proper mathematical formula, and find the radius of the circle. Divide the circumference by the value of pi (approximately 3.14), and divide that in half.

5. Measure from your waist to where you wish the skirt to end. Add 2 inches of seam allowance.

6. Add the radius of the circle and the measurement gotten in Step 5 together. Multiply these numbers by 4 to get the approximate yardage needed for the skirt.

Sewing the Top

1. Cut a rectangle from the fabric you chose for the top of your dress. The length should be the length from your neck to your waist. Use the numbers from the measurements gotten in Section 1, Step 1 for the width.

2. Hem the neckline and sides of the rectangle, using a sewing machine or needle and thread.

3. Cut eight 2-by-4 inch rectangles. Fold them in half horizontally. Sew the rectangles so that no raw edges of fabric are exposed.

4. Fold the 8 rectangles in half vertically. Sew the smaller rectangles to the longest sides of the larger rectangle. Place them evenly down the back.

5. Cut your length of ribbon in half. Sew both halves to the front of your rectangle to form straps that will lace through the loops on the back of the bodice.

Sewing the Skirt

1. Fold your skirt fabric in half. Lay it on a flat surface where you can access all of it without having to scrunch the fabric.

2. Pin a piece of string to the center of the fabric. The string should be equal to your hip radius measurement. Tie the string to a piece of tailor's chalk, and trace a semi-circle in the center of the fabric.

3. Cut the circle out of the fabric. Hem around the circle and any raw edges of the bottom of the skirt.

Putting the Bodice and Skirt Together

1. Cut a rectangle of fabric equal in length to your hip measurement plus 2. The rectangle should be 4 inches wide. Fold the rectangle in half horizontally, and stitch along the outer edges so you have a tube. Thread the dressmaker's elastic through this tube.

2. Sew the circular hole of the fabric of the skirt to the bottom of the tube along the seam allowance, gathering the fabric as necessary.

3. Sew the front of the bodice to the tube, being careful not to snag the elastic when you do so. Sew the edges of the tube together so that the elastic and the edges of the fabric tube overlap.

Final Adjustments

1. Lace the ribbon through the back loops of the bodice, adding more or less ribbon as necessary.

2. Slide the dress on, and make any necessary adjustments to length or width.

3. Add any embellishments, such as tulle or lace, if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Using fabric with some amount of stretch will make for an easier fitting garment, but it will also be harder to sew. Add bits of lace or tulle fabric to the bottom of the skirt for a bit of gothic flair. Dark colors are typically considered goth, but this is not a rule. Experiment with your color choices.

• This project involves a fair bit of math. A calculator may be a good idea. Fabrics like PVC, leather and velvet require special equipment to sew.

References

• Antimony and Lace
• Corset Inspired Top
• Circle and Sphere Calculator

Resources

• Semi-Comprehensive Guide to Goth Fashion