I have a simple Dressing Robe hack to share with you today! This pattern was primarily designed to be worn as an indoor dressing robe, but I have found it to be very versatile as I explore its possibilities as an everyday garment. This version is shorter and the front band has been simplified. With these changes, the Dressing Robe cover-up can be sewn in 1-2 hours! I love throwing this on for a little protection from the sun on a hot day or as a nice addition to a chic outfit in the evenings. Read on to discover how to make your own cover-up!

The first thing you need to do is straighten the front of the Dressing Robe. You can use the grainline on the pattern piece to draw straight down from the top of the shoulder to the hem. Cut or fold the excess out of the way. I also shortened the robe to about hip length, but if you want a longer robe, you can leave it as-is!

Next, we have to lengthen the front band to match the length of our robe. Since the band goes around the neck, it can be hard to tell how long to make it. I like to make the band extra long and then trim it to the correct length after I have pinned it to the robe in the next step.

Once the robe is assembled, pin the front band to the robe and check the length. You want the raw edge of the front band to sit 1/2″ up from the bottom of the robe, so you may need to trim off the end of the front band. If your band is too short at this point, you can trim the bottom of the robe or plan to do a wider hem.

Unpin the bottom of the front band and fold it together with right sides facing. Sew the end closed using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Clip the corner and turn the band right side out again.

Once you have finished the ends of the front band, it will sit 1″ up from the bottom of the robe. Sew the front band to the robe, finish the edge, and optionally edgestitch it to secure it in place.

Fold the hem up 1/2″ and then 1/2″ again and sew to complete your cover-up.

That’s it for creating a simple robe cover-up! This was such a satisfying sew and it is really fun to wear. The day we took these pics it was really windy, which really added to the whole look in my humble opinion. 

I hope you enjoyed this simple Dressing Robe hack! I am looking forward to making a fall cover-up as well. Perhaps a longer version in a nice neutral tencel twill?

Note: This pattern has been discontinued.

The use of the Japanese word ‘Suki’ for this pattern is cultural appropriation. We apologize for using the name and will continue to strive to do better. You can read more about this decision here.