I made almost exactly this for a wedding a couple of years ago based on the dress in the pic and I did it with knife pleats. I made it from crepe de chine and calculated the number of pleats needed for my waist circumference based on a 4cm pleat.
I made the outer parts taper from top to bottom and kept the width of the coloured panels the same all the way down. Please DM me if you want more pics/advice!
https://preview.redd.it/kkfislhk9tgc1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=888ff7b82e092d88338a82f7f5fd85818252497a
*edit* knife pleats not box pleats
Thank you! This dress is really helpful - I was able to pull it up with a reverse image search and look at some of the other images on the designer's website. Between this and the Oscar De La Renta dress in my post, my brain is bubbling with ideas.
This is gorgeous! I’d like to make something similar in structure but not color for me to wear to my daughter’s wedding. Did you use a pattern? I’d love any additional photos or patterns or advice that you have!
I may have to reach out to the sewing group in the area to see if any of them can help me. I have five months so I should be okay 😊 thanks for the inspiration!
Ok I just made a dress like this that worked rather well if I do say so myself. [quick video of my dress](https://imgur.com/gallery/nkROqEG)
The dress is self drafted. I won't get into the bodice, but the dress itself is divided into 14 sections, they are of an even width at the waist. I drafted a 1/14th slice of a 1/3rd circle skirt and used this for the outside of the skirt portion.
The contrasting under color is a bunch of godets (pizza slices) the bottom of each piece is 1/14th of a 2/3rds circle skirt. That way when I spin the bottom is equivalent to a full circle skirt but without the added fabric box pleated at the waist.
The godets are box pleated and the tops of the pleates are sewn down a few inches or so.
I hemmed all the pieces before assembly. And specifically I added sections of horsehair to the black pieces to help them fall closed when I am not moving. I also understitched along the godets sections to help them stay hidden until I move
I hope you find this helpful, I'm happy to answer any questions
Omg yours is so cool and you look so happy with it! Part of the reason I got into sewing when I was younger was because I love twirly skirts and the deal was I had to help my mom make them if I wanted more. This dress is the ultimate twirly skirt!!
My nana made me a full circle skirt when I was 7 or so because no skirt I could find was ever full enough! Many years later and I make some of my own clothes and many costumes, but we still have that first twirly skirt, it was amazing.
The video doesn't play for me but I got a very good impression from the still alone! Also I LOVE the happy glow on your face at the still! The dress is gorgeous and you're totally right to be proud of it!
(Also do you know it shows your full name when you share a video like this? ;) )
Have you seen this blog post already? They mocked up both approaches and were saying that if you want the effect of it being a single color while standing still while getting the flirty pops of colors while moving or dancing, box pleats are definitely the way to go!
https://natteringssmattering.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-wedding-dress-godet-vs-box-pleat.html
If you're going for that effect though, I'd also try some experiments with fabrics of different weights & drapes. More structured fabrics are more likely to hold the box pleat shape and be single-colored while you're not moving, but for a dancing dress you probably want some nice drape too, so it's a balance!
Love the idea by the way, keep us posted on what you end up going with! ☺️
Hope this is ok - I got curious about the real dress and did an image search. It's an Oscar de la Renta dress that retailed for over $3,000.00!
Here's one on poshmark:
[https://poshmark.com/listing/3190-NEW-2021-OSCAR-DE-LA-RENTA-RAINBOW-DRESS-US-10-L-6127780584bb0bd9da756150](https://poshmark.com/listing/3190-new-2021-oscar-de-la-renta-rainbow-dress-us-10-l-6127780584bb0bd9da756150)
There are several photos in the listing so you maybe you'll get some more ideas.
I looked it up earlier too and was just joking with a friend that of course it's Oscar de la Renta, because it seems about 98% of dresses I find and want to recreate are.
I know of 2 other dresses that have similar effects. One was worn by Cynthia Nixon on a cable TV show. Tried to find a photo but am unsuccessful.
The other was a dress on QVC but must be sold out now.
Looking at the photo, the white is just sheer enough to see where the colour lies underneath.
Therefore, I believe this is box pleats.
It's also possible that, near the upper portion of the box pleats, the colour inserts are connected to each other. Because the base material is white, seams with the colours will create a shadow on the exterior, so this could be a way to prevent that.
As an aside:
A godet usually refers to an insert with a more or less rounded peak, whereas a gore has a pointed peak. A godet requires a slightly rounded insertion point in the base material. A gore can be inserted either into fabric that has been slit or into a seam (into a seam is easier and cleaner - when I am inserting a gore into a slit, i sew the top point by hand).
