Sonia Rykiel – knitwear
I mentioned that, in a small way, my striped T shirt jumper had been inspired by Sonia Rykiel who died a couple of months ago. She had been suffering from Parkinsons for many years.
Following my last vintage knitwear designer post on Perry Ellis, I thought I would review the “Queen of Knitwear” no less.
While she couldn’t knit, and although she also designed clothes, Sonia Rykiel was primarily known for her knitwear designs. She had no fashion or knitwear training – she just wanted to wear something that was comfortable, feminine and elegant. She hit the headlines in 1962 with the so-called “Poor Boy Sweater”. Instead of women’s knitwear being just a small man’s jumper – handknitted, shapeless, and worn by people with no sense of style – she got Italian knitwear factories to make up a long sleeved jersey with a much shorter, fitted shape. Maybe it was a reference to the sort of jersey you might see on a young poor boy who had grown out of it. The Italian company struggled with the concept of a lightweight, fine gauge indoor sweater, and apparently they had to make up the samples seven times until Rykiel was happy with the design.
But once Rykiel was happy, so too was everyone else. The jumpers flew out of the shops with Audrey Hepburn apparently buying five at once, in a variety of colours. This iconic Elle cover was rather shocking in its day. Elle magazine, an establishment fashion monthly, departed from its high bourgeois haute couture covers to feature a 19 year old girl – Francois Hardy – in a jersey – a casual, working class look, which challenged accepted norms. Her key idea was that a jersey should be worn next to the skin, and without a bra. But soon the elegant and wearable jerseys were adopted by fashionable French women, including Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve, assuring her success. Rykiel also introduced inside-out stitching, frayed hems and visible seaming. Like Chanel before her Rykiel pioneered a radical departure from uptight Paris fashion helping to introduce mini-skirts, tunics, sexy knitwear and relaxed dressing.
If you would like to make up one of Sonia Rykiel’s Vogue patterns sometimes they come up on eBay etc.
1963 Vogue Paris Original 1213 Lanvin-Castillo
Just before we go into SWAP (which may turn out to be all about Gus) I thought I would make something nice for me. I found a pattern by Lanvin-Castillo, who is not a double barrelled designer, but the name of the head designer of Lanvin, who took on the designing after her death, who (most unusually) had his name linked to the house. I don’t know of other examples of this. In fact some of the designers we know very well today, due to them setting up their own houses, of course often worked (invisibly) for other designers before they went it alone, eg Lagerfeld (Chanel), McQueen (Givenchy), Yves St Laurent (Dior).
I had not heard of Castillo, but he was the head designer for Lanvin from 1950 to 1963. Here is a nice blog post about Lanvin. And here are some extraordinary 1950s images of his amazing technical skill and dramatic, tailored garments. I love the modern sack back dress with the important collar. But the pleats are also superb and very difficult to achieve. The pants with the sheer blouse, insect brooch and neat collar is just wonderful.
The reason I came across him is of course because some of his wonderful outfits were licenced to Vogue. Here are a few from the end of his reign, in the early 1960s. The jacket shape is quite distinctive – short and wide, with an important collar and a dropped shoulder.
I bought Vogue 1213. There is something about this model and her beau, leaning into each other, eating (somewhat inelegantly, especially the bloke) an ice-cream. She is wearing a hat, and the suit looks fairly autumnal, although it maybe in a pink, lemon or light blue boucle. I imagine an ice-cream colour. The buttons are nice and extra large in the photograph. The red outfit appeals too with its fancy gilt or sparkly buttons and what looks like a brocade blouse – perhaps more of an evening look. Anyway I fell for the pattern – the shortish sleeves, double breasted jacket and the neat 1960s skirt really appealed with its perfectly placed pockets.
The thing that is worrying me about this outfit is the shape of the jacket. While it is very fetching on Ice-cream girl, the back view (and a quick measurement of the pattern pieces) shows us what is going on. The shoulders are slightly extended, creating a dramatic curve up from the waist, front and back. Although it is hard to see this on the photograph. The back of the jacket stands away from the slim skirt, and the sleeves are quite wide and not tapered towards the wrist. I wouldn’t want to alter this pattern to make the sleeves and back narrower, nor to alter the shoulders as that would detract from the original design. But I am not sure it is going to be the most flattering shape for me – the jacket is cropped and loose fitting. I guess I will make it up – it will be a fun project. I am keen to try the dropped shoulder after seeing some interesting examples at the recent Burberry Makers House exhibition.
