BurdaStyle Magazine April 2017

Posted on by DoctorTDesigns

So last year it was pretty much general consensus that Burda was on top of it.  Seriously, they were nailing trends and giving us lots of cool pattern options.  While I think the start of this year was a bit disappointing (aside from the generally lackluster designs, they’ve scaled back on the number of patterns, and cancelled Burda Plus Magazine and the English Burda Easy translations from their offerings), I’m happy to report that the April issue looks pretty intriguing.  I’m not sure that these are all things I’d want to make or wear, but there is a fair bit of interesting detail and more than a few patterns that make me excited to get this magazine in the mail.  Let’s take a look!

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First up, this awesome maxi dress:

I love that back detail!  Simple, but really pretty.  Also, Burda’s use of the print here is gorgeous.  It’s not the type of fabric I would gravitate towards in a store, but it looks amazing in this photo shoot.

I think I like this?  It is obviously very similar to the previous style, but the combination of the tiny photo and busy print make it very difficult to see the style lines of this dress.  But I think I like it.  I think.

Another interesting detail with the tiny rouleau fabric loops.  The overall boxy shape of the dress is a bit meh, but I actually don’t mind it much here because it has a bit of shaping and the neckline is so cool.

Interesting take on a shirt dress.  The sleeve seams could be used for a cool pipping or color blocking detail too.

What should I call this?  Amish couture?  Prairie chic?  A throw back to all that was terrible about 90s fashion in my childhood?  And, oddly, the more I stare the more my brain tries to find something here to redeem it.  Look away brain, look away.

You guy, this dress, I need one.  Why Burda?  Why do you send me this just at the start of hard-core costume commission season, why?  Love the little cut out in the back – just enough to be flirty, but still enough coverage for a normal bra.  I might need to make this as a shirt too.

Ok, if you want to do the matchy-matchy mother daughter look, these dress patterns aren’t too bad.  Even on its own, the dress is pretty basic, but it would be very wearable and super nice to style up.  Because of the side zip, I’m assuming it’s not for knits, but I’m also assuming it wouldn’t be too hard to make it in a knit and get rid of the zip either.

Unlike the dresses, which had quite a bit of interest, the tops in this issue… leave something to be desired.

I think the left is supposed to be a tunic and not a dress?  Cuz pants?  But it says it is a dress?  The neckline on these tops has nice potential for playing with fabric combinations and pipping details.  The line drawings are a bit tent-like, but the model photos have some nice drape and flow, so they don’t look overly wide.

A bit oversized from what I would normally wear.  I think I prefer this style as the dress.

Ok, from the line drawings this tank top feels very dull, but the side view showing off the binding detail makes me a bit more favorable towards this style.  The neckline looks super low though.  Like, I’d need to add at least 4 inches to cover my boobies low.

Nothing overly exciting on this little top either, but it does have nice drape, and it looks really simple to sew.

We are moving away from the cold weather months, so the heavily tailored outerwear isn’t prominent, but there are a few cool jackets in this issue:

I know we’ve had a lot of bomber jacket patterns at this point, but I’m really digging the raglan sleeves and slant pockets here.  The double button feature is an interesting nod towards a more formal double breasted coat style.

Love this hoodie!  I’d totally make it in the extra long version too, though I’d actually wear it with pants, unlike the Burda model who seems to have been forced to wear it as dress?  Or maybe it’s supposed to be the sort of thing you’d throw on to answer the door when a package arrived at an inopportune moment?  Either way, I want to make these, because I would wear them to work all the time.

Yup these vests look… a little crazy.  Especially what with the loops of no function on the tiny reversible one.  The longer vest is ok, but that short version… eeek.

There aren’t many bottoms in this issue, but they do have a bit more detail than we’ve seen in recent months, so I’ll take it:

Ok, so I’m sort of really liking this designer jumpsuit pattern.  Granted, I’m also a sucker for an asymmetric shoulder, so take that with a grain of salt.

Not my favorite maxi skirt ever, but not a terrible design either.  Certainly much more interesting with the use of the stripe detail on the first version.

