So farewell Sam Cam!
Last week we lost our Prime Minister David Cameron. This is not a party political blog, so I will not comment. This is style and stitching blog so I will comment on his wife Samantha, who is both very pretty and a good dresser. She promotes British fashion, generally dresses beautifully and appropriately and a dear friend (Annie B) asked me to write up her wardrobe.
Let’s start with a quick analysis of her figure and colouring. Helpfully there are lots of pictures of Samantha in a bikini. As she has model girl looks (despite having had four children) she is unself conscious in the nearly altogether. Sam has relatively large shoulders (compared to her slim hips), small bosom, hardly any waist, and nicely shaped legs. Her body type is straight (like Princess Diana). She is also slim and athletic, with her legs slightly longer than her torso, and she has good muscle tone from exercising.
In terms of her colouring Sam has bright blue-grey eyes and her hair is naturally dark. She suits cool colours, brighter shades and deep rather than light tones. Photos of her with bleached hair show that you shouldn’t depart too much from your natural colouring. These pictures also show how many women improve with age (now at 45), gaining confidence, working out what suits them and accepting their “imperfections”.
Let’s look at some of the outfits. In general I would say that Sam rarely gets it wrong. She usually wears a high heel – genearlly in a neutral shade and natural tights for a nude leg look, and shows off her shapely ankles. She wears a combination of high street and designer, always putting her clothes together well. The first two “occasion” dresses use pleating and folds to create more shape around the bust and hips, creating a waist line. The third more casual outfit emphasises Sam’s rather straight figure in a pleasing way. Although Samantha is a Tory wife and very much a posh woman, she still retains a sense of fun, a little twist and a soupson of daring. Especially when compared to her husband who rarely departs from a navy suit and a dark tie.
Samantha really does look great in a dress so long as it is a pencil skirt or softly draped. A crisp A line is less successful (the blue skirt, L). The black and orange skirts are flared from a slim yoke and do look much better. But again the best skirt look is the pencil – I really like the colour of the final outfit – a rose pink blouse with a grey skirt and important white or light grey belt. In fact Mrs Cameron has a really good, professional understanding of colour and mixes colours together really nicely.
Turning to trousers we would expect a slim hipped girl without much of a waist to look fab in trousers and she does. I think this is her best look. With smart heels and narrow cut trousers she always looks fresh, skinny and fashionable. Even with the school bags and Converse – in jeans and a grey jacket she looks relaxed and comfortable.
Finally let’s have a look at the most formal looks Sam is required to turn up in. I absolutely loved the vintage looking grey suit and flying saucer hat. I also liked the blue striped dress with a black hat that she wore for the Queen’s birthday. I like it because it has a sense of fun and daring. The white dress with a green belt is not as nice – mainly because the cap sleeves emphasise her largish shoulders, the waist looks a little thick and again a stiff A line is just not her best look.
Making vintage hats at Morley college
Regular readers will know that I am always on the search for new knowledge and I frequent – as often as time and money allow – various educational institutions across London. Last summer I did a two-day course on Indigo dying. This year I was determined to learn about making hats. I love hats. I made two hats when I was doing my fashion training course in the 1980s (one blocked and one flat pattern cut), but I have not made one since. Hat are not just for keeping the head warm (or noggin as the Australian students Ali and Jan described it), and certainly not just for special occasions. I like to think of hats as completing an outfit.
Of course in winter we need to keep our ears warm and a hand knitted beanie, hood or a scarf can all do the job equally well. But I like to wear fur, or something a bit more dramatic. In summer – to keep the sun out of my eyes – I make do with squashable, brimmed sun hats from the M&S sale. I prefer love those big straw hats but they are hopeless for holidays as you don’t want to be obliged to wear it on your head when travelling, along with your large donkey from Mihas.
And if I go to a wedding I see this as a chance to wear something on the head. For George and Bianca’s wedding, I made a headdress with flowers. I felt this looked different and fresh rather than the horribly obvious hats from Debenhams or from specialist shops. I personally hate the Mother of Bride type outfits, and wouldn’t wear a fascinator if you paid me, but there are occasions when it is nice to wear a hat to complete an outfit.
Since I started sewing again (two years ago) I have retained my scraps thinking “I could make a hat with that”, and “wouldn’t it be cool to have a hat that matches a dress?”. There are so many nice vintage hat patterns on the internet – I signed up for the course thinking we might be making something like these.
