Burda Style For people who sew

Does anyone know if there is such a thing as a fitted French dart dress, like BS109 09/2012, but a sheath dress?

I know ‘Dorothy Moore’s Pattern Drafting and Dressmaking’ has instructions for drafting such a dress, but I can’t seam to make the pattern reliably in miniature, so I wonder if only shift dresses with curved darts can be made with long French Darts?

Any photos you can direct me to would help.

— Thank you. It’s nice to have someone confirm one’s opinion. : )

Nov 18, 2012, 11.26 AM by Sabrina Wharton-Brown

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  Nov 19, 2012, 09.00 AMby katexxxxxx

  http://www.burdastyle.de/burda-style/damen/shiftdress-60er-jahre-shirtkleider_pid_213_8293.html

  http://www.etsy.com/listing/98637319/1960s-sheath-dress-vintage-sewing?ref=sr_gallery_8&ga_includes0=tags&ga_search_query=French+Darts&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=French+Darts&ga_includes[]=tags&ga_view_type=gallery

  http://www.etsy.com/listing/112048031/1966-workbasket-printed-pattern-9063?ref=sr_gallery_7&ga_includes0=tags&ga_search_query=French+Darts&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=French+Darts&ga_includes[]=tags&ga_view_type=gallery

  http://www.etsy.com/listing/90175651/1960s-mccalls-7961-pattern-womens-mod?ref=sr_gallery_6&ga_includes0=tags&ga_search_query=French+Darts&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=French+Darts&ga_includes[]=tags&ga_view_type=gallery

  http://www.etsy.com/listing/112033157/1960s-simplicity-4947-jiffy-shift-with?ref=v1_other_2

  http://buzzybeesworld.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/vintage-sewalong-2011-what-im-making.html
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  Nov 19, 2012, 03.40 PMby Sabrina Wharton-Brown

  Thanks katexxxxxx. It’s hard to say how fitted a few of those are, but I think they mostly look like shift dresses (not very fitted). I had to compare the third one with pictures of fitted sheath dresses from that time to gauge how fitted the French Dart Dress was, and it looks looser around the waist to me. What do you think?

  I think a French dart dress can be only slightly fitted at most, because of the position of the darts.

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    Nov 20, 2012, 12.50 AMby katexxxxxx

    I would say you are correct on that score, having made a couple way back as stage costumes (I seem to remember using old ’60’s patterns).

    For REALLY fitted, you also want a waist seam!