Friends, can we have a quick chat about the classic wrap dress? We all love the idea of them. They’re chic, they’re timeless, and they promise effortless elegance. But in reality? For those of us shorties, a traditional wrap dress usually means one of two things: flashing the entire grocery store when a gust of wind hits, or a lot of strategic internal tacking with enough safety pins to set off the airport metal detector.
The struggle is real, but the search is officially over.
Enter the Starland Dress and Jumpsuit—the latest SBCC pattern designed specifically with your petite proportions in mind. The Starland features a faux wrap front to eliminate the endless shifting and repositioning from a traditional wrap dress and the waist seam hits at just the right spot.
All the Details!
Here is exactly what you’re getting with the Starland Dress and Jumpsuit:
Made for Knits: Bring on the comfort! This beauty is designed for knit fabrics, meaning it’s as secret-pajamas-comfy as it is chic.
The Perfect Petite Waist Position: No more waistlines sitting at a weird spot that makes your torso look unnaturally long. Nope. The waist seam hits at the exact right spot for petite proportions, complete with waist gathers that create a swooshy effect for the dress view and a very forgiving fit for the comfiest of all jumpsuits.
Center Back Zipper: Yes, it has a center back zipper! Why? So you can pull it on and off without ever worrying about that dreaded *pop * of breaking waistline stitches. Brilliant, right? Yes, a zipper does involve a couple of extra steps, but it's worth it for peace of mind. Plus the zipper allows us the opportunity for a jumpsuit!
Choose Your Sleeve: Style it your way with either a classic short sleeve or an elbow-length option. Both sleeves are slim fitting.
Dress details: The dress view hits at that perfect, universally flattering just-at-the-knee length. But it's easily adjustable with lengthen/shorten lines if you want a different look.
Jumpsuit Details: The jumpsuit features a dramatic, wide, roomy leg with a full-length inseam that makes your legs look longer.
Full bust options: When it comes to knit garments, the fit of the chest is usually very forgiving. However, a dart is your best friend if you are on the busty side. I've got you covered with an optional full bust piece included in both size ranges. This represents a good option for a C or D cup.
Neckline Trim: Trust the Process
Part of the magic behind why the Starland neckline actually stays put—minus the gaping and low-cut drama—is all thanks to the neck trim piece. But I’m giving you a heads-up now- this little piece of fabric can be a bit of a test while you’re sewing it.
Here is the deal: the neckline trim needs to be pulled taut during sewing. This means you’ll be stretching it from end to end, which is going to make your front panels look completely distorted in the process. Do not panic! At first, it is going to look like an absolute hot mess. But I promise you didn't ruin it. Once you flip that trim up, give it a good pressing with your iron, and apply the edgestitch, it will snap into place and look absolutely fantastic.
Before you select your fabric...
Because every knit fabric behaves a little differently, I drafted this trim piece based on the average stretch of the different fabrics I tested. Depending on what you are using, you might need to make a quick executive decision:
If your fabric is super stretchy: You might need to pull the trim slightly past the front and back endpoints to get that perfectly snug, lay-flat edge.
If your fabric has less give: The trim might feel a bit too short and stubborn, meaning you'll need to add a little length.
The good news? It’s just a skinny little fabric strip. If your first attempt doesn't feel quite right, it is easy to recut a new one using your scraps!
What Fabric to Use
The Starland Jumpsuit and Dress is designed for knit fabrics. This means it's time to break out your ball point needles and get your machines set up for stretch fabric. I recommend choosing a knit with at least 25% horizontal stretch.
The beauty of the Starland is the waist gathering. This means the additional fabric around the waist equals extra weight draping from the waistline of project. If you are using a particularly heavy knit, for the jumpsuit especially, it can pull the bodice down further than you may like. Keep this in mind when choosing a fabric. If you find something that you absolutely love then you may want to consider the addition of a light weight knit underlining for the bodice to help support the weight.
For the dress views I used a cotton spandex jersey (from Stonemountain & Daughters Fabrics). The jumpsuit view is a deadstock French Terry from a local place, and I gotta admit it's on the heavy/drapey side, but did not require additional support of an underlining, but barely.
Sizing and Print Options
The Starland Dress and Jumpsuit is available in sizes XXS–XL and L–4X, and it comes in all the usual SBCC Pattern formats: Tiled PDF (Print at Home), Copy Shop (A0), and Projector files.
Because nothing is worse than wasting ink and paper, I did some careful arrangement for the tiled print-at-home version: the skirt and pants are separate from files from the bodice. This means if you're only making the dress, you don't have to waste paper printing out giant jumpsuit legs (and vice versa). Your printer—and the trees—will thank you!
How to choose your size
When you're looking at the size chart, here is how to strategize:
Prioritize your chest first, and your waist second. Get that bodice fitting beautifully, and the rest will fall into place.
Cup sizing: Don't stress too hard with this one. If you have a large bust to waist ratio, use the full bust option. If you generally do not require an FBA for knit garments, stick with the standard bust option. Remember, knits are very forgiving and it's intended to be a snug fit in the bodice and sleeve.
Don't sweat the hips! Both the dress and the jumpsuit feature plenty of fullness, so your hip measurement isn’t a major factor here.
Want a little less drama? The fullness of the gathers is totally up to you. If you prefer a sleeker, slimmer silhouette with fewer gathers than what you see in the sample photos, you can easily size down just on the skirt or pants pieces and join them to your desired bodice size. Customize it to your heart's content!