Making clothes for men – Weldons 1940s Sports Jacket
I bought a lovely old jacket pattern on eBay. Weldons (“For a wide choice of simple styles”) was formed in 1879 and was Britain’s first major pattern company. It seems to associate menswear with pipe smoking, but these nice patterns will produce a genuinely vintage jacket. I bought the Weldon 2253, on the right, for a fiver. I was keen to buy avoid US Men’s patterns for a tailored jacket because of the predominance of the sack suit as a standard US design. I wanted a more fitted Saville Row type shape for Gus, although the ideal is actually an Italian style (the different cuts of men’s suits is covered here)
This pattern has been around since the Second World War – it’s about 70 years old. I don’t think it had ever been used and it was with a sense of great excitement that I unpacked the pieces (most of which seemed to be to do with the pockets), looked at the scant instructions, and decided I had best make a toile.
The size is chest 36″ whereas Gus is a couple of inches wider. But he is slim, and likes a slim fit look. I decided to make it up straight from the packet and then see how it fits on Gus. Adding additional width isn’t too difficult, although this particular pattern has “no side seam”, with the actual side seam moved towards the back, as you may be able to see on the technical drawing. . At the side seam position is long dart. The CB seam is curved creating a distinctive waisted look that I think may be nice on Gus.
Making a toile for a jacket can be fairly quick. One back, two fronts, the upper collar and one, two-piece sleeve – just six pieces. You don’t need the front facing or the under collar for fitting purposes. Leave off the hems. And thankfully the three pockets. When I make a toile I just mark with a felt tip – no need for tailors’ tacks at this stage.
Making a tailored garment in calico is a bit challenging as there is not much give in the fabric. With a decent wool the collar (under collar cut on the bias and pad stitched) and the sleeves (which are shrunk and eased in) work beautifully. With calico not so much. Nevertheless with a little imagination you can see how these features will work in woolen cloth, and at this stage we just want to check the size, the fit, the proportions and the style.
Here is the toile. I was worried that the collar and revere might be on the large side but I think, once constructed, this will be just fine. I am also concerned that the sleeve is a little full. If Gus doesn’t like it I will re-cut it much higher and redraft a slimmer sleeve. The slight gathering at the sleeve head is due to this being made out of calico rather than a wool jacketing cloth.
Gus tried on the jacket, which is one size too small for him. “Didn’t you measure me first, Mum?” I did indeed. Gus 38″ Pattern 36″. However I thought it might work. It didn’t.
However I could easily see what alterations would be required to make it fit. The jacket is too narrow across the chest – you can see the pull at the back shoulder and armscye. But the shoulder length is quite good. I propose to split the front up the princess line (what is this line called on a man?) and add an inch of width at the front. This will extend the shoulder by an inch which is probably OK so long as I get the pitch right. In terms of the back i am going to add a similar amount of extra width. I may add a little at the CB and side seam too, but I also need to get that inch in on the back “princess line”. Then I will review the shoulder at the next fitting. Overall this adds four inches to the chest giving sufficient ease. I hope.
At the moment there is too much in the “skirt” of the jacket (again there must be a better word). I am tempted to leave this for now. I will add a little to the length above the waist, maybe an inch. The rest of the jacket fits reasonably well, eg the sleeve and the overall length are quite good. I also like the waisted look and the size/shape of the collar. I will make up a second toile with these alterations as I feel this pattern has lots of potential. I was particularly pleased that Gus could see it too. I was worried that the sleeve might be too full, but it is actually cut very high – I may have to drop it just a little bit, although I think this will right itself when we get sufficient fabric into the width across the chest.
Any other thoughts or suggestions?
In terms of fabric we are considering a light grey herringbone which I will show you next week. Incidentally I am sorry about the horrible dark corner I am getting on all my photos at the moment. I will have to get a new phone, and have one on order.
School Uniform
A few weeks ago I posted a picture of my grandson on his first day at primary school. He looked a little bewildered that day and a number of you took pity on him. Wouldn’t that ridiculous uniform get anyone down? A shirt with a collar, a tie and a blazer for a four year old? With a pair of grey, flannel look pants? Jeez, you said, what are you Brits like? People from countries where kids wear kids clothes for school find the whole phenomenon rather strange, so I thought I would share my views and experience.
