By Hand London - Kim Dress - The Pinup-Perfect Party Dress!

Here's a peek at the pattern:

Such a simple, beautiful shape.

I was first introduced to this pattern over the Summer via Instagram, watching these beautiful 1950s looking Summer dresses popping up. I knew I had to have this pattern. It's the shape of the bodice that caught my eye. It looked super flattering, with classic princess seams and a sweetheart neckline. But it wasn't until the Autumn that I picked up the pattern and plotted my first version!

You may have spotted this dress in my previous sewing pattern review! HERE

For my version of the Kim dress, I wanted to keep it simple for my first attempt. I was quite aware I may have some fit issues, whether it be a long bodice or straps and most likely be too tight across the bust. So to avoid disappointment I approached this make as a wearable toile and chose an affordable cotton poplin fabric. THIS fabric is my go-to for toiling and there's so many colours to choose from, if you're lucky enough to end up with a wearable garment, it works out quite nicely!


This was my first time sewing with a By Hand London pattern. The packaging is beautiful and I found the instructions clear and easy to follow with helpful illustrations. For reference, this dress is very similar to the Tilly and the Buttons Lilou dress, which I reviewed HERE.


So lets start with the obvious, this dress is too tight on my bust. I should of known! I can just about get away with it, and I like it styled with a pretty bra. But I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be going out and about this exposed!

However, I LOVE this pattern. With a full bust adjustment, I'm going to love it even more. I do also find it slightly long in the body as there's extra room in the straps. But I won't shorten the bodice, I'll just take an extra centimetre off the straps and maybe heighten the bodice at the top.


Sewing Summary:

Pattern: By Hand London Kim Dress 

Fabric: Plain Cotton Poplin Fabric - Scarlet Red

Notions: 22" concealed zip

Sewing time: Half a day.

Modifications: None.

Fit: I know I'm going to love the fit of this dress even more with a full bust adjustment.

Difficulty: Medium.

Watch out for: Getting even gathers and under-stitching the lining of the bodice.

Make Again?: Yes! I see this pattern being my go to Summer dress pattern once I made the bust adjustments. Simple, pretty quick and a gorgeous result!

Tada! A pinup perfect party dress!

Overall, I can't express how much I love this pattern. It's a shame it's too tight on the bust, but I will certainly take the time to redraw the bodice and make a full bust adjustment as I know this will be a wardrobe staple for me.

Thanks for reading, pinups! Have you tried the 'Kim' dress?
xo