I was so indecisive on what to make with this lovely dark gray cotton chambray!  I was going to make shorts, but then realized that shorts weather was quickly leaving us here in the US.  Then I thought about a fitted button up, and then a casual button up before finally deciding on this simple shift dress:

The great thing about chambray is that it makes the perfect styling base for so many statement pieces without being boring.  The fabric itself, with its different color warp and weft threads, has some visual interest, so even though it presents as a solid, I don’t look at it and think, “blah, another gray dress.” (Not that I have anything against gray dresses — they happen to be among my favorites!).

For this particular dress, I used the Deer & Doe Arum, which I have made before.  Its simple lines and shape speak to my minimalist self, and the princess seams in the back speak to my swayback and sassy booty 🙂

Cotton chambray is one of those dream fabrics to work with.  It behaves just like quilting cotton, meaning it is easy to handle, easy to sew, and holds darts really well.  But it’s lighter than quilting cotton which gives it a little more drape.  This fabric is perfect for a lightweight dress like this one, a button up shirt, or even a pair of summer shorts.

And I love the styling options with chambray!  I have no problem wearing this dress to work:

But I can also dress it down for the weekend:

Or dress it up for date night: