Cape Dress with Side Zipper
Dresses can have their zippers on the side instead of in the back. This article shows the advantages of this approach and contains instructions
on how to sew a hidden zipper, that is a nearly unnoticeable, in a cape dress.
Even the zipper handle is covered by the cape, as shown in this picture.
More pictures of the finished cape dress are at the end of this page.
Easily reachable
Dresses with a zipper in the back are inconvenient to open and close, because the zipper is a struggle to reach. With the zipper being placed in the side seam instead of the back seam, it is easily reachable.
Neater look
The uninterrupted back cape, without a zipper, looks neater than a regular one because it does not have any seams on the back. Both zipper handles are hidden in either the skirt or a small gap in which the zipper handle is hidden under the cape. The zipper is barely seen, which make the cape look like no zipper is present at all.Optically asymmetrical
Both zippers are on one side, which would cause the dress to look asymmetrical. Using hidden zippers for both and covering the zipper handles will make the zippers barely visible at all.Less pattern pieces for cape and bodice
The side and shoulder zipper are sewn in already existing seams. With no back seam, the back of bodice and cape can be made out of single pieces.
More complicated shoulder seam
The high neckline of a modest dress requires an additional opening at the neck, which requires a short zipper to be placed in the shoulder seam. Sewing a hidden zipper in the shoulder seam requires more effort because of the cape. This make the shoulder seam more complicated to sew.
Dress to be put on over the head
A shoulder zipper can not provide as much room as a back zipper can. The only option for the dress to be put on is over the head, which may damage the hairstyle.
Side seam with zipper is less adjustable
Side seams on dresses can usually be adjusted to changes of the wearer easily. With one side seam of the dress containing a zipper this is somewhat more effort. The zipper has to be partially separated and sewn back on.
Side zipper hidden in skirt
Usually the sie zipper is inserted having the zipper handle in the armpit when closed. Sometimes the zipper handle can cause chafing under the arm. This does not feel good and also shows the zipper handle when raising your arms. With the zipper applied in reverse direction its handle is away when worn. Sewing the zipper in the opposite direction, when closed the zipper handle is down at the skirt, where it does not bother.
Instructions for hidden zipper in cape shoulder seam
These instructions show how to sew a hidden shoulder zipper into a bodice with a cape. This is the only part that is different from sewing a regular dress with a side zipper. A recommendation is to place the side and shoulder zipper on the opposite side of your handedness.
Serge the shoulder seams of the bodice as well as the shoulder seams of the cape. In case you are using the improved shoulder seam for the cape or the cape dress pattern from the pattern generator, be careful to follow the zigzag seam when serging or sewing the shoulders of the cape.
Shorten the top zipper ends so that the zipper slider aligns with the cut ends.
Place the bodice pieces with right sides together. Mark the shoulder seams measuring 12cm/5in from the neck. Then sew the other part of the shoulder seam between the mark and the arm seam.
Place the cape pieces with right sides together. Mark the shoulder seams measuring 12cm/5in from the neck. Make sure using the same side here as on the bodice before. Then sew the other part of the shoulder seam between the mark and the arm seam.
With still the right sides together, lay the back bodice onto the table with the front bodice facing up.
Place the opened zipper with the zipper handle facing downwards and the teeth pointing away from the fabric edge.
The top end of the zipper has to maintain a distance to the neck and lines up with the seam allowance.
Pin the zipper to the bodice. The top end of the zipper band curves slightly outward towards the seam.
Align the zipper teeth the with the partially sewn shoulder seam from the earlier steps so that they have the same seam allowance.
Sew the zipper temporarily with a little distance to hold it in place and prevent it from slipping in the next step. This is just a helper step and will be invisible in the end. You can also remove this seam after finishing.
Sew the hidden zipper as usual, from the partial shoulder seam to the top of the zipper, by folding away the teeth and sewing in the corner. Follow the slight curve at the top while sewing.
Repeat these steps with the others sides of the zipper and bodice.
Sewing the zipper to the bodice is now finished.
With the right sides together, lay the front cape onto the table with the back cape facing up. Fold back of the cape to the side, over the partially sewn shoulder seam, until where the seam starts. With right side down, lay the front bodice onto the cape.
Align the zipper of the front bodice with the seam of the cape's front piece so that is overlaps by the seam allowance. They have to meet and overlap underneath the fabric layer. Also align the neck seam on the left and the partial shoulder seam on the right.
Sew a helper stitch to keep the zipper in place, but this time stop before the curve at the zipper top.
Sew the hidden zipper as usual, but stop before the curve at the zipper top.
Place the back sides of bodice and cape on the table, with front sides on top. Then fold the front piece of the bodice over the zipper so that you end up with the same setup as in the steps before, as shown in the 2nd picture.
Align the zipper as done before and sew it in place with a helper stitch, but stop before the curve at the zipper top. Finalize this zipper as well, stopping before the curve at the zipper top.
Sew the shoulder seams on the other sides of cape and bodice as usual, each with right sides together.
Turn the cape inside the bodice and lay it down with the bodice on the outsides. The right sides of the bodice are on the outside.
Pin the neckline until the zipper.
For both ends of the zipper, fold the bodice and cape around the zipper as shown in the pictures. Make sure the fold of the bodice is straight and the curvature of the zipper is preserved like in the first picture. Make sure all folds are tight before sewing.
Sew the neckline. Get as close to the zipper end as possible without sewing on it.
Trim the edge at the zipper
Finish the neckline by trimming and serging as usual.
Turn the cape to the outside and shape the corners at the zipper. Finish the neckline as you prefer with a top- or down-stitch.
The shoulder zipper and neckline are done. The zipper handle can be hidden by sliding it into the small gap in the seam between cape and bodice.
Continue with the side seams and sleeves now, or the cape seam. The side zipper can be sewn in as usual. You may want to insert it upside down to have the zipper slider at the skirt when worn, to prevent the zipper slider pricking the armpit.
Final pictures of the Cape Dress
These pictures show the completed cape dress with the handle of the shoulder zipper hidden under the cape.
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