Everyone needs a little black dress. Right? That’s what I’ve heard for years, but I never had one myself until now. When I saw this Little Black Dress screenprint by the talented Danielle Leatham of The Yellow Cabinet shop I not only wanted to hang the darling print in my studio, I also wanted to create the perfect little black dress with the same, classic silhouette. I feel hugely inspired by Danielle’s art prints, cool kids tee shirts, and exploring her shop was a good push of motivation to stretch my creative muscles and sew something timeless for myself. 
The Little Black Dress has a lot of history, dating back to the early 1900’s when black was most often worn for mourning. After World War I, it was being worn so often it no longer was so unusual to see, and in 1926 Coco Chanel published her little black dress design in American Vogue, effectively making it an iconic and versatile addition to every woman’s wardrobe. It was about time I added one to mine. 
When I saw Danielle’s print, the silhouette looked like something I wanted to wear. I love the scooped neck, short sleeves, simple, and simple, feminine skirt shape.
To make my little black dress, I started with the bodice pattern that I designed and created to make this tulle party dress a few years ago. The scoop neck and back, along with simple bust darts were a great building block and I’m glad I kept the pattern on file. I shortened the sleeves and lengthened the bodice so it would reach my natural waist without the pleated waistband of the original party dress.
My version of this perfect little black dress has a side zipper with a pocket just under the zipper on one side (for keys, phone, and lipstick on date night). I may have included one on the other side but I made the skirt of a single rectangle of fabric, so there is only one side seam. Also, I learned a few years ago to install my side zippers upside down so that the zipper is pulling down from the bust towards the hips, which makes it so much easier to close by myself.
The fabric I used is a beautiful cotton/linen blend that I picked up at my local Hobby Lobby. I happened to be there for some craft supplies and was so impressed with the fabric selection! This material is soft, light, and feels really good quality. I’m such a sucker for good fabric, even if it’s plain black.
The first time I put this on to wear (to church), Milo asked why I was wearing my “vampire dress” and told me it would work really well for Halloween. Haha! I had no idea how entirely versatile this little black dress could be.
It always feels amazing to build pieces like this into my wardrobe that I know will last through lots of years and seasons, because they are timeless and classic. These types of clothing items are perfect for me, because I seldom shop for the latest, trendiest pieces and tend to stick to beautiful basics.
Now, Danielle and I have teamed up for a fun giveaway of one of her original Little Black Dress prints AND a custom-made Little Black Dress to one lucky winner. To enter visit my post on Instagram, follow @livefreemiranda and @theyellowcabinet and tag some friends!
