Chiffon Wilder Gown

While making several black garments during a productive weekend of dissociative sewing, I scanned my closet and realized that it’s been 4 years since I made my last Wilder Gown. If that wasn’t shocking enough, I realized that I’ve never made a sheer Wilder Gown. I couldn’t believe my Wilder lack, so I was determined to fix that. The Wilder Gown by Friday Pattern Company remains one of my all-time favorite patterns and Minerva Exclusive fabrics are always top quality to sew and wear. I knew that combining these two powerhouses would make a fantastic garment and I was right. Using the Feathered Frost Lurex Sheer chiffon provided by Minerva, I whipped up a sheer Wilder Gown that would be perfect for traipsing through the wilderness or lounging on the couch watching the world burn.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved mushrooms. I love eating them, I love making mushroom jewelry, I love their variety, and I love their role in nature. Needless to say, I was tickled pink when I received this woodland-themed chiffon from Minerva and saw all the magnificent mushrooms scattered throughout. There’s also fabulous feathers and stunning snowflakes all over the colorful chiffon. This fabric kept its bright colors through laundering, but the ends frayed quite a bit. You can prevent this by serging any raw edges before laundering.

The chiffon is lightweight (obviously) and feels great on my skin. I was a little worried that the metallic Lurex threads would be itchy, but I don’t feel them at all. With all sheer clothes, it’s necessary to wear the right undergarments for the desired look. I chose to wear a simple black slip under the dress, but I also think it would be fun to wear over a more casual look, like a solid tank top and jeans.

Because I’ve sewn this pattern several times before, I won’t bore you with a review. Just know that it’s a tried-and-true pattern for very good reason. This time around, I made my gown fairly close to the original design. My only tweak is that I made the skirt panels the same width as the fabric. This chiffon is so lovely that I wanted to get as much use out of it as possible. The resulting garment is dreamy, romantic, but simple. I don’t know if cottagecore is still trending, but this dress would fit perfectly in an editorial spread describing the style.