Well not all Brits do this to their children, far from it. Lots of schools allow the children to dress as they wish (within reason). But the incidence of school uniform is widespread in UK schools, not just for the upper classes. Many ordinary state schools, church schools, comprehensive schools, academies and free schools stipulate a uniform for the children. And while some have a “casualised” version based on sportswear, and nearly all now have trousers as a choice for girls as well as headscarves for Muslim girls, most school uniforms are traditional and non-fashionable. Why are school uniforms tolerated and even supported by many parents and school children? And why does this tradition continue in the UK whereas it has gone in most other countries (unless they used to be British colonies, where the uniform still survives)?
I thought I would give you a second view of Ted in his uniform, so that you can see his discomfort was probably due to the newness of the school, rather than his collar and tie. The photographs below incidentally also show how North American traditions have mixed in with our own – pumpkins, maple syrup and American style pancakes.
The posher, private schools have a more “exclusive” uniform – slightly unusual colours, better quality materials. The state schools often have items that can be bought at high street stores, with just a blazer or even the badge being specific. The private schools often have a hat or cap whereas the state schools tend not to. I was going to have a quiz but it is just too obvious!
But why bother at all? The positive reasons for a school uniform are;
- A sense of identity and belonging
- Less pressure on parents to buy the latest trainers, jackets etc
- Less fuss in the morning as the clothing choices are almost non-existant
- Ease of handing down to other children or selling/giving second hand
- Increasingly non-gendered
- Arguably it helps with “discipline” in that the rules must be obeyed
- Easy-care fabrics that don’t need ironing
- Less clothes needed overall as there are only two days a week wear own clothes are worn
- Helps prepare young people for work where (effectively) we all wear a uniform
- Behaviour outside school is moderated due to the child being dressed in the school brand
Of course on the other hand
- Shirts and ties on kids is ridiculous (is it more ridiculous to expect grown men to wear them?)
- Some of the styles are unsuitable for school use (eg hats, skirts (eg for energetic physical play), blazers)
- Class differences are always obvious even in the clothes, but also in so many other ways
- A real drag for teachers who have to police it when they should be concentrating on teaching kids
- Suppresses individuality
- Retards young people’s ability to make good stylistic choices about clothes
There are probably other pros and cons. My kids went to schools with uniforms (at least until age 16) and, on the whole, I like them. Surprisingly so did my kids, mainly on the grounds of the unifying factor that made differences of background less significant.The other week I was eating my picnic lunch at Alexander Palace and I saw these young women. When they are at sixth form I think it is time to let the students wear their own clothes.
What do you think?
Perry Ellis Knitwear
For years (around 30 actually) I have admired Perry Ellis clothes for their simplicity of line and elegance of look. Since then I found out a bit about Perry Ellis, the man.
But I was unaware of his knitwear designs until last week. After I posted my Perry Ellis dress several knitters of my generation or thereabouts, aware of my new found interest in knitting, told me to take a look. So here is what I found. Ellis designed knits for both women and men, and while some of the shapes and colours are a bit full on today (maybe even “vulgar”), I think they work marvellously as outfits – matched with long, tweedy skirts, culottes or pleated trousers. Simple, classic sweaters – ften with one cabled column up the CF, cropped or pulled in with a belt to emphasise the waist, blousey shapes with batwing sleeves or fuller shoulders – again to emphasise the waist, and in monocrome to provide clarity of line and textural detail.
But while these monochrome and neutral schemes are restrained and beautiful Perry is also known for his bold use of colour. Look at these! Stripes created by unevenly dyed variegated wool, blocks of geometric colour, and the amazing Queen of Hearts tabard style sleeveless jumper also show the designer’s interest in colour and motif. Again I like the styling of these items. The rusty jumper is matched with toning, pleated tweedy pants, and the tabard has cropped pin stripes for a nice contrast. The darker section of the queen’s dress over the model’s middle, and the flattering curves up towards the bust, and down towards the hips, is unlikely to be accidental. The long line geometric jumper is voluminous and colourful. But by pairing it with a long line, hobble skirt, neat ankles and footwear, it stands out in a good way. Tasteful.
Finally let’s have a look at the jumpers that Ellis designed for men. Many of the designs are classics and look very acceptable for today. Below we have a colour work jersey in various shades of brown and purple that looks colourful and fun, and a nice challenge for the wife or mother. The other two jumpers are almost identical to beige woman’s sweater above, and the cropped purple one. A simple cable up the front, nice ribbing and a chunky yarn. Very wearable for all.
