We share with you these lovely new plus size patterns from burda style magazine. The sailor inspired pattern collection has a nod to the 50s and includes some great fitted dresses alongside knit tops and maxi skirts.
Make yourself a classic summer tunic and pair it with a long maxi style skirt or get a complete look by sewing one of these elegant dresses. These figure flattering designs will make you sew happy, with their elegance and wear-ability. Scroll down to see all the styles and get inspired by these great styles.
The Tunic Top is perfectly paneled and great for color blocking! It features a boat neckline, short sleeves, and loose fitting silhouette and it looks great paired with leggings or a skirt.
This classy Scoop Neck Dress has a banded scoop neckline and feminine silhouette. This dress has an interesting sleeve construction that gives the armholes a neat detail. You could wear this dress in the day with some cute sandals, or dress it up for a date night!
The Flounce Skirt is flowy and beautifully draped. It has a great gathered waist band and front flounce. It is paired with the “Long Sleeve Blouse”: – a classic button-up shirt with a modern twist. We love the saddle sleeves and the perfect collar for popping.
This is a flattering 1950s style Dart Dress . It features many exposed darts which add structure to the dress. You can omit the sleeves, or sew the dart on the inside for a different look. We love this form fitting dress and think it would look great sewn in a print or solid fabric.
Here is the V-neck top which has a plunging V neckline. The yoke and long attached bands that tie at the back are great! This top pairs perfectly with a nice pair of trousers or a sleek pencil skirt.
This collection features many figure flattering designs, from form fitting cocktail dresses to comfortable tops and skirts. We love the nautical feel of this collection and think that any of these pieces would work great in any wardrobe. If you want a quick and easy weekend project try making the V-neck top or the Flounce Skirt, it has step-by-step instructions on how to sew. Or if you feel like a challenge and want something elegant we suggest sewing the Scoop Neck Dress .
Happy Sewing!
Oct 17, 2012, 10.17 AMby avjames
I have almost finished the Paneled Tunic Top, I didn’t realise from the picture how long it is… …although I’m fairly short for a plus size.
And for all those commenting on the model, just focus on the clothes, that’s what we’re here for!
Jul 12, 2012, 12.18 AMby mnr
Thanks for at least throwing a thought in our direction. But this barely scrapes the spectrum of plus sized.
She may be a plus sized model by definition of the industry, but she’s not plus sized in the REAL world, to be honest. I second (or 32nd) the idea that burda, you should use a variety of women who look average, petite, or ACTUAL plus.
Because she’s about an 8/10, I don’t know how flattering this will look on a 20/22, or a 24. (BTW, size 22 and upwards isn’t represented. That’s kinda sad.)
As for the clothes, they do look nice, and I would be interested in sewing them. But once again, the polka dotted dress doesn’t look the best on this model, so it could be a shapeless lump on someone large like me. You’re trying to sell a product to certain consumers, right Burdastyle? :/ So… whats up?
1 Reply
Jul 16, 2012, 01.53 PMby coco994
I take a little issue with you. My daughter is an 8 and she is really tiny. This woman looks to me to be a 14, maybe a 12. In some of the pictures — especially the color block tunic — she looks heavier. I think the best way to see how a pattern will look on a heavier figure is to search through Flickr groups for each pattern. That way, you can see — the Colette pattern flickr group, for instance, has a great representation!
Jul 11, 2012, 03.02 AMby NavyRev
I like that skirt that is paired with the v neck top. Does Burda offer that as a pattern?
Jul 10, 2012, 11.18 PMby Vanessa Leigh
Yay! I am so excited to see some platterns that will flatter my size 22/24 curves. Great job!
Jul 10, 2012, 11.16 PMby Nikolene
This country has a very “warped” sense of beauty…the focus on thin has become so exaggerated that our young women drink diet pepsi/coke for breakfast and call it a meal! Anywhere else in the world women of ALL sizes are considered beautiful. It is such a shame. My daughter and I are healthy and active and are big girls. I cringe at how difficult it is to find decent clothing. It shocks me to go through the patterns here at Burda Style and most of them are too small for me. I was excited to finally get an email that espoused “plus sizes” only to be disappointed by the patterns. I will go back to buying Hot Patterns which always carries larger sizes in ALL of their patterns and doesn’t discriminate. Sorry Burda.
