1966 Pierre Cardin suit – using Vogue Paris Original 1662
I have chosen Vogue 1662, a 1966 Pierre Cardin suit described as
Straight from Paris to you – the fashion in this envelope. Your Paris Original was selected by Vogue at the dramatic opening of the designer’s colletion, then flown to America where its unique styling was translated into pattern form.
Straight jacket with V-detailing has pointed bias collar and three-quarter length sleeves. Jacket lower front is cut on bias. Top stitch trim. Slim bias skirt is slightly gathered onto contour waistband.
There is a very nice Pinterest board of Pierre Cardin but I have searched for any other photographs of this item made up, and failed to find one. My favourite blog Pattern Vault covers Cardin here. Dustin of Make Mine Vogue has also provided me with a lot of information on the date of this pattern. Here is an excerpt from his response:
I happen to have only a few Vogue Pattern Book magazines from the ’60s, but one of them features VPO 1662! It is the Winter 1966 issue of the U.K. edition. I’m quite certain that the design for VPO 1662 is from Cardin’s Spring/Summer 1966 Haute Couture collection. Out of curiosity, I checked the website ‘www.editionsjalou.com’ and in the Spring Collections 1966 issue of L’Officiel there were other looks from Cardin styled with the same style of square hat as VPO 1662, which was most likely unique to that collection. It seems logical, too, that Vogue Patterns only had permission to release the pattern in late 1966 after the Spring/Summer 1966 season had passed, and home sewers could then make the pattern up for the following spring.
Pattern, design and alterations
I was attracted to the pattern as I liked the V detailing on the jacket that may give the possiblity of a little more shaping. I like the collar, the showy buttons and the elegant 3/4 sleeves. I also like the look of the skirt although it is cut on the cross and this tends to be a look I have avoided. Bias skirts make me think Per Una – clingy polyester, calf length and some kind of pink/maroon swirl. Not flattering to anyone with thighs. So before I go ahead with the whole suit I am making the skirt, in a wool remnant. No point trying this with calico – I am keen on seeing how the fabric performs on the body.
My pattern is s12, for a 32 inch bust which will probably be fine for the jacket. I will often buy the “wrong” size as I have to do quite a few alterations anyway. I am pretty sure that the 32 bust jacket will fit me well in the shoulders and sleeves. I may have to adjust for the bust and certainly for the length. And the skirt, with its 34′ hips, will be too tight. So I added four inches to the pattern – two to the front and one inch on each back piece, and two inches to the waist band, assuming any other adjustments could be made in the fitting. The “slightly gathered” look is one I love, and it is very typical for the sixties, as an alternative to darts. So if I have to lose the two inches I can accommodate them in the gathers, or alternatively shape the side seams a little more during the fitting.
Fabric choice
As this is just a toile I have chosen a grey suiting fabric that I don’t like much. I bought it to make Esme a work dress, but she didn’t like it much either. So I will use it to test the garment with no intention of making a wearable garment, but who knows? Charcoal skirts are inoffensive if they fit well, so let’s see. The fabric is much lighter on what I assume is the underside so that is side I will use. Also as you can see it has a herringbone twill weave which should work well on a bias cut item.
Once I had cut the three pieces for the skirt, and marked them with tailors’ tacks, I hung them up overnight in order that the fabric could settle on the bias.
Construction
What a nice surprise! The fabric behaved beautifully, the bias cut is actually quite flattering, the cheap lining sat quietly in the right place. I put the zip in by hand, as instructed and I used 2″ bias braid in the hem to give a nice, soft finish. I loved the faced “contour” waist band that sits very slightly above the waist, which is stayed with tape along the top seam. For the final version I will take half an inch off each of the back side seams as the gathering is a little bit too much in the back, and I may make the waist band one inch bigger to allow for the odd lunch time excess. The uneventful construction has restored my faith in my own ability to actually sew after the horrible yellow dress.
Obama wears beige – what is going on?
Karine from France kindly brought this outfit to my attention – President Obama giving a press conference on the need for an aggressive response to ISIS. It has caused something of a stir in the States where Jared Keller refered to the outfit as “The Audacity of Taupe”.
