OK. Your son or daughter is engaged. The church or venue is booked and in the midst of the arrangements you start to think “OMG, whatever am I going to wear?” This post suggests that you avoid any outfit that is labelled as Mother of the Bride.
MOTB – pastels
There are several reasons for this:
they have significant mark ups like all specific “wedding” items
the styling is dated and frumpy and will age you, eg mid calf length, last year’s colours, fusty fabrics like dupions, satin, lace overlays and gorgettes
the marketing of these outfits makes you feel you have no idea how to dress, and need a regulation outfit
they are over co-ordinated and make you look like someone else has dressed you
they are often fussy and uncomfortable, paired with a hat that you will never wear again
the fitted dress, dinky jacket, large brimmed hat, and corsage (corsage? why? wear a fresh flower if you want one) and bland footwear has become formulaic
MOTB overlarge bright florals
Although this model is unlikely to be anyone’s mother (yet) the outfit is just so obvious and matchy-matchy that it looks ridiculous, especially with the silly shoes. Does anyone really want to wear a big red stylised peony on their dress, hat and jacket? I love florals (and indeed wore them for both my children’s weddings) but they need to be combined with something lower key if they are to stand out in a good way.
MoTB – co-ordinated blues
And once more in blues, turquoise and navy. The individual items might work separately, but not all together like a blooming Christmas tree. That is what all these “outfits” remind me of. Not a Christmas tree laden with things your kids made over the years, some vintage Seven Dwarfs fairy lights, plus last-minute tinsel from the market. Rather a Christmas tree “dressed” to co-ordinate with your dining room decor, or with 32 matching tartan bows, bought as a set from John Lewis. (Christmas, like a Weddings, are more about spending than sentiment).
We don’t get enough chances to really dress up, so push the boundaries and wear something special. But avoid the formula and be true to yourself. What you wear for your children’s wedding should, in my opinion, be
fashionable and in line with your personality type
full of love and sentiment – make your own outfit, do the flowers (or make the cake)
feature heirlooms and traditions – wear grandma’s brooch or a vintage jacket
comfortable so you can be useful on the day
beautiful, but remember you are a support act
Finally, weddings are a great opportunity for hat lovers. Everyone can wear a hat but the shape has to work well with your face and hair. I would avoid, at all costs, an overstated, expensive matching hat that you will never wear again. Consider buying a lovely vintage one, or making your own . Then find an outfit that supports the hat and works harmoniously with it. I dislike fascinators myself but think ephemeral flower crowns or slides are charming and it is not difficult to match fresh flowers with your outfit. My post on under and over-dressing may help.
I realise I need to reveal what I wore for my children’s weddings.
For George and Bianca’s I wore a pink and blue silk crepe dress from the Jigsaw sale, with an old (1980s) Karen Millen jacket I have had since then. I made a cornflower and pinks headdress rather than a hat., and a belt from grosgrain ribbon. I wore bare legs and grey suede courts (a bit MOTB to be honest), and a stunning Victorian brooch my father gave to my mother. I also made floral combs for my daughter and some of the Bianca’s family and friends.
Tearful Mother of the Groom
When Esme got married I wore a nice dress from Aquascutum (sample shop, now closed), and an old jacket from the Topshop sale, a glorious silver praying mantis brooch I got in New Zealand, a silver necklace my mother bought in Mexico and one of her belts from Next.
New Zealand brooch
No hat at this event, although I made the ribbon flower embellishment on Esme’s dress, the Bride’s bouquet and crown of flowers, and buttonholes and floral ribbon flowers for the guests. Here is a better picture of my dress. It is very nicely made with excellent pattern matching, piping and a plaited border on the square neck.
MOTB – with a little attitude
Meet the parents (four sets – we are very modern!)
I wanted to post about the variety of colouring that occurs naturally in humans. Eyes, hair, skin – textures, hues, shapes. I searched the Internet. I was a bit disappointed.
In order to get reliable photographs of natural beauty I have had to rely on the kids. So here is a selection of pictures of children, which as far as I can tell, are not too edited. Search for “green eyes” and many of the models are actually wearing green-coloured contact lenses. And of course “brunette” mainly brings up pictures of women using more than their fair share of Clairol. In providing photographs of beautiful children I know I am at risk of parodying the Benetton advert, slightly sensationalising (black kid/blonde hair), or maybe celebrating diversity at a moment when many aspire to national and ethnic uniformity (in the week when United Kingdom Independence Party got its first MP).