Jul 10, 2012, 10.57 PMby Gisele Letourneau
I agree that plus size women should be your models. We plus size women need real images in order to relate to your patterns. I wear 22W and on your patterns the woman must wear size 10-12; there is a great difference. But at leat your are thinking of us and hope that you can change your attitude toward us full size women.
Jul 10, 2012, 09.58 PMby josephina
I am plus size (on the bottom half in particular), and a lot of these designs would work well for me, although they would need adjustment. I can never buy ‘plus’ size clothes in stores because they are usually too generous around the middle and upper half, and sometimes not big enough in the hips (pants don’t look good around your ankles!). Plus size women do come in all shapes, as someone else has already pointed out….. It’s hard to design something that will suit everyone.
I agree that the model looks healthy, but it’s hard to figure out what size she is unless you know how tall she is. The term ‘plus’ size means something different to everyone.
Jul 10, 2012, 09.27 PMby Nonny101
Burda what are you thinking? I came here looking for patterns for plus sizes and saw such thin models that it has put me off buying any of the patterns.
Can you not see you are being offensive to the very people you are trying to sell to? You want us to buy things, but apparently thing us plus sized women are too ugly to put on your webpages. Fine, you have just lost another sale and gained an offended customer who will not be coming back. You still want our money though?
Jul 10, 2012, 08.40 PMby genteacher
Thank you, thank you, thank you! As a plus-sized woman with a defined waist (11" less than both my bust and hips), I get VERY frustrated by the overabundance of boxy, drop-waisted and/or non-darted tops and dress. Although I would definitely need to make modifications to the sleeves to cover/accomodate my large upper arms , I am used to that (and have a few drafts that I regularly use). I am especially excited about the maxi flounce skirt! I can see myself pairing it with either a knit or woven top, and making more than one! Oo, and that scoop neck dress calls for a great statement necklace or neck scarf.
I think that everyone needs to remember that, just like our more slender counterparts, plus-sized women come n a variety of silhouettes (pear, apple, triangle, diamond, hourglass, rectangle, etc.). Thank you for the variety!
Jul 10, 2012, 08.02 PMby cloff
I am a plus size and when I got the newsletter, I eagerly turned to this page to see the plus size collection. Thanks to all the rest of you for your comments and perceptions…. I like the clothes, but I was thinking, no way is this really plus size. I’m glad so many of you agree — I’m not reallly “out-to-lunch” with my impressions. Some of them might look good on a true “zaftig” woman, as long as her proportions are “shapely”. But for some women who have no waist, etc., I can’t see them wearing these fashions.
And I agree with those who have said they would prefer to see a real plus size model wearing the plus size patterns. It would give you a better idea of what they would look like on a real person.
At least these patterns look better than the usual plus-size pattern offerings, which usually seem more suited to a tent-and-awning company… :(
Jul 10, 2012, 07.59 PMby magpie63
Dear Burda, it’s been said before by other commenters, but PLEASE consider using actual “plus-sized” models in features like this. Seeing these garments made in a small size and modeled by a thin woman doesn’t do much to help me understand how they would look on me.
Jul 10, 2012, 02.11 PMby elfka
I love the Dart Dress and the V-neck top with wraps – I’m thinking about modifying it to make a casual dress.
Jul 10, 2012, 01.38 PMby Melissa Paruzel
I guess it depends on the users’ country of origin term of plus size. If I head to Japan, I would be under the Large group whereas if I head to USA, I would be under the Slim/Petite group.
The dresses are gorgeous. The model looks healthy. Love everything except the tunic top. But then, I never really liked tunic tops.
Jul 10, 2012, 12.10 PMby HouseOf Pinheiro
Size definitions will always be controversial. Im going to comment only on the designs in general. I loved the dart dress and the last scoop neck dress. both create illusion of hourglass shape. I would wear it.
1 Reply
Jul 10, 2012, 01.09 PMby heidilea
Yes. Agreed. With both points.
