Modest Formal Evening Dresses For Girls
Shopping for girls' modest formal evening dresses may be easier than shopping for women's modest styles, but the challenge is growing as elements of immodesty are being pushed into the clothing market for increasingly younger ages. A recent shopping trip with my oldest niece reminded me that beginning with girls' size 5 here in the US, cut-away tops, short hemlines and pictures of cartoon characters, themselves dressed in revealing clothing, fill the majority retail floor space that is dedicated to girls. When my niece wore toddler sizes, making a modest outfit for her usually meant purchasing a cute dress from a store and sewing on a ruffle for extra length.
Purple Dreamlike Sweetheart Two Tone Formal Evening Dress
Starting with girls' size 5, however, most of the evening dresses in stores require the addition of sleeves, raised necklines and other changes beyond just the addition of a ruffle for length that suffices for toddler outfits. The effort needed to sew an original dress is, in my opinion, less than that needed to make multiple patchwork improvements. Another motivation for sewing is that the final effect of a made-to-be-modest dress is more cohesive than a dress that has been re-designed. So, for me that means more sewing and less shopping in stores for the girls in my family as they leave the toddler size range.
Sequins Dreamlike Sweetheart Two Tone Evening Party Dress
One of the first lessons I learned when sewing for girls is that the ideal formal evening dress pattern features a full skirt to allow room for movement. Most of the patterns I used when starting to sew girls' sizes were for a-line dresses, and when I extended the hemlines on these designs to mid-calf or ankle level, the hem circumference restricted normal play activity. Most commercial patterns for girls place dress hemlines at the knee or above. If made as designed, these hemlines will not restrict walking or running, since range of motion increases dramatically below the knee.
Fairytale Champagne A Line Strapless Short Evening Party Dress
What women's wear when they are young is what they will lean toward wearing as they grow older, however, and my preference for all ages is that hemlines be long enough to modestly cover the knee when seated. When a girls' a-line dress that was intended to end at the knee is extended, the circumference is usually too small for the increased range of movement below the knee. Rather than increasing the sweep of an a-line hem when trying to lengthen it, I have found that selecting a pattern with a full skirt from beginning saves time.
Fairytale Champagne A Line Strapless Short Skirt
There is a versatile pattern with a beautiful shape. You are welcome to share with us photos of your version of this or any other pattern for modest girls' dresses. Please also share with us your recommendations for other patterns that lend themselves well to the addition of hem length.