The Wilder Gown by Friday Pattern Company requires no introduction. I feel as though, over the past few years, I’ve probably seen thousands of version popping up, each one making me think, “oooh that looks cute but I’m not sure if it’s for me”.

Well, I eventually gave into the temptation and here is my version of the Wilder Gown, view C. Which, of course, is actually just a Wilder Top. But somehow that doesn’t sound so memorable.

So I’m going to stick with Wilder Gown Top!

Now, you know how human beings have quite a remarkable ability to truly believe in two conflicting ideas at the same time?

I kept seeing everyone else’s lovely versions and thinking “well that just looks effervescent-fairy-level wonderful”. But I also kept looking at all these same versions and thinking “hmmm, but I don’t really like frills around the neck”.

Only lizards should have frilled necks!

But I finally decided that so many sewists couldn’t be wrong and that I would give the Wilder Gown a try.

First things first, I decided to start with the top version since I was going in a little uncertain. My rationale was fabric conservation. If I didn’t like it, at least I wouldn’t have wasted 4 metres of some delightful ephemeral floating fabric.

Buuuut, in retrospect, some of the drama of the Wilder Gown is definitely in the dress factor. As a top, perhaps it loses some of its flair and character? Or maybe there’s just less to distract you from the neck ruffle action?

My Wilder Gown Top

The Wilder Gown and Top are available in sizing which caters to a maximum hip size of 160cm or 60 inches, so it’s big points for more inclusive sizing on this one.

According to my body measurements, I was an XL at the bust and hips and an XXL at the waist. I decided to make an L all over, based on what I could see of the final garment measurements.

One thing I would point out here if you are sewing the Wilder Gown in its top form, the finished garment measurements at the hip provided are only for the gown version. Not for the top. Or at least I couldn’t find them anywhere. Since the dress version is already deep in huge gathered skirt territory by the hips, this means that it doesn’t provide much guidance for how much room the top will have at the hips.

After measuring the pattern pieces, I decided that still had enough ease at the hips to size down, but the provision of finished garment hip measurements for both the top and gown views would have been appreciated.

The actual sewing of the pattern was simple and straightforward, nothing major to report here. If you would to read a detailed post about an expert view on the technical merits of the Wilder Gown pattern – you should check out this one by Mie at Sewing Like Mad.

As I was using a lightweight silk for my version of the Wilder Gown top, I french-seamed everything which means that there is not a single exposed seam anywhere in this garment!

As an added bonus, doing so also made me feel like a self-righteous sewing snob!!

This gorgeous checked silk came from the Fabric Store. I bought it in person and desperately wish I had bought more of the available colourways.

Now, I have something of an affinity for transparent silk but it’s really tough to find projects that work with something so flimsy and lightweight, where all your seams and insides can be seen. I had actually originally intended to make a more proper shirt with this fabric (perhaps with a simple collar stand) but I was just too scared as to how buttonholes would work.

Or not work.

This was actually one of my main motivations to set aside my ruffle neck fears and try the Wilder Gown. I just wasn’t sure what other patterns had the right construction features to work in transparent silk. It’s especially hard to find patterns with closures and neck finishes that work in transparent lightweight fabric.

If anyone has any other ideas about patterns which are great for transparent fabrics, please feel free to share in the comments. Surely I can’t be the only one who has every spent months staring at a lovely transparent silk in their stash muttering “but whatever can I do with you that won’t require a facing, interfacing or buttons?!”.

Wilder Gown Top: The Verdict

So I’ve been banging on about ruffle necks for most of this blog post now.

Which brings me to the main question: now that I own a Wilder Gown Top is it yay or nay for me?

I’m gonna be honest, when I first finished it, I didn’t like it.

I didn’t like the way it felt around my neck. I didn’t like the way it looked on me.

It was the most unsatisfying form of “I told you so”. I was right – cue self satisfied glee. But I had also wasted my lovely silk on a top which wasn’t doing anything for me. Far less satisfying.

I complained a bit on instagram and received some useful advice from others who are also adverse to tying things around their neck. Quite a few people pointed out that playing around with the tie neck and adjusting how gathered it is can make a significant difference to the look, as could tying it more loosely.

I realised that with some playing around, I could make the neck feel a bit better. In addition, I realised that I didn’t mind it at all worn with the neck open.

Silk pirate chic. Now where did I leave my pantaloons?

Further, as a testament to the power of time, it took me about a month to photograph this Wilder Gown Top during which, like a good dutiful blogger, I obviously couldn’t wear the garment, lest I accidentally rip, stain or destroy it before I’ve had a chance to capture it for your viewing pleasure.

So after leaving it alone for a month and coming back to it, well, I felt a little teeny tiny bit as though I must have been having a bit of a toddler tantrum when I first finished the Wilder Top.

When I put it on after a month my first thought was “oh, this isn’t actually bad at all”.

So, what is the moral of this sewing story?

Is it “don’t judge your garments when you finish them bleary eyed at 1am in the morning”? Is it “don’t curse your sewing project with negative vibes by telling yourself you’re not going to like a pattern before you even sew it”? Is it “don’t sulk like a whining baby if you don’t like a garment”? Is it “when you see transparent silk and convince yourself you will make the most dreamlike garments with it, take a moment to actually identify what the garment could be before you buy the fabric”?

Perhaps it’s all above.

Or, perhaps, given that I’ve decided that I actually rather like this Wilder Top, it’s really just a case of “all’s well that ends well”!