Who doesn’t love having two garments with the storage requirements of one? Also, the best costumes have a lot of layers. Therefore I have sewn a vest and belt set which is fully reversable!
Pattern created by Frankenstein-ing a women’s tunic pattern, I actually had one side of this vest cut out and in storage for over a year. I recently found the gold diamond brocade at the local fabric warehouse and decided to finally finish the project.
I’ve been seeing more kidney belts in historical sources, and obis in fantasy adaptations, which caught my eye. I have a lot of cropped-costume tops but not every day is a good day for a bare stomach. An obi-style waist belt makes for a good cincher or a cover-up without spoiling a crop-top.
The belt is a simple rectangle with a heavy cotton braided cord sewn into the seam on either end. The cord can either be tied in a bow in front, or wrapped around the waist twice and tucked in on itself.
The vest was shaped for layering. I didn’t want it to too greatly obstruct whatever’s underneath so I made it pretty open. Trimming the arm-holes and the bottom with a heavy braided cord was one of the more challenging parts of the project, especially because one fabric had a lot more stretch than the other. Lots of pinning and re-pinning.
Reversed, the other side of the set is a soft brown woven cotton. I have a pair of dance-pants in this fabric that would go great with the new set. A flash of gold peaking out from the inside feels like the perfect amount of drama.