Having done this review I have been looking around for a Perry Ellis knitting pattern and I have ordered this Vogue book which I think may include the batwing, cropped cable.
In the meantime I found two “Perry Ellis” sweater patterns that are free for you to download. Neither are actually designed by Ellis – Mark Jacobs, who took over the studio after Ellis’s death, was responsible for the 1980s version. The first is the 1990 Vogue knitting version, which is great but rather warm and chunky, and then we have a 2011 version which is lighter and more of an evening sweater. After Stephanie suggested she is going to produce jumpers inspired by her beloved Canada, I have been thinking of creating something similar with a London skyline.
Designing for men – finding patterns for Gus
Thank you for you feedback on the colour scheme I chose for Gus last week. This is what he said:
“Great stuff. I like it and would wear all of it. The bomber jacket you’ve put there is the exact one I have, from COS! Interesting to see how nice it looks with the other muted colours.”
Just to remind you this is what I am planning to make for him.
- Shirt
- Long sleeved T shirt
- High waisted jeans
- Corduroys
- Smart shorts
- Casual trousers
- Tailored jacket
- Bomber jacket
- Alpaca “Lore” jumper
- Polo neck jumper
- Coat
Let’s see what he says about the patterns!!
Choosing patterns
When I think about the Sewing with a Plan for myself I often assume that I am designing and cutting the patterns for myself. That is what I had thought when I planned my own casual, weekend collection. But when I think about an 11-piece wardrobe for my son Gus I find myself drawn to commercial patterns. That would make the process much easier and, so long as I can fit them (always easier on a client than on oneself) it takes alot of the work away. With self-drafted patterns much of the work comes from finding the best construction method. With a set of pattern instructions I kind of go into factory-production mode, if you know what I mean. I don’t have to think so much when I am actually cutting out and sewing.
So I started looking for suitable patterns. I need jeans, casual trousers, a jacket, a shirt, a T shirt, a bomber jacket and a coat. Shorts can come from trousers. I think I already have suitable knitting patterns although one needs me to adapt a ladies’ pattern.
If you want to do the same I suggest you have a look at this wonderful resource from Sewing Plums.
I did consider the modern Indies which everyone seemed to suggest, but I found them dull and middle of the road. I looked at modern Big4 which seem to be made for the larger, middle aged man. I considered the Japanese pattern books (thanks Lisanne!), but they appeared a bit droopy, and slightly weird. So what am I left with? Burda, which is my standard choice for modern, plus the possibility of some vintage in there, perhaps altered. But I am glad I have committed to commercial patterns. It will be such a relief not to be making it up as I go along.
Vintage and second hand patterns
I had a look at what was available on my old favourite eBay. The answer is
- unlimited pyjama and dressing gown patterns from every era
- a fair few casual trousers and jackets
- some standard shirts
- some wierd but wonderful “unisex” offers
- lots of modern Cosplay, steam punk and Victoriana
Compared to women’s wear a fairly disappointing collection. Very little in the way of knits. Very little formal wear. Hardly any designer items (there was a Perry Ellis but the shoulders were ridiculous. Plus a boring 1980s Dior). But luckily the envelop art is spectacular. How I laughed.
What I bought on eBay for less than £20 (for the lot)
Once I stopped laughing I bought four patterns. I fear that Gus, or anyone without much knowledge of patterns, might have a canary at this point. But I bought these four items, and considered a few others, as they are the right size for Gus, ie 38″ chest, 30″ waist.
- The first, tatty old pattern, is for a young pipe-smoker. Who likes russet tweed. And wearing a tie at weekends. I think it is from the 1940s and I took a risk with the sizing which is 2″ too small. I feel confident about adding a couple of inches to the width (and at least that to the length as Gus is fairly tall). I also thought a slim fit might be good. I will toile this item to see how it goes.
- The shirt, on the other hand, is for a middle-aged cigarette smoker. He likes wearing his shirt untucked at weekends, but the combination of a sports shirt and a formal shirt in a medium size was too good to miss. This looks like a nice traditional shirt pattern and I can make the body slimmer if required.