First let’s look at the outfit itself. A nice summer suit to my mind, although I find the fit on the body a little loose for his tall, slim figure. It’s a beautiful colour – a neutral beige – that can be worn by just about everyone. This sort of beige is an inoffensive colour that is neither warm nor cool; a middling colour that works well with just about every skin tone. Obama has deep cool colouring and looks great in black, deep blue and dark charcoal and certainly these are his best looks for suits.
But in warm weather many men like to wear a lighter suit – perhaps in lightweight wools, linen or silk and this one would be a fine choice for a summer wedding, for example. He has paired it with a icy white shirt and an attractive silk tie, with a bright grey and white stripe. This tones very well with the suit and with the deep cool greys in Obama’s hair.
While I do like the suit, and think Barak Obama looks nice in it, I don’t think it is appropriate bellicose presidential wear. You don’t declare war wearing beige, really. The topic and the seriousness of the issue require a much stronger “presidential” look – maximum authority required. So my choice would have been a dark navy suit and white shirt, and probably a more sober tie. Stripes can look jaunty and sporty, so probably a plain tie in that shade of grey, or a strong deep shade like purple or dark red would have hit the spot so much better.
In the end I find it an incongruous look. This is a man who is saying he would rather be somewhere else, doing something else. His own audacity and hope is ebbing fast. It’s rather sad but his outfit choice is the choice of someone who is a bit washed out and a bit washed up. It’s the sort of suit a retired president might wear.
Men’s style – “Don’t wear Brown in Town”?
My father claimed “There are very few men who look good in a brown suit”. If they get the wrong shade, agreed. But here are some important men who look rather wonderful in a brown suit.
- Ronald Reagan became President of the USA, and showed how it was done. Reagan had cool-deep colouring, with blue eyes, deep steel-brown hair (before it was tinted) and a cool/pinkish complexion. He suited the deepest browns (almost a bluish, blackish brown) and by combining with a decent white shirt and superb tailoring he managed to look the part – leader of the free world. If the president can do it, I don’t see why anyone else would think twice.
US President Ronald Reagan - James Bond took to wearing brown. Utterly smart, again with the high authority white shirt, and a strong, plain tie. All these men are on the cool spectrum – although Daniel Craig is pretty light as well. Sean Connery has deep brown eyes which are complemented by the deep brown of his suit. Piers Brosnan has blue eyes but dark brown hair, which again works well with the deep brown of his suit. Daniel Craig is much lighter with his fairish hair and bright blue eyes. I think he could wear a much lighter brown, as long it was a cool version.
- The TV series introduce brown as a signifier for the seventies
The Mad Men show the way - And now all the cool young men are doing it too
I am hugely in favour of brown business wear as it provides a bit of break from navy and grey. And there are some colour directions that really look great in browns – especially people with warm colouring. But apart from Robert Pattinson (4c) all the men here have deep or cool colouring. Here is Peter O’Toole who had warm, light colouring, in the architypal brown tweed academic suit. This sort of shade of brown – yellowish/reddish warm brown – suit people with reddish hair, hazel eyes, freckles and golden skin tones.
This colour looks terrific on warmer complexions and it is a shame that Damien Lewis and other trendy young red heads like Prince Harry and the bloke from Harry Potter don’t give it a go. Ryan Gosling, hats off to him, for trying, but its not styled so well. His brown is too bright and too light – but the yellow undertones are working well. I dislike the black and white tie and shirt with it. I would have l left off the waist coat, tried a deeper version the same colour for the shirt, or used a creamy shade of white, and if a tie was necessary chosen a deeper warm brown or deep mustard. And the shoes are just really nasty. The silver blobs look like cake decorations and fight with the outfit. Good brown brogues would have been so much better.
How to make a block printed fabric: a commissioned piece for Amandine
I have finished printing a metre of cotton shirting (ex Paul Smith, from Simply Fabrics) for Amandine. This print was inspired by
- a warm colour palette
- stripes
- living by the sea side
- French holidays and looking out of the window
- retro fabrics (like the Lucienne Day Butterfly fabric at the top)
Here was my initial colour palette, created to work well with Amandine’s red hair. All the colours are warm, and have an undertone of yellow sunshine.
