I’ve long been an admirer of jumpsuits, overalls, and basically any type of one-piece outfit. Thanks to my height of 5’10”, I’ve never actually been able to wear ready-to-wear jumpsuits without discomfort. Last year I made my first jumpsuit and fell in love (see it here), so I was all in when Kelli of True Bias asked me to test the Yari Jumpsuit (purchase pattern here). The pattern includes both a shorts and full-length option as well as sleeved and sleeveless options. There is also an option to add a D-ring cinch at the sides for more waist definition.
After seeing Kelli’s samples and the line drawings for the Yari, I had a vision of a woven striped jumpsuit inspired by Ace and Jig. Luckily, Indiesew had the perfect fabric (teal is sold-out, but orange is still available here). I LOVE the metallic thread woven throughout the fabric because it kind of makes wearing this jumpsuit feel like magic.
I couldn’t use a beautiful fabric and not use equally magnificent buttons so I turned to my Arrow Mountain stash. I used these mirror buttons to add even more sparkle because this look clearly isn’t bold enough on its own. I’ve been ordering buttons from Arrow Mountain since the summer of 2016 and I don’t plan on stopping soon. In fact, my stash is nearly depleted so I’m filling up my Etsy cart as we speak (did you see the gold mirror buttons? I NEED them).
I found construction of the Yari to be straightforward and enjoyable. In fact, the actual construction of the jumpsuit took me several hours over the course of one evening. This fabric doesn’t allow for them to be very visible, but the princess seam lines in this jumpsuit are everything! They also allow for a bit more shaping if necessary.
Let’s talk sizing and alterations for a quick minute. I’m a definite pear shape with a small chest and hips that don’t lie. My small chest and wider hips put me in a size 4 bust with a 10 at the hips. This woven cotton doesn’t have much drape, so I took in the bust and waist by a total of 1 inch (.5 inches on each side) for a bit of a closer fit. If I had added the optional D-rings, I likely wouldn’t have needed to do this as those would’ve given that shaping. I found the sizing at the hips to be spot on, but my legs are a size or two smaller than my hips. For this reason, starting at the bottom of the pockets, I took about 1 inch out of each leg. I removed .5 inches from the leg outer seams and the inseam.
The last alteration I made was to add length. I added 1.5 inches to the bodice length and 2.5 inches to the leg length. The length added to the bodice was a bit too much as I probably should’ve only added .5 inches to the bodice length and instead added that extra 1 inch to the leg length for a total of 3.5 inches to the legs. As a result, the crotch sits a little lower than I’d like. This is really due to my lack of muslin vs. the actual pattern. Maybe next time I’ll learn my lesson and make a muslin…maybe.
Despite my unintended dropped crotch, I plan to wear the heck out of this jumpsuit over the summer. This fabric is lightweight and breathable enough that it should take me seamlessly from lounging around the house to a day spent at the amusement park. True Bias Patterns have a way of making me feel a little bit more cool and hip than I really am, and the Yari is no exception. I’m now on the hunt for a black tencel twill for my next version. If you find any good sources, please send them my way.