The course that appealed promised an opportunity to make a hat from the 1920s or 1940s suitable for going to the races. I found the marketing a little strange – why would I want to go to see horses racing with one of these on my head? With no idea what sort of hats were planned I registered and turned up with the suggested materials suggested for a class run by Karen Shannon. My main criticism of the course was that it was badly described, and the materials list was sketchy so no-one came properly prepared. But what greeted us was far more thrilling that making a hat with a sewing machine. We were about to produce brimless, blocked hats in a weekend!
You might wonder (if you have any millinery experience with buckram) how it is possible for a group of ten to produce at least two hats over a weekend.
This was the most exciting thing about the course and, unexpected as it was, it completely blew my mind.
Have you ever heard of Fosshape? It’s a thermoplastic product that looks like white fleecey felt, that you can mould into a hat shape, fix with heat, and turn into a hat by covering it with fabric. In one weekend I made four different hat shapes and got two of them covered.
We were required to produce a turban or a beret type hat. As the course notes had not mentioned blocked hats or the types of styles that would be suitable in the time we had to do our research there and then. I chose some Schiaparelli 1940s turban shapes as my inspiration.
Firstly we were taken through the process of making the hat block out of Fosshape. Wrap your hat block (checking first for size) in cling film, mould the Fosshape to it using pins and elastic to hold the shape, smoothing out all the bumps. Then use steam to set the shape.
You will see that a professional steamer is used in the studio but Karen did say you could use the kettle instead. In fact she said that Stephen Jones, one of our most famous contemporary hatters, had only recently got a steamer.
Once the hat shape is created it is pressed using a wet muslin cloth to get a nice, sharp, crisp outline. Then if it is a cloche shape (for the turban) it is cut to shape on the head. The exact size and shape of the hat depends on the style of turban to be created. I hesitated to show you how funny I look in the swimming hat style. It was even funnier to see five of us looking just as weird. But if you think about it – this process using traditional blocking materials would have taken about a week. I got this result in about half an hour. We could share hat blocks and create some quite sophisticated designs in half a day.
While we were told that you should add an inch to your head measurement I found this too big. My first hat needs to be remade in order to get a better fit. I made two small overlapped darts one inch either side of the CB. This did the trick easily.
The selfies aren’t great. But you can see the potential. The navy hat has since been remade, and worn for work. I need to more of this – either by finding a course or perhaps buying a hat block!
Introduction to Knitting
I have never knitted a garment in my life. Well I made a few items for Esme, when she was a baby, using very simple patterns, the odd scarf and a granny squares blanket.
I know how to knit, but I don’t know how to shape fabric with yarn and knitting needles. And the thing is, cardigans and jumpers are a key part of my wardrobe. I love wearing something soft and snuggly, that keeps me warm. I love the texture of knitting, and I like the “home made”, vintage look often associated with it. I can remember wearing knitted items my mother made for me when I was young. When shopping in charity shops I still seek out handmade children’s jerseys, and Aran sweaters, partly from nostalgia, but also because I appreciate how much work has gone into a hand knitted top and feel sad to leave them in the shop.
Photo: John Davies
As I begin to think about my casual wardrobe my mind has turned to knitting. I tried to knit a cardigan a couple of years ago, but got into a terrible mess. A French friend (French women, in general, appear to be competent knitters) told me I was mad to start with a cardigan. So this time I am planning to make a jumper.
It is knitted in the round and it is made from alpaca wool. I saw the jumper made up at an exhibition and it appealed to me as plain but with a little bit of detail. I also really liked the natural colours available. I shared the details with my ace-knitter friend Stephanie in Ottawa. I am going to quote her at length (but slightly edited) as she is an expert. Steph is generous with her time and help, and she understands some of the issues I might have.
It looks like a nice pattern that is doable for someone new to larger knitting projects. The most important thing is spending the time before you start to make sure that you can get the tension right so that you can expect a reliable measurement for the final fabric! When I knit I spend a lot of time measuring as I go as well, to make sure that everything will line up neatly. I generally find that my tension is looser in the round, so it’s important to check tension knitting in the method that you are going to be using. Making swatches is a pain but at least when you start knitting the garment you are confident that you are on the right track. The other thing is that unfortunately the needle recommended in the pattern is sometimes not the one that will suit your own personal knitting tension, so it’s helpful to have a couple of needle sizes around the needle size recommended for the pattern, in case you need to switch. That said, for something knitted at 5mm you might have a bit of leeway. It’s worth making a few swatches on a few different days, blocking them, and doing a good measure to get a sense of what your tension will likely be when you knit the garment, particularly as you don’t knit often. After I’ve made one swatch these days I have a good idea of what my tension will be as my tension is pretty even after all of these years.
