Sewingplums

It’s the time for looking at the runway shows, and being reminded how little relevance they have for those of us who live happily without media attention or vast wealth. Exciting, fun, creative, beautiful – yes. But not much guidance about what to wear to do the shopping or in the office.

So it’s good that there are stylish current patterns.

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Special occasions

I feel the same distance from the new dress patterns at Vogue and McCall’s. I’d be unlikely to wear these styles even as a wedding guest or for a special summer party, which I rarely go to. Vogue has a stunning group of designer dresses. And McCall’s dress patterns have edgy trendy details. As I don’t wear them, I’m not the best person to comment on short barely-covered dresses.

For people who don’t wear dresses but want to look ‘dressy’ : high waisted wide legged pants and boleros are ‘current’, as in Vogue 8717.

If you need to cheer up the little black dress that someone talked you into, there are good shrugs from Elizabeth Gillett NYC Vogue 8721

In your most flattering colours. Unless of course you’re one of the lucky people who really do look your best in black 😀

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Casual tops and bottoms

Well, what if we just want to feel good when shopping ?

Vogue 8710 has a couple of tees with added interest from Katherine Tilton.

Vogue 8707 is a hook sided top.

Many recent flared top patterns have this hook shaped side seam. The extra fabric swirls attractively as you move. But this draws attention to your hips. So I think this for people who want to look as if they’ve got more hips, not for those who’ve already got too much. . .

If you’d prefer something fitted and for woven fabric, there’s this raglan shirt blouse, McCall’s 6286

Or for a fitted sleeve there’s McCall’s 6285. Though who on earth decided a yoke, top-stitched princess seams, band collar and curved hem are Easy ! What an effective way to distress beginners.

Vogue 8712 (left) is a pant pattern from Marcy Tilton. A wide legged style that tapers rapidly at the ankle just makes me look dumpy, though I know many people love it.

Also many people like this Vogue 8711 draped skirt (right). Sadly it’s only for people can show off less bulgy hips, a flatter stomach and prettier knees than mine !

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Casual layers

It’s a good season for people who like shirt jackets.

Vogue 8716 (left) has a high collar, fitted sleeves, and yokes with gathers. All flattering style elements for me.

Vogue 8708 (right) is another big shirt, but the flat collar and cut on sleeves aren’t best for me. I expect there are many people with different bodies from mine who will prefer this one.

Marcy Tilton has a flared designer version in Vogue 8709. Perhaps that loose lower strip is not a good idea for the large of hip 😀

Shirt and pants in the same fabric (or print) is current.

For another way of adding a layer, there are some interesting vests in Vogue 8713.

And for trendy knit layers there’’s McCall’s 6288 by Rebecca Turbow.

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More serious and responsible

Two summary points about jackets in the collections. One is there are many collarless jackets, perhaps worn with collared tops. Nearly all the current wardrobe patterns have collared jackets over collarless tops. That doesn’t work well for me. With my long head and neck, I like a raised neckline whether or not I have a jacket on. So I’m pleased to see collarless over collared coming back.

Vogue has a couple of ‘peplum’ jackets in their Custom Fit range. Good opportunities for fitting the top.

Vogue 8714 has front princess seams and pattern pieces for 4 cup sizes. A waist level seam makes it easier to fit my bigger lower half with high hips. Though I need darts in a peplum, or it would just stick straight out from my waist.
And this pattern has back shoulder darts and a CB seam. So the first steps have been done if you need back shaping alterations.

Vogue 8715 is a peplum jacket wardrobe with similar fitting help. This time with above waist seam.
And those are the best style of pants for me !

Although some high seams look good on me, I would need several fish-eye darts to get the lower front portion of this jacket to fit well over my indented waist moving out rapidly to high hips. The previous jacket looks easier to fit for my particular shape.

The second key point about jackets this season is that most are blazers. Many patterns already available.

If you prefer something more structured and closely fitted, there’s a trendy slim shape by Melissa Watson for Palmer-Pletsch, McCall’s 6294.

And I’m a sucker for pieced jackets. There’s a new one from Nancy Zieman, McCall’s 6293.

You have a choice between narrow or wide lapels on your blazer.

Double breasted nearly shoulder-wide lapel ‘trench’ style is current in dresses, jackets and coats. There’s a jacket in Simplicity 2256. High waist seam again, but this time with fitting seams below, so usable by a wider range of body types.

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So there are plenty of arty/ classic/ relaxed/ soft/ trendy options for looking good this season. There are more patterns I want to comment on but this got too long.

Colours : McCall’s go for strong pink, denim blue, slightly yellowed green, and rust-tan neutrals. Pantone also mention silvered palest pink and mid grey as neutrals. Does that cater for Winter, Summer, Spring, Autumn colourings, and the grey haired ?