- I started by making a small, square lino print. You can buy Lino and lino cutters at Cass Art supplies, or on the internet. My cutters were around £7, and the lino about £1. This comical object contains all the blades you might need, and screws together to produce an implement that you can use to stamp with.
My instrument - I used one of the blades to make simple stripes and dashes in the lino. This piece is cut away from a previous project (I always try to recycle). I added additional marks. By the way this is not actually Lino, but a slightly floppy plastic called Soft Cut that works really well. It doesn’t need warming (like Lino can) and is easy and quick, especially for beginners.
Making a simple lino print - I started mixing colours. Some of the colours in my palette were quite subtle and required five or six shades, but orange only needs red and yellow. This was really a project about colour for me. I wear cool, brighter colours myself and many of my printing exercises have used the colour straight out of the jar. Important if you want consistency. But I felt with this project I wanted lots of colour, and the chance to experiment with mixing, to see what would happen if I put green with black, white, red and yellow, for example.
Mixing red and yellow to make orange - I then tried the colours on a piece of cotton lawn. Initially I tried my usual approach of printing each block next to the last one.I normally like to use big pieces of lino and cover the whole cloth with colour, (as fast as possible) but on this project I was thinking “square windows” and also about 1950s textiles where the images have plenty of background space to “breathe”. I was imagining that Amandine might make a 1950s-style skirt with the fabric. But who knows? We shall see.
Testing a few colours - On the first day I printed all the colours in rows across the fabric, and let it dry overnight. I spaced out the Lino block using a postcard (between the columns) and an umbrella cover to create the rows. A bit rough and ready, but I find being too exact only makes it frustrating if something is not perfect. Also you will see that I didn’t place all the motifs the same way up. I just let it happen. Also overnight (in my dreams, Amandine) I thought about the white space and how it was too much. Also the print was too regular and predictable. In the 1950s textile designers rejected too much regularity and became much more expressive. Also, you can see a little problem here (bottom right). I had made one of the brown blocks a bit too inky and it had come off on the white background. This doesn’t bother me that much – the whole process is rather primitive – but this is for someone else I and it worried me. Overnight I resolved to fill in the gaps, thereby improving the design, and covering up the mistakes.
The print takes shape - On the second day I filled in the gaps with a second set of colours. I revisited the original palette, and having had another look at Amandine I felt it needed to be a bit deeper, both in terms of colours (eg browns) and denser in terms of printed motifs. So I mixed new shades – a more mustardy yellow, a pea green, more browns including a pinker one. I “filled in the gaps” randomly to destroy the steady rows.
With the second prints done - Finally, once the print was completely dry, I fixed the colours by ironing on a hot temperature. I will let it hang on my drying rack for a few days just in case I want to make any changes. But I think I am done.
Guest Blog – Galina the Latvian seamstress
A year ago I attended patten-cutting classes at Morley College, London to brush up my skills, and to meet new friends. It was a fun class and I met Galina (in red, centre). She is a talented craftswoman and I commissioned her to make a necklace for me, which I treasure. Recently she treated me to the Colour exhibition (with commentary) at the National Gallery, after which I asked her to tell us more about herself and her sewing.
I first got into making clothes in 1987 when I was 12 years old. This was the year when Burda Moden started publishing their Russian edition in the Soviet Union.
It was the time of Gorbachev’s perestroika and Burda was the first western periodical to get onto the Soviet market. The popularity of this magazine was enormous. It was bright, colourful, modern, hard-to-get, and oh, sooo desirable. I don’t know whether it was the mere fact that those garments were designed in the “west”, or the absence of alternative fashion magazines, but the looks offered by Burda were unanimously accepted as stylish, modern, and different. Indeed, they were so different from anything the Soviet fashion industry had to offer. The photograph below was kindly supplied by Ludmila Zapletuka. It shows me in a culotte-dress and red velvet jacket, an outfit I entered (but didn’t win) into a Burda competition.
Preparing a pattern was not an easy job – you had to identify the style and size by a specific coloured line, and trace off all the pieces.
Luckily we subscribed to Burda throughout my teenage years and this was when I learned to sew. The clear and well structured instructions for each pattern were my text-book. And my mum was a great help too. She, in her turn, had studied sewing and pattern cutting with a private teacher and when we were growing up she enjoyed making clothes in her free time. My elder sister also made her clothes and at times our flat resembled a sewing studio, where the kitchen table was used for cutting fabric and constructing the garments.