I had, naively, assumed that if you buy the right size it will more or less fit. It is after all jersey. If it is a little large or small does it really matter? I was interested to read how precise Steph is with her tension squares and continual monitoring. I bought traditional 5mm needles and was going to practice my tension on them rather than go out and buy the sort of needles that work when knitting in the round. Will it be good enough? (Remember, unlike Stephanie I am no perfectionist).
Also look on Ravelry to see other versions of the pattern made up. People sometimes offer useful tips about narrowing the neckline, for example, or issues they found with the pattern, as in sewing. I have to admit that I usually use Ravelry to see how many “bad” versions there are made up, i.e. to imagine the worst-case scenario or imagine improvements I could make, or to spot something that seems great in the professional photo but that might look less nice in person. That sounds terrible, as I am no guru of a knitter, but often there will be one nice one and fifty fairly so-so or awkward ones knitted up, even though the initial pattern seems great. If there is a higher success rate with the pattern, e.g. 10% nice ones, I get a better impression of the likely end result. That said, as in sewing, having a successful garment in the end depends so much on the yarn that is chosen, the colour, and whether or not the person decides to check tension (or knows what size will suit them), which many knitters don’t bother to do. 🙂 I think we all start out as that knitter and seamstress, me as much as anyone, and then hopefully evolve. I just checked for your pattern and there is only one set of photos of one being made up, but the knitted fabric looks very nice.
I checked too and wasn’t overwhelmed. I just want to complete one garment I can wear.
Check in with a friend who is an accomplished knitter if you run into issues. Most knitting shops abound in people who know their stuff so even going into a knitting shop is an option. Some people like to join a knit-a-long group where women go to the shop and knit their individual projects at the same time. I have never done that and I doubt that you have the time, but I think it probably helps projects to move along given that there is a regular commitment to knitting the project and others can troubleshoot for you.
This is obviously very good advice. I have put out a call at work in the hope of finding someone who can help me in my lunch hour.
I will let you know how I get on.
From cling film to pattern: making a bodice block directly from the body
Following our recent adventures with plastic food wrap I wanted to test the outcome.
My fitting buddy Pia suggested I draw round the pattern, including the darts, and then make a fabric toile. She also advised a CF zip so it was easy to put on.
The moulding process produces a full pattern – in other words there is a left and right front, and a left and right back. This really allows you to create a perfect fit for your own asymmetric body. But after I traced them off I decided I wanted to look symmetrical, so I chose my better half. Funnily enough this was my left front and right back (that is the same side of my body – my non-dominant side. It is also the one without the shoulder injury. The differences were fairly slight but evident.
I used my pattern cutting tools – set square, neck and hip curves, to create a nice clean line. I added 1cm seam allowances at the shoulder and side seam.
I then cut the pattern on the fold, stitched up and pressed the darts, inserted a separating zip at the CF and sewed the front to the back. It’s early in the morning, and I have my Jammies on. But you can tell I am pleased with the result. Very pleased actually. It is so exciting. It fits massively better than flat pattern drafting and with no additional stages of iteration – back and forth – between paper and fabric. It fitted perfectly first time. I owe most of the success to Pia who knew what she was doing, but this is amazing. The shoulder and the armhole – areas that troubled me with the flat pattern cutting, have come out close to perfect. The waist line, and bust point, are exactly where they should be.
Let’s see how the back came out. Pretty neat, eh? Obviously the whole thing is tight as there is no ease in the block. But I can move and breathe. Overall I am delighted at the outcome. Pia suggested grading the toile up one size before using it to draft patterns. I am not sure what I am going to do next with it. I am tempted to make some T shirts with this skinny little pattern using fabric that stretches.
Two questions I know you will have – firstly how does it compare with the traditionally drafted bodice? As you can see the “close fitting” bodice from Winifred Aldrich is considerably larger than the wrapped bodice block. Obviously the dart positions are not quite the same – the card block has the bust dart coming from the neckline, whereas the draped block has it at the side seam. With both the front and back the armhole depth is lower in the wrapped bodice, and the waist line much more shaped (coming up more at the CF). The neckline is very similar. What this goes to show I think is that the draped bodice is a better and more realistic fit as it doesn’t depend on convention or measurements at all.