Ok, so I’m actually really loving these pants.  Not in a make them in silk and wear them to work sort of way, but in a I’ll make them in sweatshirt knit and wear them to bed sort of way.  I love the pattern I use for PJs now, but I do sometimes trip on the hems, and the elastic cuffs would alleviate that problem.  Plus keep in all my body heat.  Plus they have pockets!  Yup, totally going on my to-sew list.

Hmmmm… Interesting that this sort of pattern should come out after all the positive buzz surrounding the Cleo pattern.  Looks a bit short though.

The Burda Plus section also has some lovely options this month:

I saw the floral version first and thought, hmm, I like this dress, but then I saw the solid version and fell in love.  Very classy, and simultaneously modern with a touch of a vintage nod.  Great dress.

I can’t decide if this jacket looks too “smoking jacket from the bedroom” or if the soft tailoring is a nice detail.  I want to like it, I actually really like it in the line drawing, but in reality I’m just not totally sold.

I wasn’t too exited by the line drawings here, but I’m actually loving the belted teal dress on the model.

Too many ruffles?  I’m torn between liking all the pretty colors and feeling that there is just a tad too much volume happening here.  The movement of that skirt looks really pretty though.

Really like the way that Burda played with the pipped seam lines here.

And, because there is a really cool jacket this month, here is some kids stuff:

And that’s about it!  On the whole we got some great dress patterns, a little bit of Burda crazy, and a few other gems this month.  Which actually made it a bit more interesting to consider the top and bottom patterns this month.  There were quite a few top contenders, but I’ve decided to give Best of BS for April 2017 to:

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The knit dress with the back cut out!  I love this style – simple enough to throw on for a casual day out, but in a slightly nicer fabric it could be a classy day-to-night look.  It should also be fairly simple to convert to a top, which would make this pattern even more versatile.

The choice for the BWTF pattern for this month had a bit of competition, but in the end it goes to:

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The ugly 90’s mash-up dress.  With the hat and the florals, how could it not be a reference to Blossom?  This dress makes me think about all the terrible clothes I had to deal with as a small child… so depressing.

And that’s it!  What do you all think?  Is this month an upswing for Burda?  Or have this year’s efforts lost your support?  What are your top and bottom pattern picks for the month?  Feel free to discuss in the comments!

23 thoughts on “BurdaStyle Magazine April 2017”

  1. (I’m nearly finished my dress from the December issue! squee! With shiny red fabric from Gorgeous Fabrics.)

    There is a lot I like in this issue! That red stripe dress you love is definitely a winner. Might try it myself! Also really like the shirt option of the dress-shirt thing – I don’t have a plain white shirt to pair with jeans, and may this pattern would work. As you say, there have been many bomber jackets, but I like button placket (or whatever it’s called) option on this one. Your idea of turning those silk pants into sweat shirt joggers is great! My daughter would live in them if I made them.

    And you know, I actually really like the blouse version of the tent dress up there, with the contrasting fabric, I like it. And maybe adding some elastic shirring on the hem or just straightening the pattern? Would that work?

    Love the tank. But I love most tanks. 🙂

    That western dress is a nightmare… :-p

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  2. 2016 was a dynamite year for Burda IMO. 2017 is starting off kind of slow. I love the fabrics in this issue but a lot of the shapes are not my style.

    For now, dress 117 is the only one on my list because I have accumulated a small stash of Rayon/Viscose Challis prints that need this sort of bare bones pattern to show them off.

    I also love the fancy jumpsuit though I’m looking for a style that is in btw party and casual, if such a thing even exists. Wish Plus Dress 123 was offered in regular sizes (sometimes they put the same pattern out in envelop in a different range but not often enough!)

    I am considering 115 but I tend to look younger than my physical age so maybe not.

    That said, as a Burdafangirl and NOT a Tilly fan tbh, I have to contest this comment : “Hmmmm… Interesting that this sort of pattern should come out after all the positive buzz surrounding the Cleo pattern.”