- Simplicity 6593 is for men who like their casual wear to coordinate, almost like a suit. But at the same time delightfully casual. I bought this pattern because the slim fit (although flared) trousers may transition to jeans or casual trousers fairly easily. [By the way, Gus, flares are very easily removed. Most of the fullness comes below the knee, so it is simply a matter of redrawing the seams from the knee downwards. Simples.] I did consider a modern Burda 6933 pattern with slim fit trousers, advertised as “hipster”. Actually used in the original sense of the word. But Gus wants a higher cut, and we are going to try that with my older pattern. If it is horrible I will come back to the Burda. also thought the jacket – sort of a jeans jacket – might work for Gus. He hasn’t asked for this type of cropped tapered jacket, but it would suit him. I am still looking for a suitable bomber jacket pattern. But no rush at the moment.
- Simplicity 7943 is a “Go Everywhere” pattern. Don’t you love the graphics? You have to wonder where “everywhere” is for this fellow. The golf club, the office, the weekend, and for bank robberies? A truly marvellous late 1970s casual suit! I mainly got it for the tailored shorts. Of course most trouser patterns can be changed into shorts, but I thought these were rather nice (although not with the knee length socks). Soon after this pattern was designed men got into much more voluminous shapes for the 1980s – double breasted suits with the shoulders moved significantly beyond the shoulder. I didn’t want that look. Looking closely this jacket is very similar to the 1940s one. I shall examine it carefully, but for now this is my shorts pattern, with a possibility of adapting the trouser pattern for the cords.
At this stage I feel like a contestant in a cooking contest who has been given four odd looking ingredients and told to make a wonderful meal. I have confidence in these four patterns and I believe that I can make a modern, young men’s, 11 piece wardrobe from them. I have a T shirt pattern that I can adapt, and I will find a coat pattern in due course.
What do you think?
Guest Blog: A meeting with Eion Todd
One of the great privileges of working in social (lower rent and supported) housing in London is that you meet some amazing people.
In my early career I realised we were housing Stalin’s daughter. Olympian sprinter Linford Christie used to live in a Notting Hill Housing Trust flat. But it is not all about household names – I spoke to Linde Carr last year, and this week I met a professional pattern cutter, now more or less retired after 51 years in the industry. Eion Todd has worked in the UK, New York for 7 years, Israel, Sri Lanka and India – 11 different countries, and taught at St Martins.
I went, with Marianna of Sew2Pro, to see Eion Todd at his Notting Hill Housing Trust home in Shepherds Bush. He took us into the shared lounge and proceeded to unpack a bag that contained his greatest hits.
Eion first explained the importance of the pattern cutter in history. “Tailoring approaches (of which Savile Row remains in London) generally use body measurements, which are chalked onto the cloth, leaving sufficient fabric in the seams for individual fitting. Then the garment is hand-cut, hand-stitched and then hand-finished. All this changed with factory production, and it was the skill of the pattern cutter that allowed this to happen – miles of fabric could now be cut and stitched into ready-made garments. The skill of the pattern cutter is in planning, in advance, every single, tiny detail of the garment, so that a skilled seamstress (but much less skilled than a tailor) can make it up successfully time after time. The production line eventually broke the process into smaller and smaller jobs. As the machinists were deskilled, the pattern cutter become more skilled.”
Then one by one Eion brought out various garments he had designed and made. First off was a wool jersey shawl, beautifully smocked to give it shape and movement. Eion explained how he had created this when he was living in hotel rooms and suffering from the cold – he didn’t have a sewing machine but he had a needle and thread.
Eion was born in Newcastle, but his early attempts to study Art were unsuccessful. But, visiting relatives in Hertfordshire, he saw an advert for a job working at Rodex in St Albans. This was “the posh end of Aquascutum” and “they had their own factories and traditions Some of their clothes were patented. Later I went to Shoreditch College, which is now part of St Martins – and then to work with tailors in Saville Row. My next job was with the International Wool Secretariat in Ilkley, Yorkshire (1969-72) where we produced garments for Jaeger.” “Later, when I worked in America, I created stage wear for a very famous performer. With stage wear the fabric is the star and you need to design bearing the lighting and staging in mind”.
Eion believes his best work was his creation of unisex/one size/unfastened jackets from a square or triangle of cloth. “I have always been interested in symmetry and problem solving.” He showed us several examples of these made up in lovely Indian woollen scarves, and black or pink jersey fabric.
He worked with Koos van der Akker and gave him one of these jackets which, Eion believes, entered his collection in Winter 2011/12. Perhaps it is this one. There are certainly a number of similarities in the design, including the spiral sleeve, the raglan shoulder and the collar stand. Eion’s version celebrates the shape of the cloth, whereas Koos has rounded off the hem.