What was shocking to me, looking for pictures of African kids in particular was:
how many included Madonna
how few included a single child
that many were of food stations, refugee camps, medical facilities including white helpers
their clothes were well-worn European cast-offs
The white kids were easier to find as the internet is owned by white people and ordinary folks are keen on photographing and publishing pictures of their little poppets. Although there is widespread alarm about photographing children these days it surprised me that:
many have been styled by parents to look like they are models
their clothes are new and often carefully chosen to coordinate
quite a few of them are a little too “sexy”
And I admit I have struggled to find great pictures of Chinese or Japanese children.
this is probably a search engine issue
many of the pictures are watermarked and for sale
several children are very formally dressed, often in fancy nationalist outfits
putting make up on small children, and even colouring their hair for photographs is not unusual
Maybe this post will offend, or provoke. I hope not. The diversity of humanity – different hair types, skin and eye colour, different builds, shapes and sizes, and abilities – is endlessly fascinating. I can’t say this without also remarking that where you are born and your resources will have more impact on your life than any of these gorgeous children yet know.
our clothes and body language communicate messages
whether you acknowledge it or not, how you dress affects your success at work
this is actually a serious topic for both men and women
Sexy
Three friends, knowing of my interest in style and clothing for work, sent me this BBC Business link on how what you wear may affect your career. It’s an interesting article. When our clothes are neat and orderly we behave more neatly and orderly – making the case for work wear. It quotes some research done by Karen Pine a psychology professor:
“People unconsciously take on some of the characteristics and attributes associated with the clothing. Just this year my research found that wearing a Superman t-shirt affected how physically strong people thought they were and how superior they felt to others.”
All we need
How we dress also affects how others see us. Unfortunately if you wear a cheap suit, or provocative clothes, you will be taken less seriously at work and will struggle to get promoted. An interviewer, and anyone else we will meet, will take a view on us, based largely on what we look like and how we behave in the first 30 seconds! You know this already. But what I found very interesting was the research that shows what we wear influences how we feel about ourselves.
Have you ever felt miserable all day because you don’t like, or feel right, in something you are wearing? Are you aware of the feedback you get when you wear certain clothes? Conversely when we feel we look our best this affects how we behave – have you ever wondered why so many brides look radiant? Our clothes affect our emotional selves. Being aware of this helps us master our own feelings, and helps us affect how others see us. This is not a corny matter of personal brand, as exemplified by Stuart Baggs on the Apprentice.
Stuart Baggs Begs
Self awareness leads to greater awareness of others. Being aware of what we are saying through your clothes, body language and approach to others, strengthens our ability to influence and control our own environment
In planning my winter wardrobe I chose this 1960s pattern, thinking a suit with a waist coat would make a nice change. I planned the waist coat in yellow (or red). Then I found a remnant in light grey cashmere that I thought would be perfect for a dry run, or making a toile as we say. With a French accent.
Fabric choice
I don’t find making tailored items in calico particularly helpful, although that may have been a good idea in this case. This particular fabric is beautiful and soft but it is a little heavy and coat-like.
This means all the facings had to be pounded, and even then they were rather springy, and in the picture below you can see the front facing. The pattern proposes top stitching which would have helped keep the facing flat; drawn in, in black, on the pattern envelope in the days before Photoshop. The nap on the fabric and the overall simple look meant I desisted. It is interfaced with cotton Organdie which is my preferred shaping fabric. And lined with a small piece of light pink habotai silk left-over. The buttons are vintage dark brown leather buttons I got on Clitheroe market, in an exchange for a donation to a children’s hospice charity. They are not a matching set, but close enough. I really appreciate that someone took these buttons off a garment before disposing of it.
Design and alterations
I lengthened the pattern, but made a familiar mistake. I should have added at least some of the length (say 1″) above the bust. This can be seen with the dart being too low for me. So there is some bunching at the waist as it is a little bit too long there. In the final version I will change where I add the extra length. You can also see that the easing of the side piece is not satisfactory. The welts are not as crisp as I would like. The waist coat is designed to fit closely, which I like. But obviously when you want a close fit, the process of fitting the garment needs to be impeccable, which unfortunately this is not.
Simplicity 7865 waistcoat
The problem is worse at the back. The garment is a little too long. You can also see that the fabric is quite resistant to pressing. There is also a line down the middle of the back. This is due to the fabric being a remnant and being folded too long. I did try some gentle sponging but I think it will need dry cleaning to get the dusty stain out.
