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I have this purple square dance dress, relatively simple, that i've worn as lolita before.
however, it's not really all that loli, and more importantly it was made for someone with skinnier arms than me.

any suggestions on quick/simple modifications i can make?

full dress
detail of top
(second picture is closer to actual dress color)

[secretmirror180]

Square dance dresses are generally looked down upon in the lolita community, but you can try fixing it up. The suggestions I am giving you will not be quick or simple however, sorry.

The main problem is the skirt. The skirt tends to have too much flare because of the need to put underneath it a square dance petticoat (which is very much larger than a lolita petticoat). Remember, the correct shape for a lolita skirt is a bell shape.

Next is the lace. The lace looks rather cheap, mainly because of the netting and it sort of looks scratchy. You might also want to replace the ribbon on the top of the lace or get rid of it all together. Some cluny lace would look nicer.

For your arms just get rid of the sleeves and turn into a jumperskirt.Just remeber you need to wear a blouse under this if you turn it into a jsk.

The neckline seems a bit "meh" to me (sorry I couldn't find better wording), but I think for the most part it is acceptable.

I can't help much since my sewing skills are very beginner so if you have questions on how to do anything, please ask someone else.

yeah, i bought it last year before i knew that- but i have found a lot of square dance dresses that look very lolita, you just have to avoid the more outlandish ones.
my current peti, thankfully, is fairly bell shaped. (if a bit scratchy.)
i was afraid of the JSK option, i'm rather lacking in appropriate blouses to wear under it. v_v

does anyone have tips on how to remove the lace?
short of ripping the seams apart and re-sewing it, which i don't really have time to do. and it will look even more like, well, you know, with little bits of hacked-off lace sticking put of the seams.

it's got the wrong kind of collar for the cross-crossed ribbons i've seen on some Victorian Maiden Dresses, but i've been considering adding some- improvement, or just make it look even sillier?

[secretmirror180]

Again, I'm not good at sewing, but the only thing I can think of for the lace is just cut of all that you can without cutting the dress and then sew over it with pretty lace. Or you can just sew ruffles or large satin ribbons over the lace and try to hide it. Just replaced lumberjacked with fan+plus+friend (get rid of the +).

For the collar, just make it square shaped and add the ribbons. It would make a nice classic look.

I just thought about it. Is the elastic at the end of the sleeve too tight or the entire sleeve? If it's the end, just take out the elastic and change it.

i think i'll save the cquare collar until after ohayocoan, i don't think i have time to do that kind of re-sewing right now.

unfortunately there's no elastic, it's just a rolled hem. my current theory is to just cut that off at an angle and re-hem the fabric, have little ruffled cap sleeves, but i'd still need a blouse under it.

[Feawen]

One of the biggest differences i can see between square dance outfits and loli outfits is the fitting. Loli outfits are always tailored to fit the female form (using things like princess seams and darts), while square dancing outfits tend to gather only at the waist and be unfitted everywhere else, very
un-loli. It is possible to re-fit the top of that dress, but it would be very hard. Perhaps a corset or underbust corset would help (I know some loli's look down on using corsets, but it is worse to have an unfitted top). If that dress already hass princess lines, and you know how to sew a little, there ight be some hope of refitting the top.

it does have princess lines, what else can i do with those?

[LGS]

What you might try in the meantime is a waist cincher instead of a corset. They look better worn overtop of an outfit, and don't cost nearly as much. In The Starlight makes them, or you can try making your own.

Accessories page

You can probably request it without lace for no extra charge. It's only 20 bucks, and would really help disguise the fit of the top.

[Feawen]

Taking them, and the side seams in would help the top be more fitted. What you would need to do is place the dress inside out on a dressform, or yourself and have someone else pin for you. Following the preexisting seams pull the extra fabric away, and re pin the seam, do this over the whole top using all the seams, and make sure it if even and will fit right, sew where you pinned the fabric, and cut of the excess. Basically you are re sewing the seams with less fabric in between tehm, but not re-positioning the seams themselves. Hope that helps!

i just had an inspiration (while repeatedly poking myself with pins of a skirt-in-progress)

can anyone who's a more experienced sewer predict how hard it would be to make a detachable sailor collar to cover the top after i cut off the lace around the collar?

[Feawen]

I woulden't think it would be that difficult, but I have never amde a sailor colllar before. In The Starlight has a detachable ruffle collar wich just ties around the neck and sits on the sholders, if you were to make a sailor colllar like that it would be fairly simple.

[lady_artemis]

Originally Posted by PockyFille

can anyone who's a more experienced sewer predict how hard it would be to make a detachable sailor collar to cover the top after i cut off the lace around the collar?

Sailor collars are REALLY easy to make. I had to make on for my Sailor Luna costume so yeah. I used a cheerleader pattern, though, because my Mom and I had trouble figuring out what shape it way XD but otherwise, it was WAY easy to sew.

I know i've seen one but i can't seem to find it again- can anyone ppoint me to a waist cincher pattern?

edit: found one, nvm.