Some of my handmade clothes are total workhorses. An Archer that I wear once a week in the winter. Jeans that replaced a worn-to-shreds pair of Levis. My go-to house sweats.

This dress is not a workhorse. I made Nikko as a birthday present to myself so I’d have something to wear to my annual house party. And I love it. Sometimes, you’ve gotta make a dress that makes you feel like a badass, even if you know it’ll spend more time in your closet than on your body.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll absolutely wear it again. Hopefully many more times! It’s just not the type of dress I’d wear to work (too much butt cling), and it’s a little fancier than my average weekend wear.

But when I wear it, I feel goooooooooood.

True Bias Nikko Dress – Details

• Size: 8
• Fabric: Art Gallery Gran Piano knit from Oak Fabrics (95% cotton, 5% elastane); black jersey for the side panel
• Alterations: Lengthened 1″ at the waistline; shortened to midi length by removing 3″ at the lower lengthen/shorten line; added contrast side panel
• Construction: Ball-point needle on my regular machine for the side seams and knit band finishing; twin needle for the hem; serger for all other construction

This striped knit was a dream to sew with—sturdy, stable, and didn’t roll like the dickens like so many other knits do. The black jersey I used for the side panel was a little more finicky, but it still accepted a press from the iron, making it relatively easy for me to sew the side slit.

I was toying around with color-blocking the dress, and Rachel at Oak Fabrics threw out the idea to add a side panel. Duh! Who doesn’t like a little black illusion strip on a form-fitting dress? To add the panel, I cut a 1.5″ strip from the side of the front and back pieces and added seam allowances.

Aside from a little bit of pooling at my lower back, this dress fits like a glove! I love the fit at the neck and shoulders, which are finished with a knit binding instead of your standard knit bands. The description says this is designed to resemble a racerback, but with enough coverage to wear a regular bra. It could be my super broad shoulders, but my regular bra straps were completely visible in the back. I wore my fanciest sports bra instead.

This dress isn’t a workhorse. It’s a unicorn that makes me smile every time I see it in the closet. We all need a piece like that every now and then!