Back view
So far not a project I am entirely happy with. I like the pattern, even the pointed hem which I was worried about, and the welt pockets. I think the colour is nice too. But the fabric was inappropriate and it means I will not buy cashmere coating again (for a jacket or waistcoat). With a few corrections this pattern can become a good fit. The neckline and shoulders fit beautifully. It also struck me that I could design a fitted sleeve, or even knit a pair, to turn this pattern into a jacket. Definitely something to work on, and I will wear it for work, probably over a long sleeved T shirt or shirt.
When I first started sewing my teacher suggested that we all buy a “wardrobe” pattern. These patterns, which during the 1980s when I was learning to sew, were especially aimed at workwear, have a longer history. Here is one from the 1960s, Butterick 3791, which includes the technical drawing on the front so you can see both the wide choice included, and also how easy it would be just to cut off the trousers to make shorts, or the long skirt to make a short one. The pattern maker simply draws a line across the pattern.
Butterick xxxx
A wardrobe pattern would usually include
jacket
blouse
skirt
trousers
Some elongate the blouse and include a dress; others shorten the trousers and include shorts; a number of them feature a waistcoat which is just the jacket without the sleeves. A coat might be included (long jacket) or a jacket with short sleeves. This one “Today’s Wardrobe” from Butterick helpfully tells you what to wear to work every day of the week.
1982 Butterick 6080
The beauty of these patterns apart from the obvious one of economy is that the buyer would get a silhouette that has been carefully crafted by the designer. And once you have fitted one item to your personal measurements you could apply the alterations across all the outfits. The other fun part is choosing a set of fabrics which work well together creating a capsule wardrobe, as described so eloquently by two of my favourite bloggers Elizabeth (EJVC) and Karen. (Kbenco). Although the 80s styling is dated (especially the shoulders and skirt lengths) if you look at the pattern envelopes there is quite lot to be said for the styling. Those pioneering women executives certainly knew how to put a great look together.
Even Christian Dior provides a pattern that meets the wardrobe criteria.
Christian Dior Vogue 1447
The back of the envelope shows just how many items you get for your money (currently on Etsy for about £6). And a great deal of shoulder padding too!
Vogue 1447 Technical drawings
I have never bought one of these patterns myself, mainly on the basis that I found some of the styling rather too Dynasty-like for my taste. Even the modern incarnations seem to be trying a bit too hard. Many of the jackets are collarless whereas I enjoy making and wearing revered jackets myself. But since completing the SWAP, discovering Geoffrey Beene, and the blog discussions on “Wardrobe” I am warming to them. Although I have many projects lined up I am tempted by buying one of these and working through it, co-ordinated item by item. Maybe if I join the SWAP challenge next year it may be possible to choose this as my challenge.
Of course there are modern version available. Both Catherine Daze and Dr Elizabeth discuss the pros and cons of newly released Vogue 9066, a contemporary wardrobe pattern.
Have you ever had a go with a wardrobe pattern? Has anyone out there gone the whole way and made up everything? And then actually worn all the items?
A delegation from Notting Hill Housing recently visited Romania, where we went to learn about housing, health and education, integration into Europe, social challenges, and issues for Romanians in the UK. After a couple of days in Bucharest we went to Slatina, a medium-sized town, on the River Olt, in the South of the country. The historic centre of Slatina has been sadly neglected as people moved out to more modern housing and leisure facilities. But it has such potential! We could imagine reinvigorating it, restoring the architecture, creating restaurants, bars, shops and homes. So we spoke about our experience at Notting Hill, and how not for profit housing associations work with local government and the private sector in the UK.
Slatina old town
We also took some time to enjoy the wonderful food – all of it organic – and culture. In Slatina a Harvest Festival event was held while we were there. These young people wear the traditional costume of the area. The delicate blouse (essentially a T shaped garment) decorated with cross stitched embroidery, a fur-lined waist coat on the young man, and a striped apron on the young women.
Harvest
Our delegation was led by Dr Ionela Flood, who works for Notting Hill Pathways. Here she is chatting to a lady who was demonstrating how traditional bread can be baked outdoors. I love the way the reds and oranges in her outfit harmonise so nicely. And Ionella looks lovely too.
Ionela Flood, Tour leader
The wearing of headscarves is a strong tradition in Romania, probably influenced by the Turks and other Arabic people who came to the area over the years, although the population is almost entirely Orthodox Christian. Younger women tie the scarves in a different manner. Again there is a pleasant harmony in the blues and greens chosen by this lady. You can see the bread oven to the right, and the three-legged stool, behind her.
The other cook
We visited a newly built church, stunningly ornate with a mosaic ceiling of incredible richness. What was even more impressive, in a quieter way, was the underground chapel used for funerals. This intimate space was newly painted but in the traditional style. I particularly enjoyed this picture which warns what happens to those who don’t obey the will of God.
