Helen's Closet Reynolds Dress Review

As I mentioned in my previous post, having finished my first version of the Helen's Closet Reynolds pattern in the shape of the top for my Ankara two-piece set, I liked it so much that I almost immediately started working on a Reynolds dress. Thankfully the dress is just as good as the top!

The Reynolds top and dress is described as "your go-to summer garment", and I would definitely agree with that. It's a pull-on top or dress (in either knee or full length) with wide shoulder straps and, for the dress versions at least, in-seam pockets and a side slit with mitred corners at the hem. It comes with 0-22 (B-cup) and 12-34 (D-cup) size ranges, which together cover hip measurements from 33 to 62 inches.

I was initially drawn to the Reynolds pattern because it seemed like it would be a great dress to throw on in hot weather. I liked the fact that it has a loose, relaxed fit but with the added bonus that there's shaping in the side and centre back seams, meaning that it's not boxy or baggy.

For my Reynolds dress and top I used the smaller B-cup size range and made a 12 at the bust blending out to a 16 at the hips (for my top, I made a 12 at the bust blending out to a 14 at the hem). They're pretty much the sizes recommended for my measurements (my hips are actually between a 14 and 16 but I'd rather have more room at the hips than less!). 

I'm only including photos of my dress in this post - if you want to see my top, there are plenty of photos in my post from last week.

I lengthened the top by 1 inch, and the dress by 1 inch above the waist and 2 inches in the skirt section - this is fairly standard for me, and is only to be expected as I'm about 3 inches taller than the height the pattern is drafted for.

Sewing both the dress and the top was no trouble at all. With no closures, they're fairly simple garments to sew and the instructions are very detailed and full of helpful tips to make the process even easier. The sewing level is rated is being advanced beginner, which I think is fair - there's nothing particularly complicated about the pattern, but there are a couple of steps that might be a bit challenging for an absolute beginner. 

There are some nice touches in the way that the pattern is sewn, such as turning the bottom of the facing under and topstitching around the facing for a clean finish and the side slit with mitred corners at the hem.

The fabric I used for my dress is a cotton sateen that I got from Sew Me Sunshine last year (unsurprisingly, it's no longer available). It's probably on the heavier side of the fabrics recommended for Reynolds, and it has slight stretch whereas non-stretch fabrics are called for, but it is only slight stretch and the fabric has reasonably good drape so I thought it should work out OK. Thankfully I think I was right. 

It's worth noting that as my print was non-directional, I was able to cut the dress out of just over 1.5 metres of 150 cm wide fabric, which is less than suggested in the instructions.

I'm really pleased with how my Reynolds top and dress have turned out, and think I'll be wearing both of them a lot. It's the kind of garment that allows fabric to shine so could look very different depending on what print or fabric base you used. I can definitely see myself using this pattern again!