How to Sew a Backless Dress

Backless Altered Zipper Dress

• 1

  Buy a vintage dress with a back or use an old dress.

• 2

  Lay out the dress on a flat surface. Take the chalk and mark diagonal marks across the desired length of the dress to plot out where the zipper will be placed.

• 3

  Put on the dress to make sure that the chalk marks sit across the back of the dress at the desired place and do not create an opening that is too large or exposes the rear.

• 4

  Use scissors to cut along the chalk marks along the back of the dress. Only cut the back; make sure not to make any cuts in the dress front.

• 5

  Unzip the zipper. Lay it along the chalk marks and pin into place on both sides.

• 6

  Use a needle and thread to hand sew each zipper side onto the back of the dress by sewing on the zipper's edges from the bottom up. Close the zipper as you hand sew to create neat stitches.

• 7

  Cut off excess zipper at the top and reinforce the top of the zipper by hand stitching, then back stitch by sewing backwards stitches.