Sewingplums

I was amused by a piece in UK In Style magazine for July about wedding outfits.
Obviously they’re thinking of our recent cold sunless summers, and not expecting us to survive outdoors in a sleeveless dress.
As the emphasis of all the outfits is on a long-sleeved jacket. Over high necked tops and dresses.
None of the outfits are at all revealing !

Several interesting outfits, I’ve decided to comment on them individually as short summer posts.

The first is the most casual suggestion, a kimono.
Very fashionable this season.

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Kimono patterns

Make in a drapey soft muted print fabric, with the neck band in a contrasting dark solid colour.

The easiest beginners’ kimono pattern is Kwik Sew Kwik Start 3177.
A pattern for a dressing gown/ robe, but currently fashionable for a casual jacket too.

Choose the finished size by the effect you want – slouchy or slim.
Omit the pockets or place them differently, if that would be more flattering.
Many lengths possible – to hip, thigh, knee.

If you’d still feel you were wearing your robe in public if you made that, try Burda 7297.
Styled as robe, jacket or coat.

There are also some wardrobe patterns with kimono jackets.

Simplicity 1593 is a wardrobe for knits.

Or for something a bit more elegant there’s New Look 6161, a Project Runway pattern.

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Outfit styling

In this outfit the kimono is worn with an equally softly styled dress in a light solid colour.
Both dress and kimono at knee length.

This outfit is styled with darker muted warm colours, but there are many washed prints in other colourways, lighter, brighter, cooler, to use as a colour starting point.

This is styled for a beach wedding, with open flat shoes for coping with sand.

The clutch bag, very fashionable, is the usual flat rectangle shape, but with rounded corners to match the generally soft styling.

The outfit is in browns, blacks, creams, with a wash of other subtle tones in the print.
The bag, plus a strip in the shoes, emphasises a pale green. Possibly picked out from the muted print. A good soft way to give the outfit a bit of colour ‘lift’ without overpowering the muted effect.

An easy and attractive outfit, if you’re happy in something casual, soft, unrevealing. Vary the colour to what flatters you.

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A kimono was high fashion a couple of years ago too. Then it was a winter style as part of an emphasis on oriental style. I wrote a post then on kimono patterns.

Now the kimono is back as a summer style and part of an arty or ‘slouchy’ ultra-casual attitude.
YouLookFab has a couple of posts showing modern casual kimono styling with jeans and slim pants. And in brighter colourings, here and here.

So, if the style attracts you, you can wear kimonos both for everyday and for special occasions.

Wow, I’m fashionable this season without knowing it. Early in the year I bought an ecru lace kimono for ‘summer best’. Thigh rather than dress length, so best worn with slimmer pants. I love it 😀

Though we have just had a week of sunshine and warmth here, so perhaps we won’t need jackets this summer after all 😀

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Outfit photo from UK In Style magazine
Patterns and links available July 2013

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This entry was posted on July 13, 2013 at 9:19 am and is filed under current fashion. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Both comments and pings are currently closed.