Tilly's Favourite Dress of All Time

If I had to retire tomorrow, I'd do so content with the knowledge that I'd reached my sartorial zenith with releasing the Romy sewing pattern. 

It's no secret that I love a breton top or dress, as they're so stylish and easy to wear. It's the details on Romy that elevate it to something extra special. From the front, the simple loose-fitting shape is effortlessly chic, while the overlapping envelope neckline creates some construction interest. And then you turn around to reveal the back ties - I for one am drooling!

This version is exactly what I had in my head when I designed it - super simple and classic in navy stripe jersey, the kind of dress you can throw on and feel #fashiongoals and timeless at once. 

I made this sample as a test during the pattern development process. We'd been having some headaches early on where the upper back had been drooping, but we managed to fix them by adjusting the fit of the back bodice, changing the construction to a binding that would keep it pulled in nicely, and tweaking the fabric recommendations - the key is to avoid anything too drapey that will cause the neckline to sag.

As soon as I put this on, I felt amazing - firstly because I knew we'd fixed the issues, and secondly because OMIGAWD THIS WAS THE NICEST DRESS EVERRRR!!!

So of course I immediately bought another batch of the same fabric (from MyFabrics) so I can make a second one exactly the same. Because, let's face it, it's only a matter of time before my toddler smears tomato sauce on it...