I made my own clothes for about ten years, and that included everything from bikini to outwear. For a long time this was a cheap and easy way to create the looks I wanted. I certainly enjoyed making clothes a lot. There are many things I forgot about those days but I still remember very vividly every piece I made. I considered dressmaking as a future career, but my parents talked me out of it and I became a teacher of English instead. I stopped making clothes as soon as I started working. I guess I believed that, as a sign of maturity, I would now buy pret-a-porter with my own salary.
My revived interest in dressmaking, and more precisely pattern cutting, is fairly recent. After about a fifteen-year break I have decided to take my sewing skills to the next level and start sewing to my own patterns. I have now done two years at Morley College studying pattern cutting.
Between classes I work part-time. About a year ago I became a seamstress for a Mayfair alterations studio. We mainly focus on luxury menswear for a number of local shops, but also do alterations for private female clients. Doing alterations is a very challenging job. In a way it is similar to surgery. You usually work on a small part of the garment and have to be very precise. Your stitching has to blend in with original seams and the altered garment should look like it hadn’t been played around with at all.
My most recent finished project (there are a few unfinished ones!) is a bolero jacket. Our client was going to a Christening in a strapless dress, and wanted something to cover her shoulders in church. I designed a bolero jacket with raglan sleeves. I made up a pattern based on my bodice block, and produced a toile first.
Making a garment in lace requires patient matching of the pattern, for example to make both sleeves and front work together. I used French seams all around for a neat look inside. Even on the armholes, which is quite challenging as the seams are very curved. I cut out a long strip of the lace along one of the selvages and sewed it on the edge around the whole jacket.
And here is the finished jacket. I was pleased with it, and thankfully so was our client.
I’m a bit nostalgic about twentieth century fashion and try to recreate some of the retro looks. At the same time I feel that many commercial patterns leave me rather disappointed – never quite living up to their promise. This is why I’m so keen on working with my own patterns, having full control over the design lines I want to create. I have tried several pattern cutting books for drafting my basic blocks, and my favourite one is Natalie Bray’s Dress Pattern Designing. It is a classic pattern cutting book that gives a most thorough analysis of pattern construction and fit. At the moment, sewing is more a part-time hobby than a full-time job. However, I would like to do more full cycle projects like the bolero jacket in the future and perhaps start my own business.
Vogue Paris Originals – planning my winter wardrobe
Winter is coming, as they say on Game of Thrones. I am going to need some warmer clothes, and warmer clothes are what I most enjoy sewing. Jackets, skirts, coats – warm but elegant. I always plan my sewing to some extent, and I want three or four work outfits in the following colours:
- grey
- navy
- dark brown
- dark green
Winter palette for suits
And I prefer to use vintage patterns, probably from the 60s or 70s. Maybe I will focus on using patterns from famous designer patterns, such as the Vogue “Paris Originals” range, or some other nice shapes I have collected.
Here are some options.
So, if you would care to comment, I would be interested in which outfit I should choose, and in what colour?
At the moment I am thinking
- 1. Green (love the flared skirt and the bow on the jacket)
- 5. Grey dress – possibly a tweedy look, like on the packet, but probably not that jacket which is excessively 80s
- 6. Navy, not too dark, with silvery buttons
- 7. Brown skirt with white shirt and yellow waist coat. Or 6. in brown, and make this with a navy skirt, white blouse and yellow waist coat.
I really like 2. Its But it is not really suitable for work with the cut away bodice on the dress, or the cape jacket. I would like this outfit in red. At the other end of the spectrum is a 9. A 90s suit – that looks like the 1970s, with its princess seamed jacket and A line skirt. Although this has a zip front I like the silhouette and this would work in linen or corduroy.
The two dress and jacket sets 3. and 4. are slightly putting me off with the jacket shapes but I think it is the styling. The technical drawings give a clearer idea of the shaping, which should be fine. Both of these designs would work well with colour blocking. I quite fancy a strong pink and red combination for 3, and maybe dark brown for 4. So why not 8? What is wrong with 8? Nothing really. The shape of the top is very close to my African overblouse. This outfit would be stylish in a smooth charcoal wool, but knee length.