And secondly – could you use this technique for making a trouser block?
When we started the process I asked Pia if she had used this technique before. “Only on my head to make a hood” she replied. So if Pia can drape her head I am pretty sure it is possible to use the cling film method to wrap any body part you choose. Two readers have asked if you can use it to drape your lower half, in the hope that it will lead to the perfect pair of trousers. I am sure it will although it will produce something like a legging pattern I guess. You would have to create the trousers from here. But it would produce good pants (in the English sense of the word).
I would like to give the arms (sleeve) and legs a try. If some London sewists want to give it a go let me know below.
Six Napoleon dress update
Since drafting and testing the pattern I made what I hoped would be a wearable toile. I used some purple cotton with appliqued, embroidered flowers on it. The motifs remind me of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
And here I am wearing the wearable toile. It’s pulling all over the place. This is partly because it is a bit too tight. But it is also off grain. And you will see the issue at the back – I tried to make a little flare but it hasn’t worked. It feels like a sari blouse if you have ever worn one (ie a bit too snug). I am pleased to have a back zip, I like the neckline, I like the position of the armholes, and I think I have the hem points in the right place, more or less.
Despite its flaws I was thinking of trying to fix it and start creating the voluminous skirt with some nice green lightweight cotton.
However I took it into my pattern drafting class and Vanda, my teacher, told me to start again. Arrrgh.
I had cut the purple toile using the altered calico. But Vanda thought my crude alterations were unsophisticated and that I could get a better fit. In the class I transferred the original net pattern, plus the alterations to a fresh piece of paper, and then created a clean, accurate pattern. I am not keen, as a rule, on making perfect patterns, as they are only for me, and normally to use once. I have a habit of bodging it – sorting out any small issues during the construction phase. My evening class does not tolerate “winging it” and we are expected to produce patterns with seam allowances, grain lines, etc – clean, final copies. It is a good discipline where the emphasis is on pattern cutting rather than making up a garment. Most students are using industry standard blocks, but this is not what motivates me to study pattern cutting. I want things that fit me and that I can wear next week! But as I have decided to submit my 6 Nap dress as my final project I thought I had better comply.
Many hours later….
I resorted to using coloured pens to keep track of my changes. The blue is the first version of the pattern. Then I made a calico toile. Then I altered the calico toile. Then I cut out the purple fabric. Once this had been rejected by Vanda I traced around the calico. I laid the blue pattern over it and traced around it. I then transfered the alterations from the calico toile to the paper pattern – this became the orange version. I then added 1cm seam allowances and trued all the seams to ensure the vertical seams and the shoulder seams would line up. I included two or three notches on every seam. I finally created the green version and took it into college. This is the step I would normally omit! But I am glad I made up the proper pattern, with each piece numbered, labelled, with grain lines and cutting directions on each piece.
Finally I cut out a new calico toile and tried it on. You will notice I have already pinched out a little dart at the bust point. Because it is too pointy. There is also a little problem with the Left side panel being a little bit short at the top. But these are small faults and easily fixed. The fit is miles better and I have got the shoulders as I want them.
I am now ready to move on to the making the final bodice. No idea what to do about the skirt yet. But I think if I make up the bodice I will be able to drape the skirt. But Vanda is encouraging me to create it using flat pattern cutting.
Lots of progress is being made by other Six Napoleon Challengers and I am pleased to say that Marinna has moved the deadline to 4 August. This is much better for me.
Have a look at
- Sew2Pro,
- My vintage inspiration,
- Pattern Pandemonium,
- Cloning Couture
- Core Couture
- Demented Fairy, and
- SJ Kurtz.
There maybe others.
I have yet to decide on what fabric to use. The bodice needs to be firm and strong to support the skirt, which is ideally lightweight, layered and translucent. I am not sure where I am going with this.
The easy fitting dress – Intermediate pattern cutting 0.7
Right at the beginning of our course we were asked to draft an easy fitting dress block.
If you have already drafted a dress block, making it looser and easier to wear is very easy. You basically reduce the bust dart by half, and eliminate the waist and back darts. It’s as simple as that. Here are the instructions from Winifred Aldrich.