Modern Orthodox paintings
There is a large aluminium plant in the area, with a number of associated industries. At one factory where components for cars are manufactured we saw a robot dipping the pear-shaped vessels into the molten aluminium. I was transfixed by the shimmering pink colour of the element – so beautiful. But, hot as hell.
Molten Aluminium
On our visit to a local school we were shown an exhibition the young people had put together on Romania’s communist past. The teachers, many of whom had been brought up in the Communist period, believed it was important for the young people to understand their own history. I found this outfit for a primary school age Young Communist rather touching with its hand stitched “Sabina”. No crafty embroidery here. Just 1970s synthetics and bright, hopeful orange.
Junior Communist outfit
What an interesting experience of contrasts – ancient religion in modern churches, Europeanisation plus distinct local customs and traditions, companies shifting from State control to private enterprise, the 15m Romanians who currently live abroad (compared to 20.1m in the country), but always keeping something of home in their hearts. What a brilliant experience. Thank you to the Mayor of Bucharest, the Mayor of District 2, and the City of Slatina. We look forward to working with you on housing, but in addition I hope our experience will inspire my textiles and dressmaking over the coming year.
Now fur is controversial and I am not entirely sure why, when leather is all the rage. Hides, with fur intact, were worn by mankind especially in cold climates and are durable, warm, flexible and beautiful. Indigenous people in arctic regions wear fur from necessity as well as tradition.
Inuit woman in fur coat (Daily Telegraph)
Of course there is a legitimate concern that hunting certain animals for their pelts has already wiped out or endangered species. It is therefore completely reasonable that these species are protected and it is no longer possible in most countries to buy an Ocelot jacket, for example. On the other hand animals bred for their fur – such as mink, fox and rabbits – account for most fur used in garment making today. Although some misguided animal rights activists have released farmed mink into the wild, where they have either perished or gone on to wreck natural ecosystems, there is no reason to think that farming is intrinsically cruel.
To my mind, leather is the same as fur, but without the fur. Unlike humans most other mammals have fur, or hairy skin. Once removed you get leather. The only question for me is an aesthetic one – I have no moral objection to wearing leather or fur. Some people choose not to eat meat, animal products, or even carrots. Likewise some people prefer to wear plastic shoes and fake fur, made from oil derivatives. Leather comes from cows, sheep, goats, camels, dogs, cats and bears for example, and all these animals have fur that can be preserved in order to make fur items. I like wearing leather shoes and belts and I am keen on fur too. I have had a number of vintage fur items – a dark brown fox tippet was a favourite until the moths ate its little ears. Also I have a Russian style rabbit fur hat that I bought in Berlin. It has flaps to cover my ears and cheeks on the coldest days. Unlike wool or synthetics that irritate my skin I find real fur is the most delicious fabric to wear. I am in the Arctic Circle in this jolly photograph. I have just caught (much to my delight) a tiny fish – my first experience of fishing, and my first experience of drilling a hole in the ice first. The instructor holds my fish, and we both wear lovely warm fur hats.
Fur hat in Finland
. Natural fur is also very flattering as it
reflects the light, enhancing the complexion
includes lots of shades of colour (like our hair) which gives movement and life to the garment. If it comes from an animal with distinctive markings then the variety of toning colours can be very pretty, especially when matched to your skin tones.
Balenciaga
Last Christmas I got some “fun fur” and made fur collars for all my female relatives and friends. The free pattern was generously provided by Tilly Walnes. The fabric came from Simply Fabrics and I bought this light grey and some darker grey too. I backed the collars with bright pink or turquoise silk, and fastened it with a fur hook.
Tilly and the Buttons collar
This made me want to make something in fur – perhaps a version of an anorak or parka, with the fur on the inside. Or a luxurious fur lined hood on a cloak. Or maybe just a really nice fur collar in a lovely shade on a nice 1950s coat. I don’t have a plan yet but I would really like to make something furry.
Once, in the eighties, when paint effects were all the rage in Clapham, London, I decided to paint a “marble effect” on our white, wooden fireplace. During preparation I scraped off a little of the white paint – and guess what I found? Yes. A marble fireplace. During the 1960s the previous owners had painted over the “old fashioned” Victorian feature. This post is about enhancing what is beautiful rather than suppressing and recreating it.