    For one thing, this is very much on trend, hence the very existence of the Cleo pattern. For another, and I know this from working at a arts&culture magazine in college, magazines are planned ideally 6 months to a year or so in advance. So Burda likely did not put out a dungaree/overall dress pattern *because* of T&TB’s Cleo but rather because the general trend is for overall/dungaree garments.To say nothing of the fact that Burda has 66 years of existence so a huge backlog of patterns to see them through as many “revivals” of past fashions as the fashion world can conjure up.

    Sorry to get a little ranty but, if anyone is copying anyone else, it would be pattern companies, Tilly and Burda alike, copying Fashion Week Designers who are heavily into 70s, 80s and 90s rehashes lately (actually, last year but details). End of rant, LOL!

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    1. Oh to be sure they are copying the runway looks, not indie pattern designs. I was trying to imply that we might be seeing a million overall skirts from everyone else next, as Burda tends to be a few months ahead of other companies in releasing new trends. McCall’s just had an overall trouser pattern recently too, and they are doing a sew along I believe, so I’m just curious if overalls are the next bare shoulder ruffled top.

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  3. Why oh why does Burda put every.single.ruffle. on its plus-sized dresses? I do not understand. I agree that this issue is way better than the first three of this year.

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  4. Yeeep, I am so into that Pyjama-Jacket. As I was scrolling I was thinking those dresses and the jumpsuit are pretty enough, but nothing I have anyplace to wear to. But that jacket, yes, that fits my Mom-in-Uni lifestyle. And then some boy patterns for my son, I am sold.
    I am currently making a spring wool jacket from the December Issue, but this really has me in spring-mood. I am still glad I can get my Burda in the supermarket though, because I would not have been happy to have the last two issues cluttering up my space.

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    1. Good grief you can get your Burda in a supermarket? Gads, I have to travel to a nearby town, and they usually get it a month after everybody else. You are so lucky! (shipping is ridiculous to Canada, otherwise I’d get a subscription)

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      1. I live in Austria, so I get the German edition, and my supermarket has a very good assortment of magazines in general. I was surprised they carry Burda, but they usually have 8 copies that are gone about two weeks into their release. So there are at least 8 sewists close to me, I just want to catch them buying it and chat them up. 😛

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      2. I have to subscribe to have a reliable source, though eBay has been a decent secondary market in the past. Actually I bought my first Burda in a book store, but it was the week they went out of business, so it has been many years of subscriptions since then. It would be amazing to have them in grocery stores!

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      3. I tried looking on Ebay and did find some, but they were really pricey. I had better luck on Etsy and bought a couple of old issues. I’ll stick with our magazine store though as I don’t have to pay shipping that way. The lady is really nice and not only keeps the English issues for me, but calls me when they arrive (a month after everyone else, but oh well).

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      4. That’s awesome! If I had a local-ish store I’d support them, but I don’t really have a good one. And, yeah, when I was doing the eBay backlog but up, Etsy was just barely a thing, the resources there have grown a lot in the past few years. The eBay buys are about double retail, but but it did help me build up a collection of some of the really great issues from the mid 2000’s.

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  6. I feel like this is by far the bet issue I have seen in a very long time. Maybe a lot of simple or “less-exciting” patterns, but those are usually the ones I actually make (and actually wear!). I could see myself honestly making about 50% of these patterns, which makes this issue a win in my books!

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    1. Is it permissible for me to show a photo of the Burda dress I finally finished? (I’m the same Ingrid Hardy, my wordpress accounts get all mixed up… I really am sorry about that)

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  11. My copy finally arrived, and I confess I’m disappointed in this issue. The dress with the cut out back is nice but I probably won’t make it because I can’t see how to add pockets without making it lumpy. Everything else is just not my style at all. Well, the jumpsuit is great. But I do not have either the lifestyle or the climate for it. Oh well, it would be boring if it was the same every month! Must say the preview for May doesn’t fill me with hope either. Still, I have plenty to sew from January and February…

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  12. Pingback: A Year in Review: BurdaStyle Magazine 2017 – Doctor T Designs

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