Hmm. I only really need three outfits. So please give me your views!
Photographing fashion on a Council estate
I am sure that Jane Shepherdson thought an edgy photo shoot on a Council housing estate would make her clothes really stand out. Why not use a Council estate as a backdrop? Perhaps the sculptural beauty of the Municipal architecture would emphasise the structural lines of the frocks. The curve of the dippy hem against those rows and rows of concrete walk-ways might make a pleasing, yet challenging, contrast. Have a look at the collection from www.whistles.com/look-book
The entire collection is more or less made out of black jersey and is styled, accessory and colour-free, on a model without obvious make-up and slightly lank hair. The stark background may be appropriate. Do these estate shots look beautiful or threatening to you? They certainly look clean and tidy. No washing or satellite dishes. But no people either. I mean no tenants. No residents. No caretakers. No visitors. I guess the company paid the Council for the opportunity to take pictures of people’s homes without the humanising element. The model doesn’t look very comfortable, or at home here. The setting is ironic. She doesn’t live here. Does she convey some anxiety that a boy on a bike might nab her bag, or is she just really uncomfortable on the Council benches, bolted to the ground?
We are working with tenants on the Aylesbury estate in Southwark at the moment, on a long-term plan to regenerate the area. Their famous estate is the one used for the Channel Four “ident” – the short film that introduces the channel at the start of a programme. You can read about it here. Local residents were angry that C4 had made their estate look worse by hanging washing and putting rubbish out, in order that the programme makers got the image of Council housing that corresponded with their own stereotypes. In response they made a short film which, while recognising some of the architectural and maintenance failings of their estate, celebrates the people who live there.
And below we feature a Norman Parkinson photograph from 1950 of a model in a beautiful suit, backdropped by a Peabody estate in Fulham. The desolate pram – maybe she doesn’t want to hear her baby crying as she stands to the photographer’s attention. In her hat, gloves and bag she looks like she is about to leave. Is she running away from the baby and the estate? Or is she a doctor or social worker, perhaps, visiting the estate because she is just doing her job?
Finally here is photograph taken, not styled, of my beautiful daughter outside her home. She is wearing Vogue 9435, block printed and made by me for the early months of her pregnancy.
Orange is not only fruit!
I met this stunning young woman at the bus stop. I like to see how Arabic women interpret their strict dress code and still make an outfit their own. This lady wears three shades of orange with a traditional black dress – her headscarf, her bag and her super orange shoes. Doesn’t she look lovely?
The only thing I have made in orange is two cushion covers in some Roland Mouret tangerine wool. Very beautiful but hardly accomplished. Unfortunately orange is the one colour I really can’t wear. It is has conotations of youth, dynamism, energy and fun. It is not surprising that when we designed our logo at work we went for orange. Or is it? Why not serious, trustworthy navy blue? Or inoffensive green? Orange can be associated with immaturity and frivolity – but that was a risk we were prepared to take.
And here is Danielle wearing a lovely shade of orange, which really suits her cool-deep colouring.
Here are the types of orange that will work best with your complexion. Orange is basically red plus yellow – one of the secondary colours made up of two primaries. It is the only secondary that has no blue in it, and for that reason it is not a first choice colour for cooler complexions, unless they are fairly deep. You can add blue to orange but then it becomes brown (brown is made by mixing the primary with its opposite complementary colour). For everyone else there is a great orange out there for you.
Men’s Style – who will win the next election?
Politically this is an almost impossible question to answer. The polls are jumping about, the dynamics between the main parties and the smaller ones are changing all the time, and the electorate is fickle. But what I can tell you is that Ed Milliband is a good dresser. In fact all three of these leading Labour shadow cabinet looks very pleasing. Ed Balls, who has cool light colouring looks very nice in his mid-navy suit, a light blue shirt and a purple tie. Rachel Reeves has chosen a flattering outfit that shows off her figure but also looks serious and competent. Did she and Ed co-ordinate on purpose. You bet they did! And I can’t fault Ed’s choice either. A very deep blue, almost black, suit, which is fairly close fitting, a navy tie and a bright white shirt. His deep colouring – dark brown eyes and nearly black hair – means that this outfit is ideal. The cuffs are evident and the whole impression here is of authority, clarity and polish.
