A Navy Zip-Front Tailored Jumpsuit!

I had been wanting a zip-front tailored jumpsuit since falling in love with the Trina Turk jumpsuit back in spring.  It had been on my mind constantly.  When I set my mind to making something, it literally haunts me.  And I just couldn't get pass this.

So I had been searching for patterns to help me bring my inspiration garment to fruition.  And then, the obvious thought came to me -- my iteration doesn't have to be an exact duplication.  It's mine and I can be inspired while putting my own spin on it.  So I stopped stressing and made my jumpsuit happen.

For the bodice of my jumpsuit, I used Vogue 8993.  Now let's talk about the changes I made.

I cut the size 12.  I lengthened the bodice by one inch.  Since I was moving the zipper to the front, I had room to play with the back.

For the back, I created a yoke.  

For the back lining, I created a back neck facing and omitted the center back seam.

And I eliminated the seam allowance on the neckband and cut 2 on the fold.

For the bodice front lining, I used a facing.

For the pants, I used McCall's 6930, view D.  I cut the pants in a size 12 at the waist and graded to a 14 at the hip.  I lengthened the rise by one inch.  And lengthened the leg by 11".

I rearranged the waistband pieces and the center front of the pants to accommodate a front closure.

All of the pieces fit together perfectly.  And per my usual, I interfaced the zipper area.

I created a facing for the waistband and finished it with seam binding.

And I used a metal zipper because clearly an invisible zipper simply would not hold a garment this fitted.

I used hem tape on the one inch hems.  And I blindstitched by hand.  I've always believed that a garment should look as exceptionally beautiful on the inside as it does on the outside.  So all of the interior details matter to me.

My fabric couldn't have been more perfect.  It's a navy stretch cotton twill by designer Tanya Taylor from Mood Fabrics.com.  It has some serious stretch, almost like a knit.  It made wearing this jumpsuit all day extremely comfortable.

Style tip:  Navy is a great alternative to black.  I played off of the silver metal zipper and accessorized with silver jewelry.  And to also break up the monochromatic look, I added a slim white belt with silver hardware and wore white pumps.  I love the stark contrast!