The Coquette Aesthetic: Hacking the Be Curious Dress with Bow Ties
Hi! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and a sewist of over 12 years. I own Sew Fit Apparel making athletic wear and doing local clothing alterations here in Austin. I love sewing for myself and family every chance I get! I love finding creative ways to customize sewing patterns to make them feel unique and on trend.
Lately, I’ve been seeing bows everywhere. The coquette aesthetic has become such a popular fashion trend, and I knew I wanted to bring that soft, feminine look into one of my sewing projects. Everyone needs a little whimsy, right?
For this project, I used the Be Curious Dress Pattern by Ellie and Mac and created a bow-back hack by replacing the original button closure with fabric ties.
Click here to find the pattern!
The result ended up being such a sweet, cottage core look!
One of my favorite things about this coquette trend is how easy it is to incorporate into sewing projects. You don’t need to completely redesign a garment to create the look. Small details, like adding bows, can completely transform a dress sewing pattern. Also, if sewing buttons and buttonholes aren’t your strong suit, using ties instead will help save you the trouble!
Since I was already using a pink floral woven fabric from a bedding sheet set, the coquette-inspired bow ties felt like the perfect addition. This sheet set is by Betsy Johnson and it is so light and airy! Perfect to use for this pattern to get the look I was going for.
Why I Chose the Be Curious Dress Pattern
The Be Curious Dress Pattern by Ellie and Mac was the perfect base for this hack because of the open back bodice design.
The original pattern uses buttons along the back closure, but I wanted to create a softer look with adjustable bow ties instead.
This hack keeps the dress functional while adding a bit of whimsy to the back.
Supplies Used
For this project, I used:
- Woven floral fabric
- Coordinating thread
- 0.5” elastic
- The Be Curious Dress Pattern by Ellie and Mac
How I Hacked the Back Closure into Bow Ties
Step 1: Create the Tie Straps
I created 6 fabric ties using rectangles measuring 1.25” x 18”.
I intentionally made them extra long so I could trim them down after finishing the dress and testing the final bow size.
To make the ties:
- Fold each strip right sides together lengthwise
- Sew along the long edge
- Turn right side out
- Press well
Step 2: Modify the Back Bodice Pieces
To help create a slightly more open back look, I trimmed 1” off of the back bodice pieces before construction.
This gave the ties a little more space and allowed the bow details to stand out more.
Step 3: Attach the Ties
I basted the ties onto the back lining bodice pieces first.
I spaced them evenly along the back opening where the original button closure would normally be placed.
After basting the ties in place, I followed the original pattern instructions to sew the main and lining bodices together, making sure the ties stayed tucked safely out of the way while sewing.
The rest of the bodice construction was completed exactly according to the original pattern tutorial.
Step 4: Modify the Skirt Closure
For the skirt portion, the original pattern has an opening and placket. Since I was using ties, I kept the skirt intact.
I used .5” elastic to gather the top of the skirt. This will give the back opening some stability for the following steps.
On the back skirt panel, I marked a 3” gap before attaching it to the bodice.
I serged the skirt to the bodice, starting and ending at the marked gap. You may instead attach the bodice according to the original pattern instructions and you will start and end at the marked opening on the back.
After attaching the skirt, I flipped the elastic seam allowance inward at the gap opening and sewed it down with a zigzag stitch to create a clean finish.
This allowed the skirt to have a finished look on the back.
The Finished Dress
I absolutely love how this hack turned out! The bow ties give the dress such a soft, feminine look and fit perfectly with the coquette aesthetic trend.
This is one of my favorite things about sewing — taking a sewing pattern and customizing it to create something that feels completely unique.
The Be Curious Dress Pattern is such a lovely pattern and was a great base for this hack!
I have a video tutorial on my TikTok page here!
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been wanting to try the coquette aesthetic in your sewing projects, adding bow details is such an easy place to start! There’s so many options.
Whether you add ties, bows, or other feminine details, simple modifications can completely change the look of a garment and make it feel extra special.
And honestly… once you start adding bows to things, it’s hard to stop!
-Written by Lauren Leclair
