Sewingplums

I seem to have been going through a phase where I disagree with everything said by stylists.
Ah well, perhaps it’s a test that I’m clear about my own style.

A style book I looked at recently (Wardrobe Secrets by Emily Neill) said there are no rules about what to wear, except you must never wear a turtle (polo) neck, and it’s good to wear a V-neck.
Oh dear, I feel the cold and with my long neck and long head, I think I look much better in a turtle neck. And I haven’t worn a classic V-neck since school uniform – with my face shape and flat chest they don’t look anywhere near the best I can be.

And Imogen Lamport of Inside-Out Style has a couple of recent posts in which she appears to be anti-fleece and anti-hoodie.

Oh. Hmm. No doubt I’m over-reacting, but there seem to be several sub-texts here :
– that it’s impossible to look stylish and trendy in a fleece or hoodie,
– that everyone wants to look stylish and trendy,
– and that it’s impossible to look stylish and trendy when wearing protective winter outerwear.
(The people who buy Chanel ski jackets would be surprised to hear that 😀 There’s even a Lands End ‘down to -40 degrees C’ padded jacket in the style worn by all the trendy girls round here.)

Well of course that set me off on a whole lot of trains of thought. Happily there are many recent patterns for ‘Easy Luxe’ elegant fleeces and hoodies.

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Stylish hoodies

McCall’s 6444

Butterick 5791 (includes elastic waist pants)

Vogue 8854.

McCall’s 6603

McCall’s 6849 (slope up the corners so it doesn’t droop)

(Or shorten this dress, Vogue 8806.)

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Stylish fleeces

Some new patterns could be cosy and comfortable in fleece, yet look ‘stylish’ rather than ‘sporty’ (Though why not look sporty-casual if you want to – there are plenty of new patterns. It’s a very popular look round here.)

McCall’s 6658

Vogue 8924

Butterick 5961 by Katherine Tilton

Simplicity 1543 by Patty Reed

Butterick 5816 is said to be for light fabrics. But it was a summer pattern issue, and I think it could work well in warm fabrics too. (Pattern info doesn’t mention using 2 fabrics, very trendy but not clear that there are instructions for it.)

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Well, this is obviously a topic close to my heart, as I keep returning to it.
See my previous posts on
fleeces and hoodies
and on the vague borderline between ultra-casual and loungewear styles.

Hurrah, lots of options for those of us who love ‘Easy Luxe’ 😀

And here’s YouLookFab on wearing a hoodie with a blazer – she definitely doesn’t think a hoodies are not for the stylish 😀

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Patterns and links available October 2013

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I’ve been reviewing the new jacket patterns, with blazers here, and soft and shapely styles here.

But perhaps your taste in jackets is neither for crisp blazers or shapely softer styles.
There are several other options mentioned by YouLookFab in her review of jacket trends for the season (2013).
I may write on the more edgy looks – bomber, biker, military, though there aren’t many new patterns.

YouLookFab didn’t mention the soft and shapely styles in her review, but you obviously like them, as my post on them got more visitors in its first weekend than I’ve had for some time 😀

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Avant garde

YouLookFab also picks out ‘avant garde’ as a key style for the season.

She says :

Avant-garde: A non-classic style that is arty, sometimes asymmetrical, architectural and boxy, usually quite dramatic, and full of interesting design elements that make it unique. Avant-garde styles have a long expiry date because they are pretty trend-immune, but don’t look classic either.

Well, that doesn’t place many limits on what we can wear 😀

I’ve picked two key themes out of that quote :
– architectural shapes
– interesting and unique design elements.
I have so many links and comments, I’ve divided this into 2 posts, this one on sources of ‘interesting’ shapes. Second post to come on links about adding ‘textile art’ details.

Not a listing of new patterns, just some of the more obvious links.

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Architectural shapes

Inspiration

Ivey Abitz
Krista Larson
Terry Macey, Angelika Eisenbach

That is a just a small selection of studio designers who produce unusual clothes.

Eileen Fisher
Gudrun Sjoden
are more mainstream with multiple retail stores.

Many more links to styles of this type in the Lagenlook thread at Stitchers Guild.

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Patterns (garments not prints)

Louise Cutting at Cutting Line Designs
Linda Lee of The Sewing Workshop
Shapes by Louise Cutting and Linda Lee
Diane Ericson (ReVisions)
Tina Givens has many interesting patterns. But do make a trial garment – many of the patterns and instructions need considerable adapting to get them to work.

