15+ Sewing Patterns for Shift Dresses
These beautiful shift dress patterns are sure to please! Find styles for every type here.


There is nothing more comfortable, couture, and cute than a shift dress. There's no need to agonize about your daily wear when you can roll out of bed, throw on a shift dress, and step outside looking like a celebrity. Pair it with anything from stilettos to tennis shoes, and you'll look fashion-forward wherever you go!
If you're as crazy about shift dresses as the world of high fashion is, then you'll love this sewing list. Using these 15+ Sewing Patterns for Shift Dresses, you can fill your closet with this trendy cut and wear shift dresses all season long!
With a straight, clean silhouette starting from the shoulders, this loosely fitting dress is a stunner on every body type. This cut is flattering on everyone, so you won't want to go back to your slips and princess skirts after following a shift dress tutorial or two!
Not only is the shift dress hot right now, but it's also timeless. Inspired by both the flapper dresses of the Roaring Twenties and the mod dresses of the Swinging Sixties, this dress has survived nearly a century of fashion overhaul.
There's a reason why it's still so popular! The boyish cut of the shift dress is playful and cute, and it is guaranteed to make you feel young whenever you wear it.
Don't wait another century to try out this simply stunning dress. With everything from short-sleeved staples to scallop-hemmed masterpieces, this list of sewing patterns for shift dresses will kickstart your retro aesthetic in minutes!
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Table of Contents
With our types of dresses guide, you can put the name with the cut and know your dresses for sewing or shopping.
>> What are the Different Types of Dresses?
Short Sleeve Basic Shift Dress Patterns

Why mess with a classic? These short sleeve basic shift dress patterns are just what your wardrobe needs to keep you cool and stylish on sunny days. Without restrictive sleeves, shift dresses are more comfortable than ever, and you'll never want to take off these precious designs!
Simple yet elegant patterns, like the Two-Hour Summer Shift Dress (shown), will allow you to channel your inner fashionista whether you're at the farmer's market or an art show.
Using a dress you already own to make a pattern, this sleek shift dress refashioning project will get you a guaranteed fit! The best part? It only takes two hours to sew.
Channel your inner '60s fashion model with this totally mod design! With a bold geometric print and a straight-body cut, this dress will have you looking like Twiggy in no time.
If you're a fan of bold solid colors, breezy fabrics, and cute trimmed sleeves, then this Summer Breeze DIY Swing Dress will make your beachside fashion dreams come true.
Pair this elegant shift dress with a high heel, and you're ready to paint the town red! It uses a classically simple shift dress design that you can wear to any upscale function.
With a kimono cut and flared short sleeves, this Zoey Dress Pattern is unlike any shift dress you've ever seen before. It's even printable to make sewing a snap!
You can use a shirt you already own to make this casual couture ensemble. With a jersey knit fabric, this dress might even be more comfortable than your favorite tee!
Now that you've filled your closet with '20s- and '60s-inspired dresses, how else are you going to get your vintage fix? With this free downloadable eBook, you'll never run out of old-fashioned sewing projects again.
>> 11 Vintage Patterns: How to Sew Retro-Inspired Clothing for Ladies Free eBook
Bell Sleeve, Tank Top, and Long Sleeve Shift Dress Patterns

Another great part about shift dresses is their unending versatility. Though they most frequently come in youthful short sleeve designs, shift dresses can look stunning will all sleeve lengths and styles. From tank tops to long-sleeves, these shift dress variations will have you looking high fashion in minutes.
You can even get a boat-neck semi-short-sleeved look with the DIY Ruffle Yoke Shift Dress (shown)! With all of these fabulous choices, you won't need to look anywhere else for sewing inspiration.
Do you scream for ice cream? Then this Ice Cream Swing DIY Dress is the 3/4-sleeve piece you need to keep cool this summer! Show off your love for sweet treats by wearing them proudly on your dress.
Adding volume to the upper arms is a genius trick for getting a tapered silhouette, and now you can get a shapely look in a shift dress! Add a little fluff to your sleeves for a piece that fashion experts adore.
What's the best way to give your arms some breathing room? By not having sleeves at all! Let your gorgeous arms catch some sunshine this season with this beachy Trapeze DIY Tank Dress.
These fabulous shift dresses have your spring wardrobe all set, so now it's time to fill out your winter clothes! This list will have you looking as chic as can be from December to February. 21 Gorgeous Winter Dress Patterns
Shift Dress Patterns (With a Little Something Extra)

Shift dresses are known for their elegant simplicity, but if you're the fashionista who likes to put a little extra pizzazz in her ensemble, then this list is for you! You'll have everyone jealous of your look with these striking takes on the classic shift dress patterns.
Give the classic shift dress design a chic update with added accouterment, daring sleeves, and eye-catching hems, like on the Flutter Sleeve DIY Shift Dress (shown). So much beauty, so little time, right?
Parisienne Drape Dress Pattern
With wide, draped shoulders and a simple tie around the waist, this pattern gives some feminine figure to the boyish shift dress silhouette. For anyone wanting to look sexy and comfortable, this is the cosmopolitan design for you!
This designer-inspired dress is almost too stylish for its own good. It's made from a rustic-looking linen and accented with a bright coral applique, thereby pairing the best of edgy and feminine fashion.
This demure yet sensual piece is a perfect date night dress. The sophisticated bow in the back, striking and elegant, even covers up your bra strap while you wear it!
Pink Blush Scalloped DIY Dress
Inspired by a trendy Urban Outfitters piece, this Pink Blush Scalloped DIY Dress is the perfect cross between cute and sexy. The exaggerated scalloped hem gives the classic cut the flair it needs to stand out in a crowd.
Seriously Sweet Scalloped Dress
There is no embellishment more darling than a scalloped hem, and now you can make it with your own sewing machine. This shift dress pattern even shows you how to get a scalloped edge around a tank top sleeve so you can show off your skin with ease!
Why choose a single fabric pattern when you can have two in one stylish pattern? Get the classic '90s look of a layered t-shirt and slip dress with this simple design.
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Polly Esther
Aug 03, 2018
The Zoey Dress is AMAZING and definitely something I would wear. It looks light and perfect for summer!

koffeesam
Jul 28, 2018
The Caftan Dresses and the Trapeze Swing dress are my favorites because they keep you cool while looking good. And hide middle bulges. I'm nearing 70 and I still want to look put together.

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