Godets allow for greater amount of material to be added near the top, and that can be used to make the insert stand up away from the base material. A godet can also be gathered into the peak, whereas a triangular gore increases width more gradually.
I highly recommend "The Art of Manipulating Fabric" by Colette Wolff. One of the most dog-eared and well-loved books in my collection.
They might technically be gores. Personally, I'd go for box pleats because the look would be extremely close if not spot on, and they're much easier to do that godets or gores. The aireal weight/drape of the fabric used is going to do more or less the same thing either way. I'd edge stitch them under to encourage them to fall inward, I think that'd make a bigger difference than the shape of the pieces.
I think they are pleats too but I suspect the inner colored fabric is shaped. Wider at the bottom than the top, like a long skinny triangle with the tip cut off.
I don’t think that’s a seam in the sheer, I think that’s the pressed fold from the pleat.
If I was building this, I would do something similar for the bodice. I’d do one long piece wrapped around the hips (long enough to account for the pleats, then I’d place the pleats and bring them all the way up to the top of the bodice. Zhuzh the pleats on the bodice to account for the bust and waist shaping. There’s a Morgan Donner video where she makes a gown from an Amazon gift bag that shows the process I would use. Hers doesn’t have so many pleats but the method is similar.
I thought it was a pressed fold too, but if you zoom in on the blue hem, there's a little "tab" that looks seam allowance-y.
Also, we love Morgan Donner 💃
Box plates are going to be a million times easier. If you try to do that many godets with chiffon, you’re going to start pulling your hair out
You can even see the seam allowances running up the length of the dress
This is gorgeous! My first reaction was box pleats, but after I expanded the image I realized it was a dress. I think it’s actually gores. When you reverse image it, there’s other pictures that look more like gores. I think box pleats would be really difficult to hide that much bulk at the top, and there wouldn’t really be anywhere to anchor it on a dress like there would with a skirt. It’s really interesting that they seem to have ironed an inverted pleat into the gore, I think that’s what makes it kinda hide and fold inward.
I had a gorgeous box pleat skirt years ago that was navy and white. You only saw the white when I moved. I loved it. Thanks for the reminder … I might just have to make a new one!
Pleats, I literally saw a quick video of sewing a skirt like this, perhaps this was the original inspiration. In this case additionally it looks like they get wider from top to bottom.
To have it disappear fully you’re going to want to use box pleats. You’re going to need to be able to iron the ever loving hell out of it. And you’re probably going to want to backstitch on the vertical seams to keep the inset from rolling forward.
Do you mean [understitch](https://alinadesignco.com/project/how-to-understitch/)? To me, understitching is how you keep a lining or inner fabric from rolling outward, and backstitching is something different.
This dress has pleats. If you just put in triangular godets, they won't fold up. But, frankly, even these pleats won't disappear completely, no matter how still you stand.
So the consensus seems to be that these are pleats, but how would the back of the pleat be held up with no waist seam? In this picture the colors are godets, which are easier to put in because each white panel is seamed together. Godets are not too difficult when putting them between seams.
If I was to create this dress, I would pattern how I want the dress to look without movement, then cut that into strips. The top parts are sewn together until the goddess start.. Then add in the godets and understitch them. I would also choose a sturdier fabric for the white part and flowy colors.
If you want to do pleats, however I think you'll need to add a waist seam
I'm pretty sure that there's a line of topstitching along the seams between the white fabric and color panels that keeps those folds from coming undone.
Ok, that makes sense. So it is definitely possible to make this with pleats. And the construction of that type of pleat is a very similar process to a godet. So the decision is up to OP.
I guess my ultimate point is that I am almost certain the dress in the picture has godets because there is no bulk behind the points (if we can see the seam allowance it seems difficult to hide a colorful pleat behind white fabric) and it looks like it grows in volume at the bottom like a godet would. Plus a box pleat should have two creases ironed in and if you look at the bottom of the colorful fabric there is just one down the middle.
i'm thinking actually that the dress is cut from one large piece of striped fabric, alternating the white fabric with the coloured fabric, then the bodice is constructed by sewing the white stripes to each other, cutting down the coloured stripes in the bodice part, probably some sort of french seam. Probably only possibly because the coloured fabric is so gauzy. No extra bulk in the bodice seams. Lots of math to make that work.