Our hair is such an important part of our image and appearance, especially for women who tend to wear it longer than men, Anyone who has become bald through ageing, stress or medical treatments will tell you how very upsetting this can be. It undermines our sense of self and makes us feel unattractive. With hair shape, shade and texture being one of the first things we notice when we meet people it is worth addressing. According to The Economist
“The global market for hair colorants, already worth an annual $7 billion in retail sales, is expected to grow by 8-10% a year over the next five years.”
In a call to action I suggests we dump the hair dye because
avoiding “roots” means going to the hairdresser or dyeing at home every few weeks
this costs money
the colour is unnatural and will not flatter your natural colouring, obliging you to wear more make up
unlike glossy natural hair the dyed hair will not reflect the light as well
the colour will be flat colour and lack the infinite variety of natural pigments
if you are someone with cool colouring the fact that bleached hair is yellow or orange will fight with you
it will change the texture of your hair and may damage it
it can cause rashes and skin damage
it may be dangerous if you are pregnant
most of all your natural colour is much more beautiful than you have been led to believe
growing it back is likely to be a nice surprise for you and people who you meet
White or Lies?
It is a fact of life that, over time, white hairs start to sprout on our heads, gradually replacing the pigmented ones, until in old age our hair appears to be largely colourless or white.
Judi Dench with white hair
In the meantime the natural colour of the hair gets lighter as white hair gradually becomes more prominent. As women and men get older their skin and lips too lose some of their pigment too – and of course wrinkles, discolouration and degradation occurs. It strikes me that, somehow, our hair which matches our other colouring, carries on matching our other features. So changing the colour of the hair, especially when done crudely, immediately strikes me as unharmonious. The older the person, the more the shock. Here is 67 year old Liza Minnelli. Her hair is shiny and has been professionally coloured, but without a version of her Cabaret hair she would be unrecognisable. But actually a softer shade would look better. On older women relying on the services of “Hairport” in Stockport, or Boots Raven in their own bathroom, the colour will not make them look younger. It will actually age them. The shocking effect is caused by the harshness and unnatural nature of the shade, and it will emphasise the paleness of their skin, dark circles and other imperfections.
Liz Minnelli (67)
Gentlemen prefer blondes
Many of us associate blondeness with youth – after all lots of white British kids are blonde. But the universal tendency of young women to bleach their hair as it gets naturally darker is creating a generation of look alikes. Then dying becomes a habit and before you know it you are 40 and still slapping on the bleach. It now looks brassy and you can’t really see it because you are used to it. But it doesn’t suit your skin tone anymore and it just looks like you have something nasty clinging to your head. I know because this was me. I dyed my hair from around 16 until I was over 50, and it really isn’t the best look for me. Also in a black jacket and glasses….hmm.
Funny coloured hair
The ability to bleach hair – mixing ammonia with hydrogen peroxide – was discovered in the 1930s although the techniques were somewhat primitive and users often incured burnt scalps. This was a high maintenance looks for the Platinum blondes of the Silver Screen. Such was the demand for the look that the chemists of Europe and America invested in the technology of bleaching and dying so that by the time Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was released in 1953, and by then you could buy home dye kits which is when it all took off. Apparently over 90% of American women have dyed their hair at some point. In the States less than 10% of women are naturally blonde – and around 12% of the world population, but blondes are the best selling hair colours in the US. Followed by the reds, whereas only 1-2% have naturally red hair.
1950s Miss Clairol ads
Silver and Foxy
Although over time obviously dyed hair has become fashionable, with youngsters even choosing grey over the last few years, initially the idea was to look natural and younger.
Wash away the grey!
I love grey hair on both men and women, and it can look very intriguing. But of course greying hair is one of things we associate with ageing. The fact that 50 % of UK women dye their hair is largely due to this natural loss of pigment as the years go by. So to some extent it is true that covering up the grey can help you look younger. The problem is that most products and shades chosen make your hair look inauthentic, like you have something to hide. I am sure you will be able to tell if someone colours their hair – the colour looks false and this ages people. If you decide to dye your hair go for a slightly lighter shade of your natural colour. Your natural colour with some lightness in it (this is what greying actually is – white hair gently blended into your natural colour).
Here is a gallery of inspirational grey haired ladies – some of them are famous, some are just beautiful. The bottom three are a) a lovely NHHT tenant, b) Patrica, the wife of an old friend Kirk, and c) Judy Buckley, another dear friend.
Going Grey
If you want to try this look it does require some commitment. My preference is Cold Turkey. Abstinence. Just stop colouring your hair. You will get grey/natural roots in around six weeks from Decision day. They will look horrible and may tempt you back to the dye.When the roots first start showing you can disguise this with an Alice band or scarf for a while if it bothers you. If you can resist in around three months you will have more natural hair (ie one and a half inches).
