There’s nothing more chic and breezy in the summer than a maxi dress or skirt, but if you’re curvy, it can be hard to find a sundress that fits well and is comfortable all day long.

Enter, the Cashmerette Holyoke Maxi Dress & Skirt! Say hello to zero bust gaping thanks to the princess seams and faux placket, built-in comfort courtesy of the elasticated back waistband, and not a hint of bra because of the the carefully designed and placed straps. Plus…. pockets! We think the Holyoke is a summer classic and hope you agree.

Plus, we have two super-limited-edition beautiful Holyoke Maxi Dress kits, with 15% off for the next week – scroll down to learn more.

Renee measures 43″ bust, 37″ waist, 48″ hip and wears View A in a 14 E/F graded to a 16 at the waist and hips.

Caroline measures 37″ waist, 42″ hips and is wearing View B in a size 16 graded down to a 12 at the hips

There are two views of the Holyoke Maxi sewing pattern, and both have:

• Princess seams which are super curve-friendly and allow for easy adjustment
• A faux button placket down the front, for the classic sundress look but zero gaping
• An elastic waistband at the back so that you can slip on the dress or skirt without closures, and which also allows you to sit down and move around with comfort
• A swooshy  maxi length, which you can easily shorten if you prefer
• POCKETS!

Here’s the Holyoke Maxi Dress on me! This is the size 18 G/H and I’m currently at 50″ bust – 40″ waist – 47″ hip, thanks to breastfeeding. So it’s a wee bit snug on me, but I think it still looks fab! Also, this exact dress is available as a kit.

We worked on the straps to make sure they’d cover even chunky bra straps (let’s face it, most of us Cashmerette gals are not wearing spaghetti strap bras!), and they’re in a good position to get total coverage. Wear a style of bra that’s leading it to peek out a little? It’s easy to put in little bra strap holders under the straps to keep them in place.

The princess seamed skirt is wonderfully swooshable, as Renee demonstrates!

The Holyoke Maxi Dress & Skirt is designed for light- to mid-weight woven fabrics. If you want to emulate that type of swoosh, make sure you use a drapey fabric, like rayon or a flowy linen. If you want a more structured look, go for a tightly woven cotton lawn or textured seersucker.

There’s tons of potential with the Holyoke to use solids, bold prints, stripes, or even color-block for a “top-and-skirt” effect.

The neckline is cleanly finished with a facing that’s tacked down to the dress in multiple places – no flipping around here.

Let’s move on to the skirt! It’s designed to be worn high-waisted, with those beautiful princess seams from the dress skirt:

Aizhan has a 40″ waist, 50″ hips, and is wearing View B, size 20

Again, it’s a faux button placket, but if you’d rather make it functional, you can do that too! Just make sure you allow yourself enough room to sit down without the buttons gaping.

Where would we be without some good sized pockets?

Length-wise, the skirt is 39 5/8″ long, but as with all our patterns, there are lengthen/shorten lines if you want to adjust to get your perfect maxi length. It’s also easy to crop the skirt pieces at any length you want for a totally different look!

Maxi skirts are so versatile in the summer, and I love that a maxi + t-shirt + straw hat makes you look instantly summery chic – it’s my summer uniform.

Thank you to local store Stitch Craft for the beautiful Atelier Brunette fabric for this sample! It’s available here.

The Holyoke Maxi Dress & Skirt is rated “advanced beginner” because the facing and placket construction would be a bit tricky for a first project. But, if you have a few garments under your belt, you could totally make yourself an awesome Holyoke, and it’s a pretty straightforward make!

Like all our patterns, the Holyoke Maxi Dress & Skirt pattern comes in sizes 12 – 28 and cup sizes C – H. And, there are two options to buy it: either as a beautifully printed pattern that’s sent to your home anywhere in the world, or as a downloadable PDF with print-at-home, A0 and US Copyshop versions all included.

Holyoke Maxi Dress Kits for 15% off!

As if that weren’t enough excitement for one day, we also have two fabulous Holyoke Dress kits for you (and you can certainly use them to make the skirt too, and then you’ll have fabric left over for something else!). Both have 4.25 yards of premium European cotton lawn, with bold floral designs at a scale that’s perfect for the Holyoke Maxi Dress or Skirt. They also come with the buttons, elastic and interfacing you’ll need – just add needle and thread!

To get 15% off your Holyoke Maxi Dress kit, just use code TOTHEMAX at checkout (valid through June 1 11.59pm EST). 

Our first kit is a gorgeous large-scale floral on a petrol blue background, with tones of cream, gold and fuschia. It’s beautifully flowy but easy to sew and makes a bold summery statement!

Our second kit is made from a wonderful saturated mustard floral, with a painted-style floral with tones of plum, pink and green. I don’t tend to think of myself as a ‘yellow’ person but this dress looks just fab!

I love swooshy summer dresses & skirts so much, I can’t wait to see what you make with the Holyoke! As always make sure you tag us on social media so we can celebrate your awesomeness – use the hashtags #HolyokeDress and #HolyokeSkirt