In my mind, this was going to be a more casual sweater dress a la Mimi G.

Hers is from Forever 21 but she provided details on how to DIY it using her Annie sweater pattern.

I went to Mood Fabrics looking for a similar style sweater knit but had no such luck. The closest I could get was this thick Derek Lam cotton knit (not on their website but they still had a ton left).

No problem. I love thicker knits!

I started with the Annie cardigan pattern in an XS and further modified using Simplicity 1613‘s bodice pattern because I wanted this FITTED and wanted to do the least amount of correcting afterward. I omitted the bottom panel and lengthened the hem to 30″ from the waist. I also lengthened the sleeve length to 19.5″ from the shoulder and omitted the cuff.

Because I lengthened the dress, I had to lengthen the front band. I added extra and ended up leaving the extra length because I thought it was a cute style element. My mom says it’s makes no sense. 😂

I opted for a hook and eye tape closure beacuse I liked the clean uninterrupted look for the front band. I originally thought it might show too much decolletage but thought I’d add the closure before trying to adjust and I’m glad I did. This hook and eye closure snatched me up in the bust area nice and snug so no adjustments were needed! I also left off the front pockets and TA DA!! Issa dress!