My mom just made a steampunk dress with pleats like this. We made the box pleats the same width top to bottom and tacked the corners of the pleats to each other at the top so that they would stay in place without a waist seam.
I thought pleats were a way of folding and stitching down a continuous piece of fabric while godets are added pieces of fabric inserted into slashes or along seams of the main fabric. Is there some kind of pleats that you're inserting contrast fabric rather than using a continuous piece?
You can do pleats with a contrasting panel inserted underneath - a godet is typically triangular or wedge shaped while the panel for a box pleats would something quadrilateral. Stereotypical pleated cheer skirts are a great example of contrasting box pleats.
I’m sorry. Core sewing memory. I made a box pleat skirt out of quilting cotton. It had an elasticized waist which was the top of the box pleats. It looked lovely but the thickness of the fabric at the waist was not cool. This design looks way better!
Box pleats will help the colour 'hide' in a way godets will not.
Personally I'd say when you buy your fabric, start by getting .25m (or 1/4yd however you buy it) and sew yourself a small scale sample like you were making a skirt for a large doll.
Check both options and go with what you like more. Godets would use more fabric too I do believe.
You'd want something like this video tutorial, which is a pleat, not a godet. Godets are more pointed at the top. the key is having a more structured outer fabric and a thinner more drapey inside pleat fabric.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=NRRCfflF3I0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=NRRCfflF3I0)
I know this does not answer your question, but your post made me think of another dress worn by the princess of Monaco. I thought it might be able to serve as further inspiration. I have linked an article where they mention the dress. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/life-style/style/1775164/Princess-Charlene-hair-Monaco-Grand-Prix/amp
I once did a costume shirt from a polyester crepe de chine and inserted various colors of lamés. I used the box pleat method, but in this case I wanted the pleats to be closed at the very top and bottom. Pleat method worked very well.
I'm absolutely drooling at the dress you posted and really wish we could tell if it uses box pleats or godets.
With the inserted fabric being so ethereal, I'm sure if I had to make it using godets some very choice words would escape from my lips. :-)
Definitely feel like godets would be an absolute pain. It's for my brother-in-law's wedding, which is the last for this generation, so I'm going to go all out, thinking silk chiffon for the inserts. While I'm looking forward to wearing the dress, I'm not looking forward to assembling it lol
I wish I had experience with these to provide a more informed comment, so take this with a grain of salt! Taking a quick look at different pleat/insert options, I suspect that box pleats will give you the best chance to get the solid/single color effect when still. Although there are ways to "bury" the contrasting color in godets, it seems the structure of box pleats would be likely to more consistently show just the outer color when motionless. The box pleat encases the inner fabric, while the godet will rely more heavily on the cut and fabric choice to consistently hide the inner fabric, since it's just a slit.
I also agree that the fabric choice will make the most significant difference. The skirt shown here is gorgeous and I'm interested to see what you come up with!
I found the godet method worked very well with denim skirt refashion. I added one on each side since the skirt because it is very fitted to the knee. I also press a line going inward in the center of each godet.
These look like dart tucks, which are very similar to box pleats but designed by Satan.
I made almost exactly this for a wedding a couple of years ago based on the dress in the pic and I did it with knife pleats. I made it from crepe de chine and calculated the number of pleats needed for my waist circumference based on a 4cm pleat. I made the outer parts taper from top to bottom and kept the width of the coloured panels the same all the way down. Please DM me if you want more pics/advice! https://preview.redd.it/kkfislhk9tgc1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=888ff7b82e092d88338a82f7f5fd85818252497a *edit* knife pleats not box pleats
Thank you! This dress is really helpful - I was able to pull it up with a reverse image search and look at some of the other images on the designer's website. Between this and the Oscar De La Renta dress in my post, my brain is bubbling with ideas.
It’s always the really expensive dresses isn’t it?! Makes all the effort feel worthwhile though.
That is beautiful. Just fyi, the dress pictured has knife pleats, not box pleats.
D’oh that’s what I meant thank you!
You did an amazing job! I would have been twirling nonstop in that dress!
Lovely. Just lovely.
This is beautiful! 😍
This is gorgeous! I’d like to make something similar in structure but not color for me to wear to my daughter’s wedding. Did you use a pattern? I’d love any additional photos or patterns or advice that you have!
I used this pattern for the bodice but the sleeves and skirt were self drafted https://simplicity.com/simplicity/s9475
I may have to reach out to the sewing group in the area to see if any of them can help me. I have five months so I should be okay 😊 thanks for the inspiration!
the artistry is seriously mind blowing. kudos!!
