5 FREE Cocktail Dress Patterns

What is a cocktail dress?

Elegant, sleek & suitable for semi-formal to formal occasions - the classic cocktail dress is typically a knee-length party dress to wear at a party. French designer Christian Dior came up with the term 'cocktail' for the garment towards the late 1940's, this coincided with post-war ideals that working women were able to attend more social occasions. Dior created an identity for this style of dress that designers, magazines and stores could promote with the lifestyle that it surrounded.

Search #cocktaildress on Instagram for more on-trend inspiration

High-street Cocktail Dresses

Here's a selection of gorgeous summer dresses that are on-trend this season from the likes of Matalan, Oliver Bonas, Joe Browns and Monsoon to inspire your next make!

FREE Cocktail Dress Patterns

The world of cocktail dresses is so diverse, we share five free patterns from Mood which suit all body shapes, vary in ability and are perfect for the approaching months of occasions! There's something for everyone in this collection, click the links below to find the pattern you love!

The Empress Dress

This luxurious long sleeve micro mini will give you the confidence to step into any space and own it! Go bold with your fabric choice or rock this simple silhouette with a more muted option, this dress works for all seasons and occasions.

Plunge Cocktail Dress

This red carpet-inspired dress is a statement piece for those who want to inject a bit of Hollywood glam into their look! This detailed design features a fabric contrast, lace panelling and pockets - and who doesn't love pockets on a dress!

The Ainsley Dress

Embrace statement ruffles with this stunning cocktail dress, which features a gathered petal-like bodice and a voluminous skirt overlay. Although this may seem like a daunting dress to attempt, there are full step-by-step instructions on the Mood blog to help you through.

Pine Dress Redux

Designed with holiday parties and entertaining guests in mind, this festive cocktail dress is easy to construct and will give you confidence in working with textured fabric such as sequin or foil.

Cocktail Dress Pattern Hack - Combining Patterns

This super clever article shows you how to combine two patterns to create a custom cocktail dress! This hack means that you can get the best of both worlds by choosing necklines and skirt shapes and lengths to suit you. Sewist Courtney has paired a pleated skirt paired with an asymmetrical neckline using a floral Jacquard to create this stunning gown.

BONUS PATTERN!

This gorgeous Alexa Retro Dress is available to download exclusively on CraftWorld, click here to download it!

I hope you enjoyed this look at glamourous sewing, do you have any occasions on the horizon to sew for? We'd love to see your garments on CraftWorld!

If you're looking for more sewing content on CraftWorld, check out the following links!