When I first started making clothes – in the early 1980s I made quite a few loose fitting dresses with my basic block. Some had a dropped waist, some had pleats (like a gym slip) and most of them were made from vintage curtains and other interesting fabrics I picked up in charity shops. The 1980s were all about volume and width and this style of dress suited my lifestyle.
I wore a similar style of dress when I was a young mum. Here is brown linen dress I got at Hobbs in the early 1990s.
I wore it over long sleeved T shirts when it was cooler and with nothing (much) underneath on warmer days. In the photograph I am with Esme, George and Gus at Euston station. We are off on a camping holiday. Well I have a feeling that it was John and the children who were doing the actual camping. Maybe I stayed with my Mum while they took off. The children were real troupers and John route marched them through the Derbyshire countryside, whatever the weather. Time has passed, and fashions have changed, and I have come to prefer a more fitted shape, especially for work wear. Because I have a shaped outline myself, and partly because of a preference for a tailored look. However I have been considering a casual wardrobe and my mind turned to this block and I thought I might try it. While shapeless isn’t my best look it is comfortable. Can it be elegant and stylish too?
Making the pattern
I just used the bodice block, created a nice neckline and new armhole, drew in the waist, measured 27″ down and flared it very gently towards the hem. I created a button band and facing, and a couple of patch pockets.
Fabric and materials
I bought a lovely piece of fairly heavy linen from Simply Fabrics for about £5 p/m. I used 1.2 metres. This dress needs to be made of something with a bit of weight. I guess a wool or heavier cotton would have done too. I didn’t use any interfacing as the buttons are just sewn on (no button holes). The dress is put on over the head with no fastenings. I had some lovely, mismatching buttons, given to me for Christmas by my sweet Daughter in Law Bianca. Their size and interesting deep grey mother of pearl colour makes the dress , I feel. I wore it with my pink Converse for a very casual look.
I did dither about the length. In some ways it would be more flattering shorter (knee length) but in summer, without tights, longer is a better length, practically speaking. So I have hemmed it long for now. I think this dress has potential however, and intend to make a second version that is shorter, and probably better for wearing with tights or over leggings in the cooler months. Then it becomes more of a shift dress.
Here are the side and back view. I shall wear this at weekends this summer and think about what changes I might make before designing the perfect casual dress.
I would welcome your feedback. Thank you.
Contemporary, authoritative, appropriate – How to do “Business Casual”
I’m a fifty-something woman working in high tech in Seattle, where the dress code is casual and the culture youthful (and where there are, as in is most tech companies, fewer than 20% women in product development). As a result, the wardrobe piece is tricky! I need to look younger than I am, be casual to fit in, but also project authority – all as a minority in a leadership position. …I’d love to … make the crisp, tidy outer layers that take a casual pair of jeans and a t shirt and make it snap to attention.
This is Ellen. Let’s see if you, and I, can help.
Whereas I am developing a casual wardrobe for weekends in the country, she is looking for workwear that is casual. This look is known sometimes as Business Casual or Smart Casual. I have some suggestions on how this might work for Ellen, based on my own working wardrobe, fashion trends and style advice. I have a post on looking younger, by the way.
Let me use some images from a feature I enjoyed in Stylist magazine last week. The styling is by Lucy Reber and all the clothes featured are reasonably priced high street items. (I have photographed the printed images).
This classic look of a white shirt and wide legged, pin striped trousers is a real winner, updated with a floppy tie belt (and long tail to the shirt, but that’s probably a bit extreme).. This would be quite an easy outfit to make and looks youthful but also powerful. I often use a white shirt to give the authority message. It used to be a jacket, but as men have dropped ties and don’t feel the need to keep their jackets on any more I think the white shirt does what a jacket used to do. I love the looseness of this look – the pinstripe fabric of banking and the city looks so fresh as baggy pants or a midi skirt. You cannot see the model’s curves; with her TWA she looks androgynous. And the flat shoes without socks or tights is a great look too. 10/10 as far as I am concerned.
The next look also takes an authority item – a two-piece trouser suit and subverts it slightly. The suit is in light grey – so not as powerful as black, charcoal or dark navy. It would work equally well in a mid blue, or camel if you have warm colouring. Not girly, but not boss wear either. It is worn with a polo neck, but any simple top would do in a shirt colour – white, pink, light blue for example. And then the suit is set off with trainers. So we have a very smart, grown up look – basically a well fitting trouser suit, with a shirt substitute but with relaxed, fashionable Adidas trainers. Win.