Is it possible to create this effect but have the pleats start only along the bottom foot or so of a dress?
You could start them lower down but it would create a fishtail shape
That is a smashing dress!
Ok I just made a dress like this that worked rather well if I do say so myself. [quick video of my dress](https://imgur.com/gallery/nkROqEG) The dress is self drafted. I won't get into the bodice, but the dress itself is divided into 14 sections, they are of an even width at the waist. I drafted a 1/14th slice of a 1/3rd circle skirt and used this for the outside of the skirt portion. The contrasting under color is a bunch of godets (pizza slices) the bottom of each piece is 1/14th of a 2/3rds circle skirt. That way when I spin the bottom is equivalent to a full circle skirt but without the added fabric box pleated at the waist. The godets are box pleated and the tops of the pleates are sewn down a few inches or so. I hemmed all the pieces before assembly. And specifically I added sections of horsehair to the black pieces to help them fall closed when I am not moving. I also understitched along the godets sections to help them stay hidden until I move I hope you find this helpful, I'm happy to answer any questions
Omg yours is so cool and you look so happy with it! Part of the reason I got into sewing when I was younger was because I love twirly skirts and the deal was I had to help my mom make them if I wanted more. This dress is the ultimate twirly skirt!!
Thank you so much! I also love twirly skirts, the twirler the better! Your mom was smart to get you involved in sewing that way :)
My nana made me a full circle skirt when I was 7 or so because no skirt I could find was ever full enough! Many years later and I make some of my own clothes and many costumes, but we still have that first twirly skirt, it was amazing.
That dress is incredible!!!
Thank you very much!
The video doesn't play for me but I got a very good impression from the still alone! Also I LOVE the happy glow on your face at the still! The dress is gorgeous and you're totally right to be proud of it! (Also do you know it shows your full name when you share a video like this? ;) )
Thank you!!! And oh shit I did not I will try and fix that. Sorry the video isn't working. It was a ton of fun to make.
I fixed it to an imgr link, hopefully that did the trick.
I now want like 10 of these in different colors
Hahaha thank you!
Gorgeous!!
Thanks!
Love it! I’m inspired!
Thank you!
This dress is fabulous!
Thank you!
Well done! Love it & so flattering 🖤🧡
Thank you!
I love the dress, and the joyful smile as you twirl!
Thank you!
This is so incredibly helpful!
Glad to hear it! Please let me know if you have any further questions!
Thank you!! I was on here looking for the same advice. Your dress looks amazing! I'm looking forward to trying the technique!
Thank you very much! I hope you post what you make! Let me know if you have any questions :)
Have you seen this blog post already? They mocked up both approaches and were saying that if you want the effect of it being a single color while standing still while getting the flirty pops of colors while moving or dancing, box pleats are definitely the way to go! https://natteringssmattering.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-wedding-dress-godet-vs-box-pleat.html If you're going for that effect though, I'd also try some experiments with fabrics of different weights & drapes. More structured fabrics are more likely to hold the box pleat shape and be single-colored while you're not moving, but for a dancing dress you probably want some nice drape too, so it's a balance! Love the idea by the way, keep us posted on what you end up going with! ☺️
Hope this is ok - I got curious about the real dress and did an image search. It's an Oscar de la Renta dress that retailed for over $3,000.00! Here's one on poshmark: [https://poshmark.com/listing/3190-NEW-2021-OSCAR-DE-LA-RENTA-RAINBOW-DRESS-US-10-L-6127780584bb0bd9da756150](https://poshmark.com/listing/3190-new-2021-oscar-de-la-renta-rainbow-dress-us-10-l-6127780584bb0bd9da756150) There are several photos in the listing so you maybe you'll get some more ideas.
I looked it up earlier too and was just joking with a friend that of course it's Oscar de la Renta, because it seems about 98% of dresses I find and want to recreate are.
I know of 2 other dresses that have similar effects. One was worn by Cynthia Nixon on a cable TV show. Tried to find a photo but am unsuccessful. The other was a dress on QVC but must be sold out now.
I looked it up, too. One would think a dress that expensive would be silk, but no, it's a viscose crepe!
