If someone suddenly walks up to me and says, “You’re getting on a plane to a tropical island in 20 minutes and all you can bring are the clothes on your back,” I really hope I am wearing this jumpsuit (with a bathing suit underneath, of course). This is the Rory Jumpsuit pattern by True Bias, and it turned out even better than I had hoped.
I made this to replace a black ready-to-wear jumpsuit that finally gave up the ghost in 2019, which I had bought at Jacob (RIP) in Toronto several years ago. The silhouette was similar, but it had a surplice front bodice, a full elastic waist, and side seam pockets. The construction made it challenging to get in and out of, but it was so easy to wear for nearly any occasion that it was worth the contortionist act I had to perform in bathroom stalls around the globe. When that final rip proved irreparable, it was a sad day indeed.
Enter this gem, with a full button front placket, princess seaming, slanted front pockets, and two sleeve variations. The intended fit of the design is fairly straight and loose around the waist, with the included option of having adjustable side ties with D-rings. There’s a tutorial on the True Bias blog for replacing the side ties with elastic, and I transferred that idea to just the centre back for a sleeker appearance in the front.
I made quite a few adjustments to arrive at the look I was going for, but that’s due to my proportions, not the pattern, and they were all fairly easy to make. I started with a size 12 for the muslin and here’s the rundown on the alterations:
- 4” total Full Bust Adjustment.
- Angled the shoulder seam down 1/2”.
- Shortened the bodice 3/4” from centre front to side seams, then graded that same 3/4” from the back side seam to zero at centre back.
- Added 1/4” to the back crotch length.
- 1/4” flat pubis adjustment.
- Removed 1 3/4” from the waist at centre back and 1” at each back princess seam for a total circumference reduction of 3 3/4” . This still left me with enough ease for the elastic. (I probably should have taken some of this out at the side seams as well and don’t know why I didn’t, but I’m happy with the result.)
- I forgot to add back to the leg length the amount I had removed from the bodice, so I ended up adding a band to the hem at the bottom to make up for it.
The fabric is a rayon challis from Fabric Wholesale Direct, which had been sitting on my shelf for a year and a half. It has a gorgeous hand, washes beautifully, and they have a great range of solid colours. Most of the Rorys I’ve seen on IG have been in sturdier fabrics like linen and denim, so I wasn’t sure how this would work out, but I gotta say — it’s pretty dreamy. I kept things simple by going with matching topstitching so it can go from elegant brunch to jumping around town at the drop of some thrifted silver Cons (thank you, Crossroads Trading!).
I think it’s fair to say that I will never not have one of these in my wardrobe for the rest of my days, so whenever you’re looking for someone to join you on your last-minute trip to Bali, I’m your gal!
Hope you’re all having a wonderful summer. 🙂