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New jacket patterns – soft and shapely

September 14, 2013

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.

– – –

Skim Fitting and Drapey

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

”v8845”

Vogue 1364 by Sandra Betzina

”v1364”

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

–

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.

”m6444”

–

Close fitted and Shapely

Butterick 5962 by Gertie

”b5962”

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.

”nl6231”

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

”v8931”

With a choice of collars, and colour blocking suggestions.

– – –

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.

–

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 😀

– – –

Patterns and links available September 2013

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Categories: current fashion, personal style

Comments: 3 Comments

Designer elastic-waist pants

June 8, 2013

Elastic waist pants make for good easy and speedy patterns.
My previous post was on pyjama pants and plain elastic waist pants.

What about designer versions of elastic waist pants with more interesting style elements ?
These can bring elastic waist styles up from loungewear to wearable on the best of occasions.

Whew, I wrote this post in 2013. Have just (June 2020) tested the links and there was only one which didn’t need to be changed ! I’ve added a few recent patterns, there are probably many more.

2020 – some people are concerned about the materials elastic is made from. If that worries you, replace the elastic with a drawstring. Here’s a tutorial from Christine Jonson patterns on making the change to a drawstring.

The patterns I picked out have :
waist darts
added hip pockets
vertical seam lines and other piecing interest
lantern legs
other lower leg features

I have’t included elastic waist pant patterns for knits or stretch wovens, or with very slim legs.
There are many from styleARC.
Or sweat/ yoga pants/ leggings, again multiple patterns from companies like Jalie and McCall’s.

There are also several patterns which combine an elastic-waist with a zip fly front. These can be especially good for people with large hips and small waist, but I haven’t included them as this takes us into another realm of sewing technique.
There are even styles with a fake fly, that look as if they have a fly opening but don’t actually open. People differ passionately on whether they think this is a good thing, I confess I’ve always found it a peculiar idea.

–

In-seam pockets

Christine Jonson patterns has a link to a .pdf tutorial on adding an in-seam pocket to pants with and without a side seam.

– – –

Waist darts

With pants, you need extra ease for sitting down (I’m especially aware of this as my hips spread 4 inches/ 10 cm when I sit down – this isn’t true for everyone !) But you don’t need that extra ease at the waist for pulling pants on.

Loes Hinse’s speciality is to remove that extra bulk by adding waist darts.
Loes Hinse Basic Pleat Pant is now out of print.
”lhbasicpleat”

These are similar but with slightly different legs :
Loes Hinse Oxford pant

– – –

Tapered legs and featured Pockets

These are patterns with slant pockets as a visible style element.

Cutting Line One-seam pants have straight and tapered leg options.
”lc-oneseam”

Jalie pull on pants have similar pockets.
”jalie3243”

2020 – some similar patterns with slant pockets are Paper Theory Miller trousers, Sew Over It Carrie trousers.

Dana Marie has a couple of patterns with vertical welt pockets, which definitely requires an upgrade of sewing skills.
Samurai
Taipei

– – –

Seam detail

Vertical seam detail is popular, as it has a slimming effect. and also makes fitting easier.

Chado Ralph Rucci Vogue 1347 with drawstring waist is now out of print (these have a fly opening, which I said I wouldn’t include – but there’s a lot of interest in this pattern, so I won’t delete it. Just leave out the fly 😀 )
”v1347”

Sewing Workshop Plaza pant is now out of print.
”sw-plaza”

Dana Marie Asymmetry styles have angled seams.
”dmasymmetry”

Two ways the extra seams can be enhanced.
This could be a good place for adding seam embellishment.
Or use the seaming to add fabric interest.
Here are a couple of patterns specifically for this.

Design and Planning Concepts Patchwerky pants.
Not clear from the photo, but one style has patches down the side, one style is made entirely from 5 in. squares.
”patchwerky2”

Pavelka Design Patchy Pants
”pav-patchy2”

2020 – there’s also Bridget Mann’s Patchy Bloomers.

– – –

Vertical seams adding cargo pockets

Cutting Line Easy Ageless Cool
”laeac”

Marcy Tilton Vogue 8499
”v8499”

Sewing Workshop Trio pant is now out of print.
”swtrio”

This pocket position is probably not an ideal style for those of us with large hips or thighs relative to the rest of our body 😀

2020 – for some recent patterns with these pockets, see Sew Liberated Arenite pants, Closet Case Patterns Pietra pants.

– – –

Lantern legs with vertical back seam

Marcy Tilton Vogue 8712 is now out of print.
”v8712”

Cutting Line Discover Something Novel
”lcdsn”

– – –

Other hem details

Sewing Workshop Hudson pants have hem darts.
”hudson”

Louise Cutting’s One-seam pants, see earlier, can have hem darts, or a hem tab.
And Dana Marie Asymmetry pants, see earlier, have a hem cuff option.
These are easy alterations to make to any pattern without other hem style elements.