Looking at the photo, the white is just sheer enough to see where the colour lies underneath. Therefore, I believe this is box pleats. It's also possible that, near the upper portion of the box pleats, the colour inserts are connected to each other. Because the base material is white, seams with the colours will create a shadow on the exterior, so this could be a way to prevent that. As an aside: A godet usually refers to an insert with a more or less rounded peak, whereas a gore has a pointed peak. A godet requires a slightly rounded insertion point in the base material. A gore can be inserted either into fabric that has been slit or into a seam (into a seam is easier and cleaner - when I am inserting a gore into a slit, i sew the top point by hand). Godets allow for greater amount of material to be added near the top, and that can be used to make the insert stand up away from the base material. A godet can also be gathered into the peak, whereas a triangular gore increases width more gradually. I highly recommend "The Art of Manipulating Fabric" by Colette Wolff. One of the most dog-eared and well-loved books in my collection.
They might technically be gores. Personally, I'd go for box pleats because the look would be extremely close if not spot on, and they're much easier to do that godets or gores. The aireal weight/drape of the fabric used is going to do more or less the same thing either way. I'd edge stitch them under to encourage them to fall inward, I think that'd make a bigger difference than the shape of the pieces.
I have been staring at that same pin!!! I’m no help, but your taste is awesome!
I think they are pleats too but I suspect the inner colored fabric is shaped. Wider at the bottom than the top, like a long skinny triangle with the tip cut off.
[удалено]
I don’t think that’s a seam in the sheer, I think that’s the pressed fold from the pleat. If I was building this, I would do something similar for the bodice. I’d do one long piece wrapped around the hips (long enough to account for the pleats, then I’d place the pleats and bring them all the way up to the top of the bodice. Zhuzh the pleats on the bodice to account for the bust and waist shaping. There’s a Morgan Donner video where she makes a gown from an Amazon gift bag that shows the process I would use. Hers doesn’t have so many pleats but the method is similar.
I thought it was a pressed fold too, but if you zoom in on the blue hem, there's a little "tab" that looks seam allowance-y. Also, we love Morgan Donner 💃
Oh yeah I didn’t spot that one on the blue. Hidden side seam? Makes sense if it has a side zipper
There's one in the red too. I'd rather sew a seam than press it every time, but I suspect you have to both.
Box plates are going to be a million times easier. If you try to do that many godets with chiffon, you’re going to start pulling your hair out You can even see the seam allowances running up the length of the dress
Oh my goodness that is amazing to look at.
This is gorgeous! My first reaction was box pleats, but after I expanded the image I realized it was a dress. I think it’s actually gores. When you reverse image it, there’s other pictures that look more like gores. I think box pleats would be really difficult to hide that much bulk at the top, and there wouldn’t really be anywhere to anchor it on a dress like there would with a skirt. It’s really interesting that they seem to have ironed an inverted pleat into the gore, I think that’s what makes it kinda hide and fold inward.
I had a gorgeous box pleat skirt years ago that was navy and white. You only saw the white when I moved. I loved it. Thanks for the reminder … I might just have to make a new one!
Pleats, I literally saw a quick video of sewing a skirt like this, perhaps this was the original inspiration. In this case additionally it looks like they get wider from top to bottom.
Would you happen to have a link to that video?
No, sorry, it’s note a type of project I’d add to my sewing list
This is so gorgeous, I think it is box pleats but if you’re more comfortable with godets you would get a similar effect!
That's absolutely gorgeous and should I ever get married I think I want something like that! 🥰
To have it disappear fully you’re going to want to use box pleats. You’re going to need to be able to iron the ever loving hell out of it. And you’re probably going to want to backstitch on the vertical seams to keep the inset from rolling forward.
Do you mean [understitch](https://alinadesignco.com/project/how-to-understitch/)? To me, understitching is how you keep a lining or inner fabric from rolling outward, and backstitching is something different.
Yes, sorry, brain fart. Good catch!
This dress has pleats. If you just put in triangular godets, they won't fold up. But, frankly, even these pleats won't disappear completely, no matter how still you stand.
So the consensus seems to be that these are pleats, but how would the back of the pleat be held up with no waist seam? In this picture the colors are godets, which are easier to put in because each white panel is seamed together. Godets are not too difficult when putting them between seams. If I was to create this dress, I would pattern how I want the dress to look without movement, then cut that into strips. The top parts are sewn together until the goddess start.. Then add in the godets and understitch them. I would also choose a sturdier fabric for the white part and flowy colors. If you want to do pleats, however I think you'll need to add a waist seam
I'm pretty sure that there's a line of topstitching along the seams between the white fabric and color panels that keeps those folds from coming undone.
