What if there was a pattern that took the guesswork out of getting the right fit for your body, your proportions and your style? Well, meet the Pisco Dress and tank.
The Pisco dress and tank started out as just a basic tank to fill in transitional season gap as a layering piece with style. However, in typical Betsy-fashion, why stop there and keep it simple when I could totally reinvent how to create a customized fit? Yup, I kept on going, chipping away at the logistics of this type of project, extending a tank pattern past the usual seasonality. But I think this is going to be something that your wardrobe needs but most importantly, you will love it!
The Pisco is totally customizable
Petites are not just shorties. Petites can be short in the torso and long in the legs or you can have a long torso and short legs. Within these combinations 70% of the female population falls within the category of petite. So wouldn’t it be nice if you could mix and match the right combinations for your body? That is just what the Pisco allows you to do.
There are separate pieces for petite torsos and separate pieces for average height torsos. You choose what best describes you and then tape this piece to the lower skirt portion for petite height or average height legs.
So some of you smarty pants may have figured out what else this means: if you have a bodice for average height and a skirt for average height this means you have a dress or a tank for someone non-petite. It’s true! No I haven’t jumped ship and abandoned petites, but I am interested in the possibility of expanding for maximum inclusivity.
I get a lot of messages saying that SBCC Patterns look great, but they are not petite, and sadly cannot make the style they want. Now you can. Come on over average height gals and join in. I’m so anxious to hear what you think!
But wait, there is more!
Now you can choose the cup size that you want! I know that many have been asking for more specificity from me on cup sizes. This is it. Here’s how it works: within your height range there are cup sizes for B,C, & D.
And...
I am now going up to size 4x. In the past I’ve had a few tester applicants say they would love to help, but they don’t fit within the SBCC range. Hopefully this helps to bridge the gap. (Also- sidenote if this is you, would love to find more volunteers for future patterns over size 20.)
So yeah. That’s quite a bit of new developments.
But let’s talk about the styling
The Pisco initially started out as just a one-and-done tank designed for knit fabrics. But then I thought, what if I made this into a dress? Voila- a look that’s a super quick sew for last minute events. It’s actually quite surprising how distinct the separate views are. The tank version could even be used as active wear with the right fabric as suggested by testers. (Tester makes coming soon!)
So you’ve got:
- Your basic tank
- An activewear top
- And a cocktail dress
I’d say that’s a pretty good spread!
Most of us here have a handle on our petite shapes. However, I have an upcoming blog post about choosing the right size and the right heights for your customized fit. If this is new territory for you, come on over and welcome to a new outlook on fitting!
For a limited time get your copy of the Pisco for 20% off from 9/5/19- 9/15/19 12am EST
11 comments
I too, would love to add sleeves to this pattern.
@ Sue. Totally hear ya! Working on a blog post about making adjustments. It will be easier than you think!
@ Kathy. Average height is considered 5ft 4" and above. I am also working on the same blog post as mentioned above where I go into the details of choosing the right size.
@ Linda- Perhaps a pattern hack is already needed :)
This is for Sue, who needed to add at the hips. There are multiple vertical seams where you can add so as not to be all at the side seam. You can distribute these additional inches where you need them, more in the front seams if a tummy is the issue or more in the back if that where it’s needed….or equally at all the seams. Say you wanted to add 6 inches at the hip, you have 6 vertical seams (I’m not counting the center back seam, but you could) that is 12 cut edges ,which means you only have to add 1/2 inch to each seam allowance to gain that 6 inches. Hope this helps.
i want to add sleeves to this pattern, please advise.
That is a great design idea and helpful to many I am sure. My problem is how to transition from a narrow shoulder width to a large hip size. I know the patterns are multi sized. But adding so much at essentially the side seams just makes for an awkward transition between bust and hips. It never looks right.