Materials : rope. lots of rope. 

If you have to ask, you probably don’t have enough rope. For my brat, we ended up using 54m (6 lengths) black and 45m (5 lengths) of red.

Skill Level : moderate.

Two of the five sections are any real challenge, mostly just a lot of rope to deal with.

Time : significant. (1.5 hours, total)

Lots of rope takes lots of time to wrap.

Ties : square knot, double-coin knot, lark’s head, basic weave, zipper corset.

Overview

This dress is designed to be assembled in five sections. By building in sections, one can more easily adjust the fit as the night wears on. Each section is rather simple, consisting mostly of the zipper corset tied in front. The dress is designed to be removed from the thigh up.

If you want to go dancing, you can take off the lower section and dance. Come back, put it back on.

Section 1

The first rope to (partially) tie is the decorative neck and strap section. This can be made complex because it is mostly tied in front of the wearer. The biggest challenge with this section is adjusting its length later. 

Section 2

The second section completes the double-coin knot between the breasts and is actually the lynch-pin of the entire dress. It serves as the center post for two of the zipper corset sections (3 & 5), as well as providing the decorative flair in the middle of the belt section (4).

Section 3

This is usually the largest section (depending on build). It runs under bust down to the waist. The zipper corset is built around the short loop from section 2, above the long loop (which anchors section 5). Sections 1-3 comprise the primary rope corset that will be worn the full period. They don’t normally see much shift when tied snugly.

Section 4

The mid-waist belt is another zipper corset. However it is woven over, under (section 2’s decorative knot), and over again the long loop from section 2. This section will see significant shifting and movement throughout the evening. Do not tie too tightly. Excess rope from sections 2-4 should be woven into the lines of this section. This will help it to move as a whole and retain its shape better.

Section 5

The final section is the skirt portion. It can be made as long or as short as modesty dictates. It merely wraps the center post from section 2’s decorative knot’s tail. If a longer dress is desired, continue to work in 6-8” thick sections. They are easier to adjust.

Let’s get started with section 1!