Kaylee's Reversibrome

My Brome pattern has been very well loved and put to very good use over the past few months. I have one of each variation and two view B dresses that I reach for all the time. It’s one of the most versatile patterns I own! When I saw that Amber was releasing an expansion, I got excited. As much as I love all my Bromes, I kind of thought I had made my last one. This Reversibrome expansion pack opened up new options and opportunities!

I love Amber’s subtle, tonal reversible Brome, but I knew when I was picking fabrics I wanted something a bit more bold that really took advantage of the two-sided nature of the dress. For the longer layer, you need a double-sided fabric so that you can wear your dress on both sides. I went with one of the new Merchant and Mills woven ikats. I knew it was something that would get use as a stand-alone dress, but I also knew the pattern wasn’t too big or too bold to peek out of the bottom of the two-tiered side of my dress.

Next came the fun of selecting my second fabric. I tried out another ikat thinking it might be fun to have dueling prints, but in the end, it wasn’t me. I also really wanted to make the most of the fact that the dress has its own built-in lining. I started looking at some fun black laces and more lightweight and sheer fabrics. I landed on this black Kotton World Solid Gauze for its beautiful texture, simple solid color, and sheer quality. When the dress was finished you could just barely see a hint of the printed fabric behind it, which is just what I was going for.

Pattern: Fancy Tiger Brome + Brome Expansion PDF by Amber Platzer Corcoran Materials: Merchant & Mills Ozark Indian Ikat in Black, Kotton World Solid Gauze in Black
Size: 14 for the yolks, 16 for dress pieces

This will be one of the fastest Bromes you have ever made. Even though you are essentially making two dresses, the most complicated elements from the original pattern have been taken out. It is sleeveless so you don’t have to attach the cuffs or set the sleeves, there is no placket, buttons/buttonholes or a collar. With just a few quick gathers, you will be wearing your new Brome in no time!

I very much have a pear-shaped body and carry my weight in my bottom half. When I measure myself for patterns I am typically 1-2 sizes larger at my hips than at my bust. Usually, I just grade out to the larger size on the pattern about an inch or so below the armpit, but for Brome, I was able to just cut the smaller size for the yolk and the larger size for the main dress pieces. Since they are gathered together you can easily make them fit without the hassle of trying to cleanly connect the sizes. In the end, my pieces are slightly more gathered than they would normally be, but it is honestly hardly noticeable.

Now that fall is here, I’m all about layering. I love that with the right accessories this dress can be a casual, comfy option for work or with a few quick changes, great for a nice dinner out. The other advantage of this dress? I wore it twice this week and nobody even noticed! Now I can be the outfit repeater I have always been in my heart, with feeling pressure to always be changing my look.