The next outfit brings us back to the important white shirt, here under a plain jump suit. A plain, well fitted pinafore dress would work well too. Choose a deep colour like brown, navy, black or dark grey. Emphasise the waist to give elegance and a touch of femininity, and a serious brown leather handbag works well too. Again the footwear is not feminine but it is stylish. I would definitely want to do business with this woman.
The final picture is another great look. We have a plain shirt dress (I think in a light chambray) – the same colour and look as a man’s shirt, combined with a blazer. But show your legs with clear tights and a masculine mule type shoe. This look would be equally good with tailored shorts which can match either your shirt or jacket.
In summary
- Masculine elements for authority
- Feminine elements for style and approachability
- Overall try for a fairly androgynous look
- Keep the lines clean and structural – the “crisp tidy” look that Ellen is seeking
- Avoid cardigan type styles and jersey
- Fashionable, yet classic looks
- Look for classy details – elegant cuffs on your shirts, modern wide leg trousers in quality fabrics
- Always have one element that is just a little bit edgy and on trend – in these outfits it is mainly the shoes, but an interesting watch or handbag would work
- Classic workwear colour palette – navy, grey, black, blue, dark brown and white
- Perfect grooming is essential – a good haircut, neat nails, restrained jewellry
photo: Esme
(Jump suit and shoes; Topshop, Jacket: Uniqlo, Scarf; Fatface, Belt: Jigsaw)
Casual wardrobe planning No 1 #The pants
Introduction
Recently I wrote about putting together and making a casual wardrobe. I decided to take up Joyce’s exciting challenge of creating a capsule collection that would be inspired by, and suit, my “Lakeside Lifestyle”. I was very interested in, and grateful for your feedback. I think my neutral – inspired by the landscape – colour scheme left some of you unimpressed. And there were a few votes for a skirt. But, for now, I am going to go large on pants. This is because I don’t really wear skirts at the weekend as I associated them (and structured jackets) with my working wardrobe.
I haven’t decided yet what I will put in my collection, but I have started to think about what sort of garment will be required. I am also thinking that I will draft all the patterns myself. I have been doing Intermediate pattern cutting so I think I should be able to create any of the patterns I need before the SWAP starts in January. In fact, although SWAP has got a reputation recently for concentrating on complex, challenging patterns, there are a group of contestants who emphasise the value of the “tried and tested” pattern being used to create wearable basics. I think I will join them next year.
Trouser types
For many of us trousers are the mainstay of a casual wardrobe.
I think that there are four main types of pants that we would might want to wear when dressing down: trousers that are comfortable, easy to wear, easy to care for, but also stylish and individual. Trousers that make us look like we are going somewhere nice, not doing the housework or mowing the lawn. I am trying to identify trouser types that we might like to wear every day for comfort, ease and elegance.
Let’s start with the truth (for me). For an off-duty wardrobe I don’t want anything tailored, fitted or in need of ironing or other maintenance. At weekends I wear jeans. And I wear Pyjamas.
Here I am in PJs.
What can I say. Embarrassing, right? These pyjamas are made by me. I printed the fabric with a block of lino that I patiently carved to resemble a Dianne Von Furstenberg print. The fabric is a nice, soft cotton lawn. The pattern is a 1960s trouser pattern, with just two pieces (no outer leg seam). The waist is elasticated, but there is a flat bit across the middle of the tummy so that the fullness is slightly more flattering. The sit comfortably on my actual waist – they don’t slide down.The trousers are loose fitting: they don’t constrict at the waist, hips, thighs or lower legs. They can be rolled or folded up too. When I am sewing or doing work at home this is often how I dress, confident that I will seen only by members of my own family.
Inspiration
Is it possible to create a stylish version of these pants, fit to be worn not only outside the house, but also nice enough looking to turn heads – in a good way?
Here is an inspiration picture.
This high street outfit includes a pair of soft, elasticated trousers with nice pockets and a zip up bomber jacket. In better quality fabric (Topshop uses polyester/viscose) could this be what I am looking for? Incidentally, according to the Financial Times last weekend;
“The uniform beloved of sportsmen and slobs has become fashion’s most extravagant status symbol”.
Which seems a bit strange. Lagerfeld (in 2011) said “Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life, so you bought some sweat-pants”. However, according to Chloe’s creative director “I think feminine athleticism has come to be a new signifier for luxury and status.” What do you think?
