Moneta + Wren Lovechild

Recently, I was raiding my closet looking for shoes for an upcoming photoshoot. From the deepest depths of my closet, I pulled out a pair of red suede platform shoes. These 7″ high beauties used to be my favorite shoes. They were pure magic, transforming any boring old outfit into something spectacular. I used to do some serious dancing and walking and late night burrito eating in these beauties. But my taste and life have changed.

Now I live in button up shirts and pink lipstick. Gone are the days of mini skirts, peter pan collars, and platform shoes. Frankly, it made me a little sad that practicality has pushed aside a lot of the fun in my wardrobe.

So in an effort to wear less grey, the Wroneta dress (or maybe Monen dress? or Wreneta?) was born. This dress is the love child of Moneta and Wren, combining Moneta’s sleek fitted bodice with the fitted skirt of Wren. With the addition of the rolled collar from the Moneta Extras pack, this dress is very Joan Holloway. Just add a pen necklace and hairspray.

So here is how I did it…

This dress was a breeze to sew. From cut to finish it took me a total of 2 (fairly leisurely) hours.

What you’ll need:

• Moneta dress pattern (pieces A, B, and I)

• Free Moneta Extras, I used the roll collar, but you can mix it up! The tie collar would be so darling.

• Wren dress pattern (pieces D, E, F, and G)

• 2 1/2- 3 yards of a thicker knit like ponte or double knit. Here is one similar to what I used.

How to make your own:

1. Assemble the bodice according to the Moneta instructions, following through step 2 of the section titled Hem Sleeves.

2. Assemble the collar and attach according to the Moneta Extras instructions.
   TIP: don’t forget to clip, trim, and understitch! This will keep your collar looking neat and professional.

3. Assemble the Wren skirt following pattern instructions.

4. Sew the Moneta bodice to Wren skirt using a 3/8″ seam allowance. Be sure to use a stitch with plenty of stretch!

5. To provide further stability to the waistband, use a zigzag stitch to attach 1/4″ elastic to the waist seam allowance. This will keep the waist seam from stretching with wear in knits with less recovery.

This dress is just the motivation I needed to start infusing some fun into my wardrobe again. I plan on making another sans collar in blue. Though it will be tempting to make another in a shade of crimson, I forgot how much I love the color red!

Has your style changed significantly over the years? Do you ever revisit old favorites?