Koos van den Akker at Vogue
Lynn Mizono at Vogue
Marcy Tilton at Vogue
Katherine Tilton at Vogue
Katherine Tilton at Butterick

There are also usually a few individual designer jackets at Vogue which are ‘architectural’ or strongly unusual, both hard-edged and softer styles. These are some of the current ones (2013, these links don’t work in 2016, do a search if you’re interested) :

Vogue 1264 by Anne Klein



Vogue 1211 by Guy Laroche

Vogue 1347 by Chado Ralph Rucci.

Vogue 1263 by Donna Karan


Vogue 1346 by Donna Karan


Vogue 1129 by Donna Karan



Some non-English language sources of more unusual shapes :
Lagenlook
Schnittquelle

For extreme shapes try the books by Tomoko Nakamichi:
Pattern Magic
Pattern Magic 2
Pattern Magic Stretch fabrics

or the series by Hisako Sato :
Drape Drape
Drape Drape 2
Drape Drape 3

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What a lot of riches to explore ! Even if you don’t want to wear this style of garment yourself – if you’re fascinated by the shapes of clothes and how patterns work to achieve them, you’ll take pleasure in all this !

Or perhaps you’re more interested in jackets with unique details – jackets that are ‘textile art’, jackets that use fabric combining or are rich with embellishment. I have a second post planned with links on those topics.

Enjoy 😀

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Originally published September 2013, links revised August 2016

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I started reviewing the new season’s patterns while talking about capsules for the season.
And one of the suggested jackets is a blazer –
see my previous post on new patterns for them.

I’m not a blazer wearer. I was amused by Angie of YouLookFab’s recent post on her personal shopping list for fall 2013. As the colours, shapes, styles she wants are all wrong for me. Big city style for people who look their best in strong cool colours and sharply edged clothes. A good reminder to enjoy styling advice for the ideas, but not to follow it blindly !

That doesn’t mean my fashion future is hopeless and I’m doomed to drabness, just that I have a different personal style. I could dress happily out of several trendy catalogues. I’ll mention Mint Velvet here, as their mini-catalogue doesn’t include a single blazer 😀 I love the styles, though it’s all a bit black for me. And I could wear nearly everything in the Poetry catalogue if they were the right colours and lengths.

In fact, mis-firing advice from stylists I usually admire has been a feature of this summer. Both Judith Rasband (Conselle newsletter of 31 May) and Imogen Lamport (Inside-Out post of 7 August) have told everyone to wear black. Oh dear, oh dear, have they got so famous they don’t bother to look at real people any more.

Anyway, back to topic – when I was talking about blazers, I was following YouLookFab’s advice in her post on a capsule for this season.
But there are many other possible jacket styles. YouLookFab’s review of jacket high-styles for the coming season doesn’t include any soft or feminine styles, but that doesn’t mean they’re not fashionable. And this post is about the new patterns for them. These patterns may have notched or shawl collars, but most are neither straight nor structured and many don’t have strongly defined shoulders.

I’ve divided these patterns into :
– more drape in the styling, a softer non-tailored look.
– cascade collars.
– emphasised waist (often with a peplum), for people who have an indented waist, or want to look more shapely.

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Skim Fitting and Drapey

Vogue 8845 by Claire Shaeffer no doubt has instructions for beautiful couture.

Vogue 1364 by Sandra Betzina

That back centre panel can be cut on the bias or have added texture interest.

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No shaping, and Cascade collar

Even more drapey, cascade collars have been around for a while, but there are plenty still in this season’s trendy catalogues. Drape down to no lower than waist level. Many small cup people look better with drape to bust level, while if you have a large cup size you may prefer the drape to waist level or lower.

No new patterns, but several already available.
McCall’s 6444 has both higher and lower drape options.

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Close fitted and Shapely

Butterick 5962 by Gertie

New Look 6231 wardrobe with a choice of necklines and peplum styles. (Despite the slimness of those pants, this pattern doesn’t insist you use knits or stretch fabrics.)
With a shoulder princess pattern, it’s relatively easy to change the neckline style by changing the central front section, so this jacket has many styling possibilities.



Vogue 8931 is shapely and structured, not soft in effect.

With a choice of collars, and colour blocking suggestions.

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Would any of these new patterns flatter your body shape and enhance your personal style ?

And of course they can all be made in the new fabrications too, see my previous post on blazer patterns.
Some of the patterns here already include ideas for colour blocking or texture blocking.

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But perhaps you don’t wear either blazers or shapely soft styles. Perhaps you prefer more edgy or fashion extremes, or the sort of creativity which is outside fashion.
YouLookFab mentioned these in her review of jacket trends for the season.
And I’m hoping to write posts on
patterns for bomber/ biker/ military jackets
and on the new curved shoulder look.
YouLookFab also picks ‘avant garde’ as an important style for the season. And I have posts planned on some of the many options for those.

So, many many exciting jacket possibilities.

Choose the ones you love 😀

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Patterns and links available September 2013

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