Paris: That's a wrap.

It's bittersweet, but this is the final project I made to wear during our trip. And, while I've saved it for last, this dress was my number one priority when I started planning and sewing garments to take on vacation. This is my travel dress. 

A good travel dress is an essential item during lengthy international flights.  It's comfortable, easy to wear, nonrestrictive and wrinkle resistant. It feels like lounge wear, but doesn't look like it.  

For my travel dress, I used Butterick 4302, a vintage, 1970's wrap dress pattern designed for use with knit fabric. (You didn't think I'd forego an opportunity #vintagepledge, did you?) The 70's were a great decade for knit sewing patterns. It's been my experience, that there are more patterns for knits produced in the 70's than any decade before or after.
My dress is sewn using a rayon jersey. I still have a lot to learn about knits, but I'm finding that I really like the feel, stretch and rebound of the rayon jerseys I've handled. 

I love that this dress is a wrap dress. The wrap on this particular dress extends from hip to hip, which gives excellent coverage and reduces the possibility of 'accidental flashing'. I was also very attracted to the flutter sleeve, because it provides shoulder coverage, but it's really breathable. It's a nice compromise for an environment where the temperature is in constant flux, like an airplane.   

Like many knit patterns, this dress is very simple to construct. I didn't make any modifications to this version. If I make it again, I will likely widen the neckline curve slightly, for a little less coverage. Overall, I am very pleased with the way this dress came together, and it MORE THAN served its purpose during both legs of our journey.