For a rainy Friday, a comfort dress. I scanned this ages ago for the Sewretro group on Yahoo, and just remembered the scan existed today. I love this so, although I've only made it once. The fabric wasn't right — not heavy enough to drape right in the slim-skirt view I made — so I didn't wear it often.
There's something about a low, square neckline that calls to me. Maybe I am a collarbone exhibitionist? Who knows? But show me a square-necked dress and I am yours.
I've always wanted to make this in two colors, with the center bodice and skirt panels (front only) a different color from the rest of the dress (black and white? gray and red?) but something tells me that would look like a particularly crazy silver-age superhero costume. Obviously, in this dress, my superpower would be making especially delicious canapés.
A Dress A Day 
Perhaps, rather than 2 contrasting colors, you could go monochromatic (is that the right word?) For example, 2 complementary shades of blue.
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Or use the trick of novelty fabric in the center panels and a solid the rest of the way around. I’m a sucker for square necklines, too.–Lydia
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I love the straight skirt view; now THAT is a wiggle dress!
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That’s really cute. I want the full-skirt version in some sort of wildly Victorian wallpaper design black-on-black or black-on-red fabric. Which probably only exists in my head.
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Jilli, I actually have that Victorian black-on-black fabric, in a lightweight summer cotton brocade, no less. The pattern is an “acanthus leaf,” and it’s been a classic for centuries. So it IS out there! Look in upholstery fabrics for your version.This dress seems to me as if it really, really wants a matching redingote – just extend the side fronts towards the front a little, and leave out the center front panel, and there you are! That way you can do your matching/contrasting colours without looking too much as if you’re in a costume.
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