Full Bust Adjustment for the Greenbrier Dress

Even on a style that has lots of extra volume, there are still great reasons to consider an FBA! Bust adjustments are about more than just volume, and considering the bust length is important for a top that will fit comfortably and look balanced. On the Greenbrier dress, making an FBA is done with a bit of a looser hand than, say a sheath dress with a princess seam. As much as you may know through our courses, patterns, and blog that I LOVE some precise pattern work, this is the perfect place to chill and keep it simple. Yay!

So you’re planning out your Greenbrier dress, have the perfect fabric in mind, and you’ve just taken your measurements (because we take new measurements at the start of each project, right? Bodies shift, and they are good bodies! We just want accurate numbers to work with, that’s all).

You checked the charts and see that the Greenbrier dress is drafted for a C cup size, but that there’s a generous amount of ease. It is flowy, after all, and we want to keep that! If you’re finding that your measurements fit into several sizes, and especially if your measurements suggest that it’s just in the bust circumference that a larger size would be a better fit, then read on.

Even if you just want to consider an FBA before starting your muslin, keep reading and see how the pattern changes fit with what you already know about your personal fitting adjustments.

(Learning to refine your fit takes practice, and that’s okay! Muslins are your valuable research assistants, and your comfort and enjoyment of the final garment are worth the effort! You are worth taking time and care over. If you ever need a helping hand or a cheer squad, send us an email. We’ve got you. And if you want to embark on a fitting journey, check out our courses to see where you want to start!)

Beginning Steps

For an FBA on the Greenbrier dress, we need to know 1) the amount of circumference we want to add to the front and 2) the length we want to add to the center front.

1) I like to use the body measurements to decide on this number, so that I don’t look at the finished measurements and rely too heavily on borrowing ease to make the circumference work. Borrowing ease will impact arm mobility and the dress’s drape, and while it will be fine for a one size jump, I don’t want you to assume that a larger jump will work and then be disappointed.

So, see how much difference there is between the bust measurements of your chosen size and your own bust size. For example, the body measurements are Bust: 45″ (114.3 cm) Waist: 365.” (93 cm) Hip: 46″ (117 cm). The chosen size here would be size 18, and the bust would be halfway between size 20 and 22. The difference between the bust size of size 18 (42.5 (108 cm)) and our example bust measurement is 2.5″ (6.4 cm). To apply that to the front, that difference is divided by two, so the amount of change on the pattern piece is 1.25″ (3.2 cm).

2) The added length is not so scientific… since we’re not doing the slash and spread that we’d often see on a more fitted bodice, let’s use the charts again. The bodice is 1/4″ longer (6 mm longer) per size, as you can see at the shoulder. You can see the 1/4″ grade in length on the front and the back shoulder. Since an FBA only adds to the front, we can use that jump as an approximation! You could add between 1/4″ and 1/2″ of length per size jump. The jump in our example size is one and a half sizes between the pattern size and adjusted size, so the added length will be 1/2″ to 3/4″.

Now that we have the info, we can move on to the pattern. The length is added first, then the circumference is adjusted. The bodice’s Lengthen/Shorten line is a great landmark to make this change! It’s below the notch that controls the shoulder gathers, so it won’t impact what we don’t want it to.

As far as adding the bust fullness, we’ll add that on the Front Sleeve. Weird, I know, but the bodice and sleeve are kinda grown together here, so the portion that we’ll change really is in the bodice zone 😉 The bust level isn’t marked, so you could either hold the Front Bodice up to your body to determine the apex level and then transfer that level to the Front Sleeve, or just use the notch as a landmark. It’s going to be a gentle curve, so it’s not nearly as critical as a dart apex!

How to do a Full Bust Adjustment

Ready? Grab your ruler, scissors, and tape, and the Front Bodice and Front Sleeve, and Button Placket (if you’re making View B).

1) mark in the seam lines in the areas in question. We’re working on curves here, so it’s essential to work on the seams, not the cut edges! I’d rather have too much seam drawn in than have regrets later.

2) Add length to the Front bodice. This is a straight cut and spread, adding paper at the lengthen-shorten line. Our added length from our example is 3/4″, and the change is shown on size 18.

3) Add length to the Front Sleeve – here’s where things get more fancy! The added length needs to be on the princess seam, and the hinge point is on the underarm seam. If the curve on the underarm seam gets to be too sharp after the pivot, you can blend the seam’s curve, and then make sure to walk off the seam with the Back Sleeve to make sure the seams are the same length.

4) Now the circumference: On the Front Sleeve, mark the added amount. Our example is 1.25″ (3.2 cm), so I’m marking that added to the seam line, not the cut line! I’m marking it evenly up to the notch, then blending in a smooth curve up to the shoulder seam.

Here’s how it looks:

See the seam allowances added back on after the changes are made? And the notch on the Front Sleeve is transferred to the new seam location too. Now everything matches up… but double check just to be sure! Better to adjust on paper than in fabric. It’s a good idea to make a muslin to check the fit and practice the construction. You may choose to simplify, by skipping the pockets, ties, buttons, or bodice lining.

And that’s it! A simple but effective FBA on the Greenbrier dress.