You might think I am completely nuts but I love Uma Thurman in her Kill Bill fighting outfit. Maybe it is the gorgeous yellow colour. Or the stripe. But there is something about tracksuits – a zip front top with sporty pants – that is talking to me. Of course both Uma and the Topshop model are tall and thin and would look amazing in anything. But the matching jacket and pants create a “pulled together”, streamlined silhouette that somehow negates the fact that we are talking about elasticated waist pants and zip front jersey. I will enjoy the challenge of drafting my own tracksuit.
The plan
Casual Trousers #1; “joggers” with pockets, in a plain, darker coloured, sweatshirt type fabric so that they are warm on colder days.
Casual Trousers #2; lighter weight pair drapey pants for warmer days, with elasticated waist and pockets. Ideally I would like an oriental floral fabric (as shown on the right) so I will start looking. If you see something similar do please let me know – in the comments or by email.
Casual Trousers #3: leggings! I don’t have any leggings, but many commentators have mentioned them. I am thinking of just making plain ones – in navy, or dark brown say – but maybe I should consider a patterned fabric. I like the blue floral ones (of course). It may depend on the availability of the right type of fabric. I wear pants like this for yoga and ballet classes, and therefore do go out in them on my way to the gym (usually under my skirt). I am not sure about wearing these as actual outwear, but even as footless tights they can be quite useful. What do you think? Are these a useful item in a casual wardrobe?
Casual Trousers #4; jeans. I already have the Birkin flares pattern, which I have made up before. Nothing wrong with the pattern. In fact it fits brilliantly, so there is probably no point making my own pattern for jeans. I will use stretch denim I think, for its hardwearing but comfortable qualities. My next version will have navy top stitching, but otherwise I just want to make one or two tweaks (mainly to do with the zip and the pocket lining). Totally wearable under almost all circumstances, and being indigo dyed they should soften and fade with age. And while these don’t have an elasticated waist, made from stretch denim they are a different proposition to the traditional jeans of the past.
Making a block with Cling Film (Saran Wrap)
It started with a blog post from Marianna about her Mummification, in which my friend got her new husband to wrap her torso in plastic food wrap. Nice.
I was intrigued! I had heard of people making “duct tape dummies” or mannequins from glued paper strips. As I have a perfectly nice traditional dress stand from K&L I never tried these things myself. But suddenly, on reading Marianna’s post, I realised there was a quick and easy way to create a “body double” with a roll of Saran Wrap.
So I contacted Marianna and proposed a Cling Film Party. I invited a few of my blog friends to come round for Pizza (after the wrapping) on a Friday night. As well as Marianna herself, Dr Elizabeth was in town (from Sweden). I am glad she came – she is such fun. And she brought chocolate.
My Secret Santa friend Megan is reliable when it comes to attending London events. And I was so pleased that Pia of Overflowing Stash was able to make it. She is constructing a very elaborate and wonderful wedding dress at the moment so I was glad she was able to tear herself away from her hand embroidery. Pia is a very skilled designer and pattern cutter and I was so pleased she was able to bring her expertise to our task.
From left to right we have Elizabeth, Marianna, Megan and Pia. Do we look like a Dove advert? I suppose this is the point – that real women have their own personal shape, with their own features, and if you make clothes it makes sense to get them to fit you rather than an idealised size 12, or whatever.
I would recommend this as a good technique to get a block made fairly quickly (around one hour). If you have a competent sewing friend it is certainly worth a try. You need some elastic to mark the waist and any other cross body lines, some narrow cling film (Marianna brought this stuff which is used for wrapping pallets), some sellotape for securing and strengthening, a flexible tape measure to check the dimensions as you go, scissors for cutting strips of wrap, a felt tip pen and maybe some medical scissors for cutting the wrapping off at the end. We also had some black and white fine marking tape that is used for putting style lines on a mannequin, but this is not essential. It is a bit hot when you are being wrapped but with an open window, plus pace, we coped fine.
Elizabeth was wrapped to dress length; Megan and I went for a bodice.
The key with wrapping is to wrap sufficiently to get to the neckline and shoulder line. It needs about three layers. Don’t try to do it in one pass by walking round and round the model. Use strips to mould around the curves. The second important this is not to flatten the bust. Elizabeth had on a sports bra which does this anyway, so I would suggest wearing the most “formed” bra you have to ensure there is a nice bust line. Use adhesive tape/sellotape to secure the wrap vertically, and at the armhole and neck edge.