Growing out hair colour
From now on it will appear that you have chosen the Ombre look, and it won’t be so bad. Get your hair cut – getting rid of as much of the old colour as you can – and keep this up regularly until your hair dresser tells you that you are now dye free. Once there is significant new growth it will have the effect of flattering you because it is actually the hair that is near the face that matters in terms of colour. It doesn’t look too bad and you can now consider a shorter style. I reckon it takes around two years to achieve.
There are some people who say dye your old hair close to your natural colour first so the new growth line is not so harsh. As can be seen from the picture above, with growth the line blends anyway due to the differential rate of growth of your hair. That harsh line you spotted at the scalp has gone. The problem with putting hair colour on is that you cannot get a good grey anyway. And all hair “colour” includes bleach (hydrogen peroxide) even if it is advertised as Ammonia free. Even black hair dye bleaches your natural colour away first. So the colour you are putting on starts by taking away some of your natural colour. Its your choice but I would just stop using the products completely and give your hair a break.
A set in sleeve is perhaps the most basic sleeve, but fitting it and inserting it into a garment is fairly advanced. It is one of my favourite parts of dressmaking and getting it right gives me a great deal of pleasure. An arm and a shoulder are fairly complex body parts and the arm moves more than most others during the day. So the sleeve needs to fit well into the bodice, it needs plenty of opportunity for movement both at the shoulder and elbow. This is usually achieved by building some ease into both the armhole and the elbow. The fullness is then “eased” – meaning it is gradually worked into the shape, or tucks, pleats or gathering are used to suppress the fullness. The set in sleeve is normally in one piece. For a closer and more accurate fit a two (or even three-piece) sleeve is used. Here the shaping is built into the seams of the sleeve.
Classic set in sleeve
Sleeve length
From a sleeveless (or even cut away) bodice we can have the slightest hint of a sleeve – the cap, or extended shoulder. This is a nice simple look, and if you wish to balance out your shoulder line with your hips this can look pretty. A short sleeve with normally end at some point across the bicep. Elbow length sleeves have a 1950s vibe and bracelet length were popularised by Chanel, to show the cuff beneath or costume jewellery. Once the sleeve reaches the wrist it is a long sleeve and often has cuffs to finish the sleeve. When choosing the length of sleeve you wish to use consider the width of your shoulders, chest and torso and find a length that is flattering to your shape as well as the design of the garment. In fact just changing the length of the sleeve can make a real difference to the look. Often when I am making a garment with sleeves I try on without the sleeves and find the look very different and sometimes even better.
Sleeve fullness
Just as the length of the sleeve can vary, so can the fullness (width) of the sleeve. Fullness at the sleeve head with allow a gathered, pleated or tucked sleeve. I personally really like the puff sleeve and must make one soon. During the 1940s we saw a lot of structure in the sleeve head, often boosted by a shoulder pad in the blouse or jacket. This gave women a more “masculine” line and it works well on women with fuller hips. Alternatively fullness at the wrist can be gathered into a “bishop” sleeve or similar, or left open creating a flared sleeve. A subtle version of this is nice – exaggerated ones can be impractical to wear as they flap around. There are other variations with fullness – the Juliet sleeve seen in pre-Raphaelite paintings has fullness at the top with an elegant long sleeve attached. The leg o’mutton sleeve fashionable in Victorian times is an exaggerated version with significant fullness at the top of the sleeve.
Raglan sleeve
Raglan sleeve
The Raglan sleeve is cut differently to the set in sleeve and was apparently designed by Lord Raglan following the lost of his arm at Waterloo. The style made both dressing and movement more streamlined. The sleeve pattern is adapted so that it includes some of the bodice at the shoulder and is defined by two elegant lines from underarm to neck. It is commonly used in sports wear (the baseball shirt especially) and loose-fitted coats. It flatters people with larger shoulders as it minimises the appearance of width.
Sleeves cut with the bodice
The most basic sleeve is the one cut out with the bodice – a T shaped garment. This is what you would probably make if you were creating basic garments, perhaps in fur before weaving was invented. The anorak, kimono and many other traditional garments have this construction. Here is a Batwing pattern where the sleeves join the bodice more or less to create a cape.
Pucci Batwing top
A less exaggerated look would be the Dolman, and the more sleeve-like Kimono. As the sleeve gets slimmer it will need a gusset to allow movement.