Lots of these garments appealed to me. Especially the lovely collar on the Indian scarf jacket. Eion said he had developed it into a hood that would appeal to women in the Muslim world, and I think he might be right. He also suggested that this sort unstructured jacket could be developed to make a man’s suit, with matching trousers. And lots of pockets. Eion is really into pockets! It is a good point. Why are men’s suit jackets so limited in their shape? Maybe it is time for the suit to evolve more.
(Update) When we met Eion spoke about his design of “double helix” jeans. Since I published this post he kindly sent me a photograph of his jeans, well worn! He writes “All the structure is built into the two helical seams, with the result, just classic “five pocket jean”. A bit more sophisticated than the Levi’s “engineered” jean, eh?
The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined at Barbican
Regular readers will know that, on the whole, I like my exhibitions to be chronological. Whether looking at clothes, fashion, art, artefacts, household goods or photographs, I prefer to root everything in its historical (social, geographic, economic) context. My reviews of the corsets and shoe exhibitions at the V&A earlier this year expressed my dissatisfaction with exhibits muddled up around tenuous themes. I mused that the Museum was becoming just another sensational opportunity; and less an educational experience.
The Vulgar is an interesting exhibition in that, it too, rides roughshod over historical conventions and chooses a range of random categories for the 120 exhibits. But it does have structure, and one I could relate to. The structure is supplied by psychoanalyst Adam Phillips whose comments are the writing on the wall. I have studied, at MA level, psychoanalytic theory, and found it fairly accessible and interesting. But it is esoteric. Here is the introduction from the booklet (on my visit this was being handed out to school children).
“The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined is the first exhibition to foreground the challenging but at the same time utterly compelling question of how fashion revels in, exploits and ultimately overturns the prevailing limits of taste”.
The use of the psychoanalytic term ‘foreground’ is rather pretentious I felt, as well as an assumption that there might be a second or third exhibition along similar lines. Yes, taste is indeed a fascinating question, and I am interested in the topic. As I came home from the exhibition I saw a young woman dressed (I would say) tastelessly – over-tight jeans, high heels and designer paper carrier-bag – but many would disagree.
But while I loved looking at the clothes I am not sure I really understand taste, or vulgarity, any better than I did before. You could call this an exhibition of fashion that has gone over the top – too big, too bright, too flashy, too expensive, too trivial, too revealing, too big, just too too too.
The entrance features a 1938 golden dress, based on a chasuble, made by ecclesiastical embroideriers for Schiaparelli.
We are asked to consider the acceptability of gold as a dress fabric. Can a gold outfit be tasteful even though it is over the top? What if it is worn by royalty? The Pope? A rich woman? A film star? A rapper? A waitress?
- There are lots of Westwood garments – the “Tits” top, the nude body suit with a strategic fig leaf, and the magnificent Watteau-inspired, sack-back green evening gown. Bravo Viv!
- There is a Mondrian dress and several copies, including a jersey one, (in the shop).
- Some astonishingly wonderful Galliano for Dior. Not exactly wearable, but clothes used to explore ideas, to celebrate artistry, to add something amazing to the human form. To me this is not the least bit “vulgar”.
Galliano wedding dress - A 1964 “topless bathing costume” that is exhibited here on a mannequin. Large Bridget Jones-type knickers are worn with thin shoulder straps. The notes think that putting the costume on a mannequin is somehow much more realistic than pinning it to the wall, as it was for a V&A exhibition in the 1970s.
1964 Rudi Gernreich topless swimsuit - Pam Hogg – who I had not come across before – and her perfected cat suit
- Garments that I consider somewhat tasteless, but I can see the appeal. This made me realise I divide fashion into four categories. I would a) wear b) admire but never wear c) well done/interesting, but not my taste d) not very nice. Personally I like to look at clothes and appraise them in subtle ways – not with just a visceral – uggh, but engaging with the designer to appreciate their design. a) is a modern house of Schiaparelli, b) Moschino, obvs, c) is modern Lagerfeld for Chanel and d) is the Prada bra coat. This one got me. I really liked the style of the coat and the way it went from blue to pink via some interesting trimmings and strips. But I think it would have been much nicer without the black and white bra. I would have left well alone. But then it would not have had the shock factor, or got itself into the media.