Once the model is wrapped you need to mark – with a felt tip pen or with the type of black and white tape we used. The waist is marked along the line of the elastic you have around your waist. The rest of style lines are applied like you are taping a dress stand prior to draping. As well as waist, bust and hips you need to mark the side seams, and we also marked the princess lines. You can use the seams on your vest/pants to guide you. Use your tape measure to ensure everything is symmetrical (allowing for lack of symmetry in the actual body). Pia’s experience helped ensure we all got some attention in terms of marking up. This is why a competent seamstress is better than your partner. But some can be taught, no doubt!
We had fun doing this. But it was also revealing, looking at each other’s figures closely and talking about adjustments we invariably made to commercial patterns to deal with our shoulders, hips, etc. I found out that one of my shoulder blades is more prominent than the other – unsurprising actually as I have a shoulder injury. I rarely consider my back, but Pia was able to identify the need to accommodate this.
Once marked the cling film is removed, usually by cutting the CB seam. It is amazing how shaped and realistic the model is. The final job is to cut the pattern open to ensure it lies flat, using appropriate dart lines. Pia shows me how to do this on the floor (with her legs in a yoga pose!) Make sure you label each piece correctly, being especially careful with distinguishing the left and right pieces of the body, CF, CB etc. I will turn this into a paper block pattern and then try it out in calico. The suggestion is to grade it up one size to ensure it has sufficient ease. I will have a go at this and report back.
Spending a Friday night with four other dressmaking bloggers, doing a fun project together, sharing skills and expertise, with wine, pizza and chocolate is my idea of heaven.
I will make up my torso pattern and let you know how it goes.
Thinking about the casual wardrobe Part 3
My friend Joyce made a great suggestion.
Why don’t you make your weekend wear to suit your new house on the water front? Why not have this setting for your next collection? A wardrobe that suits the location and lifestyle – in your colours – the clothing in the vibe of your new home!
Since she came up with this idea I have found myself fascinated by the concept of a “country weekend wardrobe” inspired by the lake side location of our holiday home.
The house is coming along, and is due to be finished by Christmas. And Christmas is the time when the Sewing with a Plan kicks off. So I think this is a super idea for next years SWAP. Joyce has already suggested the twist – by the water – that has got me thinking.
I want to do the SWAP again (I dropped out this year as my collection never caught fire). I want a challenge. So while I appreciate how much many other sewists get a real kick out of quick and easy patterns, made on the overlocker from stretchy fabric, I prefer slow sewing. Taking my time. Thinking it through. Making the patterns myself probably. Getting a good fit even if the garments are less structured. Looking for great, interesting fabrics that don’t cost too much.
Following my last post where I concluded that I wanted a wardrobe that is
- comfortable
- simple
- elegant
- made from nice, luxurious, soft fabrics
- pared down, mix and match
- in a restricted palette, with good neutrals
- stylish
- smart
- sophisticated and classy
- striking, stylish and different
- well fitted
The images below are are stylish women wearing casual clothes, giving the kind of feel I am looking for.
While mainly based on separates I thought a pinafore dress and a jumpsuit (which could also be the sort you were a top underneath) might be useful. The illustrations below are from Topshop – just indicative of the garment type.
I want the following items for a versatile, multi-seasonal wardrobe. loose fitting trousers
- loose fitting trousers 1
- loose fitting trousers 2
- loose fitting trousers 3
- jeans
- unstructured jacket
- sweat shirt
- long sleeved T shirt 1
- long sleeved T shirt 2
- pullover jumper
- loose fitting pinafore dress
- jumpsuit/boiler suit
Although I am a classic dresser I do not like dull, predictable, safe choices. I love neutrals – white, lighter greys and navy. But I am wary of wearing light grey and beige as they can look a bit wishy washy and can (if you are fair skinned) make you blend into the background, especially as you age. I want colour and pattern too. I want to have a “look”, not just wear functional clothes. Again, as Joyce emphasised, without your job your brand is just yourself.
If I take Joyce’s suggestion that the collection should be inspired by the Lakeside I automatically think in terms of colour. My environment is
- White
- Grey
- Navy blue
- Green
- Brown
What do you think? Do I need a skirt? Are the colours interesting enough or too neutral? Will these clothes look good as long as I have the right shoes and hair cut?
I need more outwear, but at present I am thinking my existing wet weather clothes are fine.
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