Kimono sleeve
Style tips
The set in sleeve (fitted or semi fitted) is the most common sleeve by far, especially today when sleeves are generally not much of a feature, unfortunately.
scale is important. On petit women look for petit styles – the puff, the fitted sleeve, neat cuffs, and ensure the sleeves don’t come below your wrists. Larger people can wear bigger sleeves. Sleeves cut with the bodice can be more flattering as can the Raglan
if you have big shoulders consider a short sleeve to give a horizontal line at bust level or lower
small shoulders can wear fussy sleeves and shoulder pads
if you have big hips consider sleeves to balance out the width lower down
sleeveless shifts look best on straight body shapes
fullness at the cuff (bishop or flared) can work for slim, tall women
the bracelet length, popularised by Chanel, is nice on everyone in my opinion
sleeves in a different colour or fabric can look good on straight body shapes
when fitting, give the sleeves enough time. It maybe worth creating a sleeve block that you can adapt to use alongside your commercial/bought patterns
when making up remember the grain should run down the centre of the sleeve (side on) and the grain and sleeve hem should also be level with the floor
a bias cut sleeve can be very close fitting and elegant, but is perhaps best used for an evening dress
fullness should be carefully distributed and sleeves eased in unless they are specifically meant to be gathered
if you are designing for yourself interesting sleeves can make all the difference to a simple outfit and can make or break it.
I want to go digital! I want to take all my self-drafted patterns and make them into neat little computer files. Then I can trash all those bits of paper, folded into recycled brown envelops, stuffed into magazine holders. (With a rough sketch on the outside to remind myself what I was thinking, dated, with measurements). I want to be able to take my pattern and make it smaller for my daughter, or bigger for a friend. Having tried the pattern I want to make alterations quickly and accurately to all adjoining parts. I want to be able to send a pattern to a friend in Melbourne or Toronto without having to buy stamps.
When I learnt to pattern cut (in the 1970s and 1980s) I used paper, pencil and a set square. I still do. I like working with paper and scissors and feel safe with these tools of my trade. I have a set of curved rulers and other useful equipment to make my patterns professional. And yet – the lure of digital kept badgering me.
“Imagine! You too could join the internet age. Look at all the young women, world-wide, expressing themselves through pattern design,” Temptation suggested.
“I already have a blog. Isn’t that enough?”
“Maybe your pattern cutting skills are more developed,” Pride whispered in my ear.
“But their IT skills are far more advanced,” I countered.
Encouragement smiled sympathetically “Maybe one day you could learn how to do it!”
“My brain is old and I can barely use Photoshop” I warned.
“Make a commitment. Find a friend and collaborate” Wisdom replied.
Digital Pattern Cutting Course
Maybe the same thoughts have occurred to you. I looked for evening courses where I could learn digital pattern cutting with an experienced teacher, but was disappointed. The London College of Fashion runs such a course, but only as part of three-year undergraduate degree. I thought of employing an expert to give me individual lessons. I talked it through with my friend Suzie of Huckleberry. Suzie is a talented designer who makes fabric, screen prints tea towels, and aspires to her own clothing range. She is very experienced in using Illustrator and related packages but she is a novice at pattern cutting. So she suggested we sign up for an online course and support each other to develop our skills. Great idea Suzie.
Suzie Kemner
So in June she and I both signed up for Burda’s Digital Pattern Drafting with Lauren Dhal. Lauren is based in Utah (“No, we are not Mormons!”) and gives her classes by pre-recorded Video once a week for eight weeks. An experienced Illustrator user, and commercial pattern designer, she offers courses in her own name, as well as through Burda. Lauren is an enthusiast and we enjoyed her cheery approach.
Lauren Dhal
It cost around £90, provides 8 lessons lasting between 30 minutes and two hours, weekly assignments which are checked by Lauren, and a message board so you can communicate with 100 or so other students across the globe. As a concept it was pretty wonderful, and we both started with high hopes. To support our learning, and each other, we agreed to meet up each Monday evening to work through the material together. And to eat pizza. The material is only available for 12 weeks – after that it disappears, so if you haven’t got it by then, tough. However Lauren will mark you work even if its late, so that is good. And she offers to answer any questions you may have.
The strength and weakness of an on-line course
Of course correspondence courses and distance learning have been around for a hundred years. Especially for sewing as many women could not go to classes due to family responsibilities or living in the sticks. And the internet has really replaced these courses with many techniques being explained patiently by gifted amateurs with home made videos and photo story formats. In fact until recently Lauren provided alot of this information free on her own website so you could see if it was for you, in advance.
Learn at home!