I enjoyed the short film Speaking of the Vulgar – where Hussein Chalayan proves himself to be a dab hand at academic psycho reflection – as various international designers discuss vulgarity with Judith Clark the exhibition’s curator. They mainly seem a bit perplexed by the topic. I loved Stephen Jones’ contribution where he sees vulgarity as the spice, the salt and pepper in our food. Our food would be very dull without it. If he means experimentation, pushing the boundaries, playfulness, sexual allure, naughtiness and daring – I am with him. This is what fashion brings us – never just a way to clothe our bodies.
Basically this exhibition is too clever by half, in my view. The language and words are always pregnant with double meanings. The asides are too frequent and there to impress. The museum and concept of exhibition is problematised and dissected. For example “Fashion extends the body’s reach – its daring – and manages the distance between the viewer and the viewed”. Um, yes, but sort of so what?
However it is completely saved by the clothes which are marvellous, thrilling, entertaining and interesting. It cost me £12 to get in, but for me, it was worth every penny. Fascinating business, Fashion.
Colour Analysis for Men – Designing Gus’s wardrobe
I have written several posts about Colour Analysis. Search the tag Colour Analysis if you want to know more (or hire me to do your colours!).
I think colour is really important – alongside getting the styles right for your body.
I managed to get Gus to come down for a “quick” colour analysis last weekend. My conclusion is that Gus’s primary colour direction is Cool – he suits colours that have a bluish undertone. That said some of the warmer and muted browns did look very nice on him. This is probably because his secondary direction was muted, and the muted shades were almost as good on him as the cools. He generally doesn’t look his best in black, the very bright reds, yellows and blues. I also looked at deeper and lighter colours on him. My findings were inconclusive. In some colours the lighter shades were better, and in others the darker. I would say Gus can choose the darker or lighter colours as he pleases – so long as the colour is right, the depth of colour is less important.
In summary this means we are looking for colours with a cool undertone and a soft, dusky quality. Gus was happy with this instruction.
His best neutrals are medium grey and soft navy, confirming the colours Gus tends to choose for his working wardrobe.
The consultation (as well as being done fast), was interesting in that Gus looked really nice in some of the deeper, muted reds. Another excellent choice was lemon, and actually the beige. And Gus has suggested he might like to wear more green. So plenty to go on there, especially for his casual wardrobe.
We had an initial discussion on the kind of garments that Gus would like in his wardrobe.
- Shirt
- Long sleeved T shirt
- High waisted jeans
- Corduroys
- Smart shorts
- Casual trousers
- Tailored jacket
- Bomber jacket
- Alpaca “Lore” jumper
- Polo neck jumper
- Coat
Clearly we didn’t have time to fill in the details. Gus had to rush off. Apart from the male version of the light grey Lorelle sweater (my translation) we don’t have any ideas yet on the exact style, pattern or colour schemes. The shirt may be a short sleeved linen shirt. The T shirt may be a sweat shirt. For me the Bomber jacket is a chance to do something really creative (eg hand painted silk).
I was keen on having some grey-brown taupe in this wardrobe – perhaps for the corduroys and the casual coat. This would give us the chance to have some deep muted reds too as these reds looks great with browns. But this rather subtle colour scheme is talking to me- it is a summery palette but it is a harmonious cool-muted palette that I feel would suit Gus.
So, having done the colour analysis I have had another go at the list. The inspiration pictures below are more for the silhouette rather than the exact colours or design.
- Shirt – white or beige
- Long sleeved T shirt – blue and white stripes
- High waisted jeans – dark blue
- Casual trousers – soft green
- Corduroys – taupe
- Smart shorts – soft blue
- Tailored jacket – soft blue
- Bomber jacket – hand painted silk including beige, soft greens and blues
- Alpaca “Lore” jumper – light grey
- Polo neck jumper – Airforce (deep grey blue)
- Coat in grey – no pictures!
I haven’t got Gus’s reaction yet, but I hope he likes the direction this is going. If not I will have a rethink.
1958 Rugged, Two-colour Ski Sweater by Vogue Knitting
Do you do New Year’s Resolutions? I do! And this year I set myself the task of reading one book a month.
I had been making good progress.