Let’s have a look at who he is up against. Here we have David Cameron with a couple of world leaders – always a good accessory for Prime Ministers.The Norwegian looks nice with his grey hair and pink tie. Mrs Merkel I have written about before. But looking at David what do you immediately notice? His suit, shirt and tie are obeying the same rules as Milliband. Dark, well-fitting suit, white shirt with a good classic collar and a dark plain tie. Cameron’s colouring is not as deep as Milliband – his hair is fairly dark brown and he has quite bright blue eyes. A brighter, lighter tie – ideally bright blue, would be more flattering, and the suit could be one shade lighter too. But Cameron doesn’t want to look lovely. He is aiming for maximum Prime Ministerial authority, and that is what we have with this outfit.
OK, one more. One more dark blue suit, one more classic white shirt, deep purple tie. But Nick Clegg has warm red hair and light blue-green eyes. I think he actually looks much better in a lighter grey suit, often worn with his politically correct yellow tie, but again he is communicating his seriousness, strength and seniority with this outfit. And his wife looks beautiful too.
And finally…Farrage is not a serious politician to my mind, and his clothes are often deliberately old school (striped ties, Barbour jackets, mustard tweed) but I thought he looked quite reasonable in this outfit. The nice blue suit, worn with a light pink tie actually makes him looks heaps better than his normal look. He looks clean and healthy despite his 40 fags a day habit.
Based on their clothes, whoever you vote for, the man in the dark blue suit will win the election.
A commissioned post – for Inside Housing magazine!
I got a call the other day from a journalist who told me she “couldn’t get enough” of my blog. I suspected a wind-up, but she was genuine. We agreed to meet.
In walked a smiley young woman, flat shoes, clear tights, Prada glasses, tatoos. Reporter’s notebook and novelty phone case. Natural, reddish-brown hair and sparkly eyes, no make up.
First impressions count, and my first impression was she was nice, unthreatening, engaging. But journalists can be tricky and I worried that she might write something negative or sarcastic about my organisation, or me.
Jess McCabe is the Features Editor of trade press title, Inside Housing, and she is preparing a special edition on People, focusing on the people who work in social housing. She wants to talk to me about how they dress, if we tell them what to wear, what is appropriate in central London, on a hot day, for people from different backgrounds, in varied professional teams.
As a journalist, Jess needs to gain the trust of a wide range of people very quickly. Her warm and friendly manner helps, but what she wears helps build an image of someone who is approachable. Her outfit today is relaxed, not overly formal, but a work outfit nonetheless. The navy tailored collar on the upper part of her dress, and the grey marl of the bodice and skirt, both reference work clothes, and give her sufficient authority to hold her own with those she interviews. The dress is pleated and semi-tailored but in a soft fabric which clings a little. Jess wears colourless tights, and navy round toed shoes with elasticated straps. If Jess wants to increase her “authority” she could wear a jacket and maybe a more “grown up” shoe – navy or tan leather would go with everything. If Jess decides to buy a suit for interviews then I would suggest maybe russet-brown or camel with a structured jacket, good waist shaping and a slim skirt.
Jess has amazing, naturally reddish brown, curly hair which she keeps tied up. Why not let it out and celebrate it? If you always wear a pony tail consider a shorter cut – some layers would emphasis the curl and bring the colour to life.
I would like to see Jess’s natural beauty emphasised though a more colourful wardrobe. She would look amazing in reddish browns with a coral blouse, or mustard with cream or teal, or a pea green jumper with jeans. She might try some patterns too, and gold jewellry would enhance her natural sparkle.
I mentioned the tattoo which is revealed by her short-sleeved dress. Body decoration is important to Jess and she speaks quite passionately about the designs, the people who did them, and how they connect her with her past. As we talk about fashion trends I admit that until recently I would have expected body art to be covered up at work. But times change and I don’t think it’s much of an issue today. Tattoos have well and truly moved out of prisons and the Navy, and are now sported by celebrities and middle class youth alike.
And here are some of the colours she could have worn…
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