The image above shows what an A-line dress might look like before it is sewn, and yes, as the article title suggests, I’m building a glossary of sewing terms with pictures. Today’s “sewing vocabulary” post is all about A-line skirts and dresses, which will start off the “Letter A” section of the glossary.

Please scroll down to add to the discussion on this topic. (Look for the bold-print words, “DISCUSSION QUESTION.”) Whether you love or hate them, I’d love to hear your thoughts on A-line skirts and dresses!

DEFINITION: an A-line dress is a dress with a triangular shape; an A-line skirt is a skirt with a triangular shape.

This is my own definition, and I have a few photos above, showing what an A-line dress or skirt looks like on a doll. The brunette Barbie doll wears an evening gown with a tight-fitting bodice at the top attached to a skirt that is fitted and flares out toward the hem.

Of course if you’d like to compare my own definition with the internet’s definition, this Wikipedia article does a pretty good job of explaining the history behind A-line dresses and skirts, and it’s definition (while more long-winded) is certainly helpful.

Here’s another look at that dress:

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please learn more about my affiliate marketing program on the Privacy Policy page.

As you can see, the dress shown above is from Simplicity 8466, a vintage pattern, designed to fit a Barbie from the 1960’s.

But I’ve designed my own A-line dress patterns for my dolls as well, including this A-line dress which fits the Disney fairy dolls. It’s fitted at the top, tapers down to a thin waist, and then from there, it flares out without any gathers.

The A-line skirt also has no gathers, but rather, it fits your doll at the waist and then expands out from there, in a teepee-like shape, until it reaches the hem.

Here’s one I made using my Simplicity 4510 sewing pattern for vintage Barbie dolls. I love how sleek this A-line skirt looks in that lovely blue satin!

See how it looks sort of like a letter A? That’s where the name comes from.

Now I’d love to hear what you have to say about A-line dresses and skirts!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Have you made A-line skirts for yourself or your dolls, and if so, what were some of the challenges you faced when making yours? Please leave your response in the comments section below.

I’d also like to know how you define an A-line dress or skirt. Can an A-line dress have pleats? Can an A-line skirt have ruffles? Gathers? Pockets? I think of an A-line dress or skirt as much simpler than that, but when I did my research for this article, I found a wide range of definitions. So please be honest! What do you think of my definition? How might you change it?

Come back to this blog post at the end of next week, so you can see what comments other people left!

If you enjoyed this blog post, and you’d like to see my videos, you might want to navigate over to my YouTube channel, ChellyWood1 to look through my playlists.

If you would like to make a donation to this free doll clothes pattern website, please click here. There’s also a “Donate” button in the main menu.

Chelly Wood teaches classes on the  Creative Spark, online learning platform. Please click that link to learn more.

Disclaimer/Credit/Affiliate Marketing Link:

*Please note: when you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include Amazon, JoAnn Fabric, Etsy, and the eBay Partner Network. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how my website uses affiliate marketing, please visit the website’s Privacy Policy page.

Chelly Wood and the ChellyWood.com website are not affiliated with any of the doll or toy companies mentioned in this blog post, but Chelly enjoys designing her doll clothes to fit a variety of dolls. To learn more about the doll companies mentioned in today’s post, please visit the doll or toy company’s website.

Formal citation: Wikipedia contributors. “A-line (clothing).” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 22 Nov. 2024. Web. 9 Jun. 2025.