Blackboard.com is the platform Burda use to deliver the content and it is not bad. It enables anyone to upload a course and provides for assignments, chat rooms, and support for the delivery. Chirpy music comes on, then you see Lauren’s little face in the corner and a big computer screen, just like yours at home. As she clicks on various drop down menus in Illustrator (really quickly) you can watch and see what happens. You can then replicate the actions to get the outcomes. I found myself having to stop the video every few seconds to catch what she was doing, but by the end I could basically use Illustrator. My take on this is that it is quite a reasonable approach but alot depends on the content.
Would I recommend the course?
Perhaps. I personally found the pace far too fast for me. Whereas Suzie has 15 years of experience with Illustrator, I was completely new to it. I found it pretty challenging and certainly Lauren’s introductory lesson was really hard going, trying to learn all the functions that we would need on Illustrator. I especially struggled with pen tool, despite finding some exercises on-line and getting extra help and encouragement from my colleague Nicholas Mawley at Notting Hill Housing. Lauren sometimes fails to spell out every step and I spent a whole Saturday trying to move my work around without being able to work out how she did it. She is not always 100 per cent accurate – the breezy style begins to grate when she slips over details that you need to know.
Nicholas Mawley
Bottom line – Illustrator is an amazing and very powerful tool. It allows you to create virtually any diagram, drawing, logo or pattern, but it is not easy to master. To learn the basics in one week is a pretty tall order especially when you haven’t got a one to one teacher. Sweet Suzie was very patient and helped me produce a skirt block on Illustrator which I submitted for my home work. This was the meat of the course. Lauren uses Winifred Aldrich (“Is he a man or a women, I dunno!”) and although I own this book she relies on a later edition so that didn’t help. For me I needed much more time and one to one support to get to grips with Illustrator. Really it was a heroic assumption that one might learn digital pattern cutting in 8 weeks. I am not sure how many of the 150 students dropped out, but I did.
Suzie really had the opposite problem. She more or less knew everything there is to know about Illustrator and was disappointed that Lauren just went through the book – something she could do herself.
Some of the course was brilliant – a Google spread sheet (which I easily converted to Excel) that automatically does all the calculations for you. And just seeing how Lauren does slash and spread, adds seam allowances and tiles her patterns were creative and useful classes. Here is the schedule, in case you are interested.
Adobe Illustrator Essentials
Preparing Measurements for Block Creation
Creating Blocks in Illustrator
Adding/Subtracting Seam Allowances
Tiling Patterns for At-Home Printing
Modifying Blocks to Create Unique Styles
Grading Your Pattern
Pattern Markup
Specific proposals for improvements
If I were Burda I would sort out the many small, irritating features that stop this course being as good as it could be:
Lauren makes quite a few errors – for example she gets the angle of the darts wrong on the skirt block. She admits this after a number of students complain, but doesn’t go back and correct the lesson
there are mistakes in each lesson that really require re-recording
get the order of the classes sorted out and label them correctly
release the lessons at the same time every week, giving students in each time zone the release time
sort out the glitches in how you receive files from students. The failure to upload assignments was a constant problem
Lauren’s mistakes would be acceptable in real life, and if one were already very familiar with both pattern cutting and Illustrator it wouldn’t matter so much. But if you are just about following this can be disheartening. It is a bit unprofessional too.
Lauren insists on swapping from metric to imperial measures throughout which is really irritating. Use metric and then tell people they can convert it at the end if they want.
specifically warn students that this course is not really suitable for people who have no Illustrator or Pattern Cutting experience. It is best for people with a good knowledge of both.
The future
These skills are worth knowing and there are tremendous advantages in making digital patterns. The main one is accuracy. A pencil and set square can never be as exact as a programme which is accurate to the millimetre, and it is just great being able to square off your pattern automatically. You can line up your pattern pieces and check they will sew up easily. You can accurately measure curved lines (rather than using the side of your tape measure). If you already have made patterns up it would be relatively easy to digitise them, but I wonder what it is like to go from a drawing of a garment to a pattern. I can’t quite envisage that yet. I suppose you soon get used to it, and of course you still would have to try out the garment as a toile, in any event.
Over time we will surely find a better way. Maybe technology already exists that converts a drawing into pattern pieces? Maybe it is possible to put your measurements in and a pattern comes out? Using Illustrator seems to be a really laborious way of using technology to do what we have always done. With the apparell industry being such a huge market there has got to be work going on, on moving from idea to garment in a more elegant way.
In the meantime I am sure people would like a course teaching these skills face to face in London, or other major cities. As far as I know nearly every real life pattern course available today teaches the pencil and paper method which has been current for a century. Opportunity, anyone?
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