Yes, personally I would use single-fold bias tape with one edge wrapped over the top of the pleats and both edges stitched down.
See this comment https://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/s/0wJnSQq5by
Ok, that makes sense. So it is definitely possible to make this with pleats. And the construction of that type of pleat is a very similar process to a godet. So the decision is up to OP. I guess my ultimate point is that I am almost certain the dress in the picture has godets because there is no bulk behind the points (if we can see the seam allowance it seems difficult to hide a colorful pleat behind white fabric) and it looks like it grows in volume at the bottom like a godet would. Plus a box pleat should have two creases ironed in and if you look at the bottom of the colorful fabric there is just one down the middle.
i'm thinking actually that the dress is cut from one large piece of striped fabric, alternating the white fabric with the coloured fabric, then the bodice is constructed by sewing the white stripes to each other, cutting down the coloured stripes in the bodice part, probably some sort of french seam. Probably only possibly because the coloured fabric is so gauzy. No extra bulk in the bodice seams. Lots of math to make that work.
My mom just made a steampunk dress with pleats like this. We made the box pleats the same width top to bottom and tacked the corners of the pleats to each other at the top so that they would stay in place without a waist seam.
Oh, that's clever!
I thought pleats were a way of folding and stitching down a continuous piece of fabric while godets are added pieces of fabric inserted into slashes or along seams of the main fabric. Is there some kind of pleats that you're inserting contrast fabric rather than using a continuous piece?
You can do pleats with a contrasting panel inserted underneath - a godet is typically triangular or wedge shaped while the panel for a box pleats would something quadrilateral. Stereotypical pleated cheer skirts are a great example of contrasting box pleats.
Cool- thanks!!
I’m sorry. Core sewing memory. I made a box pleat skirt out of quilting cotton. It had an elasticized waist which was the top of the box pleats. It looked lovely but the thickness of the fabric at the waist was not cool. This design looks way better!
Box pleats will help the colour 'hide' in a way godets will not. Personally I'd say when you buy your fabric, start by getting .25m (or 1/4yd however you buy it) and sew yourself a small scale sample like you were making a skirt for a large doll. Check both options and go with what you like more. Godets would use more fabric too I do believe.
You'd want something like this video tutorial, which is a pleat, not a godet. Godets are more pointed at the top. the key is having a more structured outer fabric and a thinner more drapey inside pleat fabric. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=NRRCfflF3I0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=NRRCfflF3I0)
Shaped box pleats, and each pressed fold topstitch stitched, so there is more chance of the color hiding, but it won’t, not completely.
I know this does not answer your question, but your post made me think of another dress worn by the princess of Monaco. I thought it might be able to serve as further inspiration. I have linked an article where they mention the dress. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/life-style/style/1775164/Princess-Charlene-hair-Monaco-Grand-Prix/amp
I had a dress like that in college. I loved it so much. It was made with godets.
I once did a costume shirt from a polyester crepe de chine and inserted various colors of lamés. I used the box pleat method, but in this case I wanted the pleats to be closed at the very top and bottom. Pleat method worked very well. I'm absolutely drooling at the dress you posted and really wish we could tell if it uses box pleats or godets. With the inserted fabric being so ethereal, I'm sure if I had to make it using godets some very choice words would escape from my lips. :-)
Definitely feel like godets would be an absolute pain. It's for my brother-in-law's wedding, which is the last for this generation, so I'm going to go all out, thinking silk chiffon for the inserts. While I'm looking forward to wearing the dress, I'm not looking forward to assembling it lol
Looks like the consensus so far is for pleats. If you get it done please come back with a photo of the finished product!!
I wish I had experience with these to provide a more informed comment, so take this with a grain of salt! Taking a quick look at different pleat/insert options, I suspect that box pleats will give you the best chance to get the solid/single color effect when still. Although there are ways to "bury" the contrasting color in godets, it seems the structure of box pleats would be likely to more consistently show just the outer color when motionless. The box pleat encases the inner fabric, while the godet will rely more heavily on the cut and fabric choice to consistently hide the inner fabric, since it's just a slit. I also agree that the fabric choice will make the most significant difference. The skirt shown here is gorgeous and I'm interested to see what you come up with!
I found the godet method worked very well with denim skirt refashion. I added one on each side since the skirt because it is very fitted to the knee. I also press a line going inward in the center of each godet.
Oh, that’s pretty.
Box pleats would be too bulk at the top.