Zara released a number of shoulder pad tops into their stores about a year ago, not that I realised that at the time!  A few months later tutorials were popping up on YouTube and similar websites for how to make your own, and pdf patterns weren’t far behind. I first came across the shoulder pad tees when browsing in stores during that brief period at the start of the year when life seemed almost normal for a while. There were plenty on the sale rack – maybe they were ahead of their time here in Australia? At that stage I didn’t consider making one, maybe due to overexposure to shoulder pads during my teens and early 20s. A few months later, here I am in a dress version.

This is the Style Arc Kirby dress and top. Although I’d looked at the pattern a couple of times since it’s release, it took this styling suggestion that popped up on Instagram to make me buy it and sew it up.

I haven’t sewn up the jacket for myself yet (I sewed it for Clare some years ago), but love the combination and I do have some fabric in mind for it.

From the Style Arc website: PRODUCT DESCRIPTION Square shoulders with shoulder pads, Straight shaped dress and top, 3 lengths in the one pattern, Long dress just above the ankle with side split, Knee length dress with small side split, Hip length top, Crew neck band. FABRIC SUGGESTION: knit jersey. TRIMS: One pair of soft wadding shoulder pads, approximately 6 mm / 1/4″ thickness.

The key to this pattern working successfully is choosing fabric with good drape. I used a printed viscose/spandex knit from The Cloth Shop, and bought the shoulder pads from there as well. I did need to trim them down a little, which was straightforward.

If you don’t have access to shoulder pads, but you do have some quilt batting in your stash, you can make your own shoulder pads. There are plenty of patterns and tutorials online for how to do this – you could try this one from Threads magazine, or this one from Closet Core patterns, and there are a multitude of YouTube tutorials. Obviously, shoulder pads are the key to this pattern!

I sewed size 12, and shortened the pattern two inches in total by taking an inch out at waist level and another inch above the side splits. I was also generous when cutting out the waist section of the pattern, so possibly added another centimetre to the waist circumference. I used double sided fusible tapes to secure the seam allowances of the side splits and the hemline before stitching them in place.

This dress is a definite success for me! I look forward to wearing it when the weather warms up. I may even make a top version – and may even consider tucking it in to pants! I noticed that the Claudia Tank from Just Patterns and the Isosceles from Pattern Scissors Cloth are extremely similar and were released at about the same time. I’ve also just been alterted to the Eight Tee by Made It Patterns – another of that ilk! This is a style that will definitely scream 2020/2021 at some stage, but in the meantime I’ll make the most of those shoulder pads and the confident vibe that they give me.