Whatever your choice, enjoy what you wear this Spring 😀

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Patterns and links available January 2011

My big problem with most wardrobe schemes is they don’t fit my lifestyle. I rarely wear jackets or skirts or dresses. I feel the cold and need clothes for a casual active life. What I do wear is pants with many top layers including big shirts, tunics, and vests. My clothes are most like the Sewing Workshop layering wardrobe (my post) – very top-heavy as I need things in the proportions :  2 bottoms, 4 tops, 8 layers.

In mid-winter, I most need very loose fitting tunics/ big shirts that will go over the top when I’m wearing half a dozen sweaters. It must be possible to wear thermal long johns without looking like a bag lady. . .

These big tops do need to be in flattering colours and my style and with good length proportions, but with little reference to my body shape, which is deep beneath. There may be a waisted pear down there somewhere, but in mid-winter I look more like an apple 😀  

I’ve been thinking I ‘ought not’ to wear these ‘big’ styles because a slim fitted look is current. So wearing big garments would show my eye for style is stuck in the 80s to 90s.

But happily there are new oversized patterns. I did assume these proportions are intended for wear with leggings (the big top – narrow bottom proportion), but many of these patterns include straight legged pants. So perhaps I’m not the only person on the look out for this shape !

I’ve restricted this to patterns with more than 10 inches ease at bust level. There are many good tunic patterns (especially from independent pattern designers), but most of them are somewhat fitted at bust level then widen at hip level. Good for warmer weather, but not what I’m looking for here.

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There are a couple of older big top patterns in the BMV catalogues.

Butterick 5481 is for a big shirt-tunic.

Vogue 8525 is a cut-on sleeve Vogue Woman pattern that has been around for a while.

But otherwise, interestingly, most of the current Big 4 patterns with these proportions were issued in the last few months. So this is a good time to be looking.

What is more modern about these styles is that most of them have cut-on, or occasionally raglan, sleeves rather than dropped shoulders.

Simplicity 2289 is a new pattern by Patty Read.

While for a Very Easy sloppy tunic there’s Vogue 8698.

I don’t think I would wear this myself. I’m a practical person and don’t like big sleeves or cuffs that drape into everything I’m doing. . .

Butterick 5524 is one I’m thinking of making. This would work for me better as those sleeves are not full length.

For knits there’s McCall’s 6205.

And McCall’s 6242 is a new ‘smock’ style for knits. I would definitely leave off the tight hip band !

There are many other new patterns which are generous in the upper body but tight on the hips. . . especially patterns with deep dolman/ batwing sleeves. So not for me ! In fact there are probably more new patterns for people who are larger above than below the waist. Sorry I haven’t picked them out 😀

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There are also many suitable ‘ethnic’ styles.

Butterick 5494 is a new caftan pattern that looks fun.

I might make this ‘circular’ caftan as it makes me laugh, even though sadly it looks rather droopy made up. In fact it looks as if it’s as impractical to wear as floaty style kaftans. A new version of this type is McCall’s 6125.

I think I would constantly worry about knocking things over with all that extra fabric below my arms. Though I can see it as a fun beach or pool-side cover-up, made in a sheer fabric.

Most of the older patterns for generous sized tops are ‘ethnic’ in character.

Such as the classic caftan in McCall’s 4002.

Or a smock as in Stof & Stil 22013.

I love this type of smock style for warmer weather, but am not sure it would look good layered over thick sweaters.

Following on from that, there are many suitable styles among Folkwear patterns, particularly in the Caravan section.

And there’s Sewing Workshop’s Hudson top.

The related Shapes pattern line has several possibilities. Though I might have to fiddle with some of those to get them to look good on my sloping shoulders.

And there are half a dozen classic fleece top unisex patterns from McCall’s (see the end of the men’s section), as well as from Green Pepper and other companies that specialise in casual patterns.

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So there’s no shortage of pattern possibilities for making this sort of cover-up style. As each of the Big 4 has issued a ‘big top’ pattern this summer, it even looks as if they might be coming back as a ‘current’ though minority taste for proportions.

Well, I haven’t actually seen anyone round here wearing one of these, let alone in Elle or In Style. Hmm. . . But this is a big gap in my wardrobe, whatever the fashionistas may say.

UK Elle this month is all about flared coats and military styling. While it’s the In Style party issue. If you really can’t manage a skin tight lace sheath or being covered in grecian draping – how about a Chanel styled vest over a sheer blouse worn with pants (limit the sheer to the sleeves if you like). A much easier and warmer option 😀

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Patterns and links available October 2010