January (6)
- Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Emperor of All Maladies; A Biography of Cancer
- Stephen King, The Green Mile
- Stephen King, Mr Mercedes
- Rachel Abbott, Sleep Tight
- Philip Gould, When I Die: Lessons from the Death Zone
- Marguerite van Geldermalsen, Married to a Bedouin
February (4)
- Stephen King, Doctor Sleep
- Kate Atkinson, A God in Ruins
- Keith Houghton, No Coming Back
- Margaret Atwood, The heart goes last
March (5)
- Liliana Hart, Dirty Little Secrets
- Ford Maddox Ford, The Good Soldier
- John Le Carre, The Night Watchman
- Ruth Picardie, Before i Say Goodbye
- Jacky Fleming, The trouble with women
April (4)
- Mikhail Bulgakov, Heart of a Dog
- Danielle Steel, Flowers in the Snow
- Veronica Roth, Divergent
- Veronica Roth, Insurgent
May (3)
- Kimberley Chambers, Payback
- William Blacker, Along the Enchanted Way
- Hanya Yanagihara, A Little Life
June (2)
- Elizabeth McKenzie, The Portable Veblen
- Michael Frayn, Towards the End of the Morning
July (3)
- Hannah Rothschild, The improbability of Love
- Mick Herron, Slow Horses
- Nina Sibbe, Love Nina
August (5)
- JM Coetze, The Schooldays of Jesus
- Mick Herron, Dead Lions
- Sue Monk Kidd, the Secret Lives of Bees
- Mhairi McFarlane, You had me at Hello
- EL Doctorow, The Book of Daniel
September (3)
- Macrae Burnet, His Bloody Project
- Nina Stibbe, Man at the Helm
- Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North
In 9 months I read 35 books – an average of around four a month. I was on track to meet my resolution. Halfway through September I just about stopped reading. Now it It mid November, I do have a book on the go, and it’s a good one, but I am lucky if I manage to read more than a few pages every now and again.
You know what has happened, don’t you?
I have taken up knitting and, by and large, it has replaced reading, because there are only so many hours in the day. Knitting appears to have replaced pattern cutting, textiles and slow, creative sewing.
I am feeling a bit unsure about this.
Do I love knitting more than reading? Is knitting more pleasurable than sewing? Is knitting taking over my life? I am watching more TV (still on the Scandi Noir stuff, so this jersey felt appropriate). I love reading and sewing, but it feel like I have fallen in love. Will my new passion will subside and allow me to get back to other things?
I don’t know the answer to this. But while my reading has languished I have made another sweater.
The pattern
This time it is the Vogue Knitting magazine from 1958 “Rugged, two colour, ski sweater”. This sweater appealed to me as I wanted to try colour work and it seemed like a nice Scandinavian inspired jersey. I liked the vertical stripes and the bold colour scheme. In fact I love everything about the idea of 1958 ski jumper as I remember my parents 1955 skiing honeymoon photographs from Arosa (Switzerland). The original (black and white version) is quite close fitting. My guess is with the 1980s version they made up the bust 38″ jumper and put it on a size 8 (bust 32) model. I made it in bust 34 and it fits well, but not the oversize look captured in the 1980s.
Yarn used
I bought my Aran weight cashmere yarn, in strong pink and deep aubergine, from ColourMart. This company takes left over yarns from sweater manufacturers, twists it up to make thicker yarns, and sells it at much lower prices than “proper” cashmere yarn. But it was still expensive (about £100 for the sweater) and an unusual experience. The yarn is oiled when it arrives, and it feels cottony and stringy. Once it is knitted up you wash it in hand hot water and detergent, then tumble dry. It softens up a bit, but it doesn’t feel soft and fluffy like a cashmere sweater you would buy in a shop. It feels hard wearing, non-itchy, warm and light. But I am not sure I would pay such a high price again. Apparently it gets softer with each wash (I will report back).
Here are the four pieces before I started on the yoke.
Construction
There was more picking up stitches as the main pieces are knitted sideways, as it were. I got better this time around, but I still need more experience. The other new experience was the colour work – making the yoke pattern. I got it wrong, and it is not only upside down, it is also not lined up properly. Also I ran out of yarn right at the end so the collar is less deep than planned. But even with these mistakes I admit I am rather pleased with my jumper. The chunky yarn made it nice and quick to knit, and I wore it to visit our country retreat, Rainshore, now promised just before Christmas. We shall see.
I don’t think a jumper a week is a sensible resolution and I will calm it down now. I have yarn for two or three more sweaters, but SWAP is coming. Do you ever feel your creative endeavours become a little too addictive?
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