Hacked: Oddbird Co. Rüya tunic dupe

A month or two ago, I saw an ad on Pinterest for the Oddbird Co. Rüya Tunic, and I was intrigued. I loved the loose caftan look, and the way they constructed the belt was genius. I also love how sustainably these garmets are made, and the fact that they come with lifetime repairs and free alterations. Unfortunately, the price tag was a bit beyond what my current budget could handle, so I decided I would try to dupe it myself. I don't think I quite nailed the look, but I think I got decently close.

The elements of this tunic I definitely wanted to keep were the convertible sash construction, the overall shape, and the pockets. I ended up deciding to leave out the zipper front.... It wasn't necessary for me or my lifestyle, and the dress was simpler to make without it. The one element I regret leaving off was the bat-wing sleeves. I think the slouchiness of the dress would have looked more intentional with them.

This dress is made from double gauze that I ordered from fabric.com. When it arrived, I was worried it would be too sheer, but now that I have it on my body, it seems to be fine. Its nice and cool and breezy.

For this dupe, I started with the Peppermint Everyday Dress, drafted by In the Folds. I made two main changes to the pattern: I left off the neck facing (I have an irrational hatred for facings. Yes, I know most people think they're easier, but I love my bias tape) and I tacked the pockets down to the front of the dress with some topstitching. I also cut it out two sizes bigger than the one I measured into, for ultimate slouch factor.

Once I finished constructing the base dress, I worked on that funky tie. I started by adding two buttonholes on the front of the dress (reinforced with fusible interfacing on the back, so they would hold up to the sliding in and out of the belt). I then sewed a simple belt (included in the peppermint pattern), and also two rectangles to cover the entry/exit points of the belt. For these, I just sewed a tube, flipped it right side out, and tacked them on like you would a belt loop. I gave everything a good press, and I was done!

This is not a dress I would typically reach for, but it is incredibly comfortable. The original tunic is advertised as an elevated house dress, and I think that this fits that bill perfectly. It's not quite a sack dress, which is interesting.... To be frank, it kind of makes me feel like Mrs Darbus from High School Musical.