Making Life more Beautiful
Sewing with a Plan sewing finishes on Monday night at midnight. But I won’t be sewing on Monday. I have to finish the jacket this weekend, which I am confident I can do. This is the final piece of my … Continued
Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel is one of my style icons. She always knew how to dress, but never more so than in the period before the Second World War. If you copy an outfit she put together or designed in this … Continued
As you may remember I am making a linen jacket, based on this wonderful 1937 Chanel jacket, modeled here by Coco herself. I am using a 1990s Vogue pattern by Ungaro – Vogue 1977 – which is not a perfect … Continued
One of the books I recently read was Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’urbervilles. In the book there are many descriptions of the clothes worn by farm workers in the 1880s. I was taken with the description of young women … Continued
Regular readers will know that, on the whole, I like my exhibitions to be chronological. Whether looking at clothes, fashion, art, artefacts, household goods or photographs, I prefer to root everything in its historical (social, geographic, economic) context. My reviews of … Continued
I recently went to see the Botticelli exhibition. The thing I loved the best was Flora. Her great beauty is enhanced by flowers that pick up the warm blonde of her hair, the light blue, white and almost black of … Continued
When I was in the Victoria & Albert museum I took this photograph of the 1960s cabinet. A nice range of clothes showing a variety of 1960s trends. Including some paper dresses – back row in turquoise/green and black and … Continued
Last week a natty male dresser I know showed me his lining (shock). His jacket was lined with a football shirt! Not my cup of tea, but why not? Chanel used to line her jackets with silk and then make … Continued
The origins of the 1960s shift dress lie in the 1920s when the short, usually sleeveless, shapeless and simplified dress allowed women to “shift” around, whether in terms of work, sports or dancing. This dress from about 1926 is attributed … Continued
I read a review of this book on Ooobop’s blog, and decided it would be a nice holiday read. It was! Who would have thought of basing a whole novel around the topic of making a ladies suit, but what … Continued
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