Givre has been the unsung hero of my wardrobe since it’s release over a year ago. I’ve made 5 shirts and 2 dresses, with 1 failed tank thrown in.

Givre is a body-con and can be super sexy or low-key depending on your fabric choice; your figure can take center stage in a solid fabric or be a lil camouflaged with a busy print.

I get shy about my body; I don’t really like showing skin or dressing provocatively. So I was hesitant to try this pattern, fearing I’d make it and never wear it.

Mostly, I wear clothes based off of 1. The weather and 2. How the clothes make me feel inside. This dress: sexy and confident all the way.

The shirts have all made sneaky debuts in other blog posts. They’re my fave hand-made tees.

I have one gripe with this pattern: the hem bands. The neckband and armhole bands (for sleeveless versions) are too small for my liking. In the tank, they pull the armscye too high and tight which feels restrictive. The neck line has draglines with the regular band. I increased the length of the arm bands by 1/2 inch and the neck band by 3/8 inches. It’s just enough to relieve the tension while keeping enough required stretch for the bands to lay flat.

For the tees, I combined the yokes and bodice pieces into one fluid piece. It’s a simple mod, just mind the seam allowances. I also did this for the sleeves. After making the first tee shirt, I also made a broad shoulder adjustment.

Fabric wise, heed the stretch percentage. It also helps if the fabric has 4-way stretch. I made the tee in fabric with a very stretchy weft and decidedly less stretchy warp. The shirt still fits but it’s super snug and the sleeves ride up. I wouldn’t recommend thin fabrics, either, to prevent visible underwear lines. Medium weight knits are perfect for this pattern.

I’ve only made 2 of the dress version, but they are fabulous and I have fabric I’m saving for a third.

This first dress I made out of a super cool reversible fabric – it has skinny stripes on one side and thicker stripes on the other. It reminds me of the music video for No Rain by Blind Melon. I didn’t align my fabric as well as I thought before cutting, so it’s slightly off grain. Embarrassed by my mistake, I didn’t wear this dress much. But I wore it to work this fall and my coworkers raved about it. They didn’t even notice the mistake until I pointed it out. It’s been in my regular rotation ever since.

Their encouragement also provoked me to make another. I used the left-over fabric from my recent Zephyr dress, and it’s perfect for this pattern. It’s so fluid and buttery smooth. I wore this version for NYE dinner with my hubs.

Never having been much of a fashionista, making outfits is still experimental for me. I go by feel and let the mirror confirm or debunk my ideas. I plan on including outfit pics, where applicable, for all my new garments to show you how everything can work together. For instance,
I love wearing these dresses with big boots and a long cardigan.

Thanks for reading <3