Jul 10, 2012, 06.42 AMby hermelina
It would be easier for the designers of ALL pattern companies if they could get real models. Almost always, the garments that are thought for plus people are the least suitable.
Jul 10, 2012, 05.18 AMby jenss-1
I think Burda just needs to rename this line “Women’s sizes” or something like that for U.S. distribution. The Burda “plus” sizes start at about a U.S. RTW size 12. (Though of course, RTW sizing is not standard). These are German patterns and “plus” obviously doesn’t mean the same thing in Germany as it does here. The model looks accurate for the smaller end of the “plus” pattern sizing, about a 12.
Jul 10, 2012, 05.18 AMby jenss-1
I think Burda just needs to rename this line “Women’s sizes” or something like that for U.S. distribution. The Burda “plus” sizes start at about a U.S. RTW size 12. (Though of course, RTW sizing is not standard). These are German patterns and “plus” obviously doesn’t mean the same thing in Germany as it does here. The model looks accurate for the smaller end of the “plus” pattern sizing, about a 12.
Jul 10, 2012, 03.45 AMby Stitcher75
I agree, LaraGa. This model is beautiful and would be fantastic for the clothes meant for Misses. I’ve heard that there has been some discussion of calling American RTW size 6 (pattern size 12ish) a “plus size.” Let’s get real. People are aging and widening. We’d all like to reverse those trends, but the fountain of youth was a myth and better nutrition and healthcare, good as they are, make us bigger than our “roaring 20’s” counterparts.
Burda, please use real-sized women for your models. If we can’t reverse the upward trend among real people, we can at least do something about drug use and eating disorders among our models. Be a trendsetter – curves are pretty and real women have them!
2 Replies
Jul 10, 2012, 01.04 PMby heidilea
Okay. This is a pet peeve of mine: in the 1920s, average measurements were not so off of average measurements today. In fact, many of the women were “curvier” (ie—had a larger hip to waist ratio) than women of today.
I just can’t stand it when people say “those women in the 20s were skinny, which is why those styles looked good then.” Not true. 20s styles don’t look good to us because the rectangle is not appealing to our modern eyes. See here for better information: http://www.reconstructinghistory.com/blog/golden-age-of-travel-dream-birthday-the-ideal-figure.html
Jul 10, 2012, 01.12 PMby heidilea
And more showing actual pattern measurement in the 20s vs now.
http://www.reconstructinghistory.com/blog/golden-age-of-travel-1920s-underwear.html
Jul 10, 2012, 12.09 AMby Laura Haney
The model is not plus sized. This article has no credibility.
Jul 9, 2012, 11.13 PMby SassyT
Am not plus sized but I think someone needs to look at Pinterest for inspiration as there are true plus sized women in such beautiful clothes. To style for Plus Size I think you should have them modelled in the typical plus sized lady to demonstrate how that style would work. With the above models if I was Plus sized I wouldn’t be convinced. Sorry Burda, just sayin . . . lol
Jul 9, 2012, 11.00 PMby jewels31
Certainly like the spotty dress. How about some bias cut blouse patterns. Plenty of ease in that for plus sized ladies
Jul 9, 2012, 10.11 PMby msmish
as a true plus size woman, i find most of these clothes frumpy and not suitable if you are truly overweight, i couldn’t possibly wear a shirt tucked into a frilled skirt that would accentuate my rounded tummy, the only thing i would make is the tunic…… the dresses are for old women
Jul 9, 2012, 09.22 PMby Lynn Aitken Byrne
I agree LaraGa, she is a beautiful curvy woman and more realistic for many of us, but it’s also fair that some designs look better on slight figures and that’s okay too..
However, BURDA, using women who fit the majority would be more appropriate and the majority of us are not rail thin.
This photo shoot is great, but she is by no way a Plus Size.
Jul 9, 2012, 09.16 PMby Mobycat2k
The wrap top looks interesting as well as the tunic.
1 Reply
Oct 17, 2012, 10.19 AMby avjames
I’ve almost finished the tunic top, it’s fantastic. Easy to sew, looks good and comfortable to wear!