Ellie & Mac South Shore Romper

I have made an item I never thought I would make - a Romper. I always hated the idea of getting nearly naked to go pee when wearing a romper. Then Ellie & Mac had to go and release the South Shore Romper. Every single tester looked great in it. Then House of Curves did a month of rompers. The only romper that I loved on each curvy blogger was the South Shore Romper. Everyone looked amazing in it. I have to say, they convinced me. And I think I look pretty good in it too!

One other thing that had kept me from sewing a Romper was my belly. I have a medical condition that often makes my stomach swell and I look like I'm about 5 months pregnant. I worried a romper would accentuate that and the last thing I want is people asking me when I'm due. I think the wide legs that gather at the waist along with the wrap style top really help minimize the belly and bring attention up to your face.

The crossover wrap top covers great with no fear of being exposed. I really thought I would need to wear a tank under it to keep from showing too much of my chest. I did originally think about wearing a tank just so I wouldn't feel so bare when I did go to the bathroom. But it's summer in Texas and I like to avoid extra layers if at all possible.

The one thing I had issues with when sewing the South Shore Romper was adding elastic to the waist seam. I could not get it to look decent. I seam ripped once and retried with different elastic. I then cut it off and redid it without elastic. Didn't like it without elastic. Cut it off again and redid it yet again with elastic. Still wasn't crazy about it, but figured it would be covered by my sash and finished it.

I am 5' tall and did make a few adjustments. I had to remove 2” from the length of the bodice so that it would end at my natural waist. I then measured my crotch from my natural waist in front to my natural waist in the back. I found that I needed to add 1” to the front and back rises to ensure I had enough room to prevent the crotch seam to ride up uncomfortably - I probably lost most of that inch redoing that waist seam so many times. I also shortened the legs by 2” then took another 2 inches off before I hemmed them.

I really love my South Shore Romper and have plans to make another. I'm thinking I will add a waist band to my next one and widen the legs to give a fuller look like a maxi dress. I think adding elastic into a waistband will work out a lot better for me. I'm severely allergic to latex and cant have it touching my skin. I will have to be certain to wear high waisted underwear or a long tank under this to keep the elastic away from my skin.

If you have been hesitant to try a romper, I would suggest giving the South Shore Romper a try. I think you will be as pleasantly surprised as I was. All patterns are on sale for 50% off for the month of August. No code needed.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.