Custom Women's Cotton Jersey Ballet Nightgown with Lace Trim

Fabric & Neckline — Cotton Jersey Nightgown

The ballet neckline is where this garment is won or lost. The opening is wide and the strap is narrow, so the neckline has to be drafted with just enough ease to sit flat across the collarbone without gaping when the wearer bends forward. The gathering under the lace is set at a fixed ratio, because a jersey yoke gathered too tightly will pull the lace into a wave that no amount of pressing will take out. The lace is stitched over the seam line rather than bonded; on a knit, an adhesive tape stiffens the edge and the neckline stops moving with the body. Pearl buttons on a knit placket are decorative here, so the buttonholes are cut and stayed so they do not stretch open after washing, and the placket itself is interfaced with a soft knit-friendly tape rather than a woven one. The hem is finished with a twin needle so it keeps the stretch of the jersey, and the whole garment is washed before packing so the midi length settles at its final drop.

• Fine-gauge cotton jersey with a soft, dry hand and real drape.
• Ballet neckline drafted to sit flat without gaping.
• Lace stitched over the seam, never bonded, so the edge stays supple.
• Yoke gathered at a fixed ratio to keep the lace from waving.
• Pearl buttons on a stayed placket so buttonholes hold their size.
• Twin-needle hem that keeps the stretch; garment washed before packing.