Sewing Workshop Quincy pants, now out of print, had side seam pleats.
”sw-quincy”

Marcy Tilton’s Vogue 8499 pants, see earlier, have pleats at knee level in the front pattern piece.

Sewing Workshop Urban pants have vertical seams leading to front hem vent with button loop.
”sw-urban”

– – –

Personally, with my large hips, I don’t wear pant styles with added design interest as that leads the eye downwards and adds visual weight to my lower body. But many people love them, particularly though not exclusively people who are upper body dominant, or with a straight silhouette.

Lots of options here. This is a speciality of independent designers, and there are so many independent pattern designers these days, I’m sure I haven’t found all the possibilities ! (Even more true in 2020, though most are plain and simple, and this post probably covers the main types of design idea.)

Did you know elastic-waist pants can have so much design interest 😀

– – –

Originally written June 2013, links updated and some patterns added in June 2020

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Categories: my choices

Comments: 2 Comments

Favourite books – style and wardrobe

May 18, 2013

A commenter asked me to bring together the books I’ve mentioned here and there.

I didn’t go through my posts to develop this list – wrote down the ones that I remembered and are easy to access on my shelves – the best test !

There are many other excellent books available. I just mention ones I’ve seen myself, and which stay in my mind and get referred to again rather than forgotten.
I have of course also seen many books which range from uninspiring through inadequate to terrible – but I’m not going to use space explaining why I don’t like them. And once I’ve found a book that satisfies my needs in that area, I tend to stop looking at more. So, sorry, you won’t be able to tell, if I don’t mention something, whether I think it’s bad, or I like something else better, or I simply haven’t seen it.

Even though this is only a small selection of what’s available, I’m a book person so this spread to great length.
This is about books on personal style and wardrobing.
Then couple of posts for books on pattern making and fit.
Final post with books about sewing.

Books I not only enjoyed reading a first time, but also look at again.
And of course I haven’t been able to resist making lengthy comments.

– – –

Personal Style

There are many books on up-grading your style. They often have vertiginous heels on the cover and advise wearing black, so I keep well clear. I became less interested in style books once I got clearer about my own style – and was able to tell that most books aren’t relevant to me. . . So if you love your LBD and stiletto heels there are many style books you will enjoy, but I’m not the person to give advice 😀

Style books always say they want to help you look your best. But they don’t all mean flattering your personal special features. They often mean trying to make you look more like a model. Or they assume you want to look rich and powerful. Those I try to avoid – I get upset about both their values and their advice.

In fact people disagree passionately about style books – perhaps because of their personal style, or because of how much they already know about what suits them and how to build good outfits. Always worth reading the low-star reviews at Amazon.

Most of the books I like have very out-of date illustrations, but the general advice is still excellent. Most important – they cover a wide range of personal colourings, body shapes, and style preferences, not just fashion mag big city chic.

Nancy Nix-Rice Looking Good
A good short introduction on the best clothes for you.

Mathis & Connor The Triumph of Individual Style
Beautiful, fascinating, detailed. Artists love every body shape.

Judith Rasband Wardrobe Strategies for women
College textbook with assignments. Ignore the awful cover photo. Every page is bursting with good ideas. (Her company Conselle sells modernised versions of the chapters – very expensive.)

out-of-print
David Kibbe Metamorphosis
Rich with interesting comments on personal style. Though his specific suggestions show he’s not so good at helping people who like to dress quietly!

Jan Larkey Flatter your Figure
Another older book with dated examples but marvellous advice about the best styles to wear given your body shape features. Unlike much such advice, she manages to avoid the problem that some suggestions are right for one of your body features but wrong for another.

Mary Spillane Color Me Beautiful’s Looking Your Best
The European off-shoot of Color Me Beautiful, with more colour types and personal styles. (I like this book, but strongly disagree with recent books by UK CMB.)

– – –

Fashion Design

For some sewers, the ultimate expression of personal style is to design our own clothes.
If you’d like explore the design process, here are some possible starters.

Grandon et al 200 projects to get you into fashion design
A sequence of guided exercises. You may need other books for guidance on the techniques used, but working through this is like doing a fashion design foundation course.

Stephanie Corfee Fashion Design Workshop
Introductory fashion drawing advice.

– – –

Wardrobe planning

Re-thinking your style, and need to know you have a basic wardrobe so you always have ‘something to wear’ ?

Juudith Rasband Wardrobe strategies for women
I mentioned this before, on personal style.

out-of-print :

Janet Wallach Working Wardrobe
The original wardrobe planning book and still interesting. She does assume you wear a skirt to work, but it’s easy to swap pants for skirts.

Kate Mathews Sewing a Travel Wardrobe
Minimal sewing instructions, but many ideas for travel capsules. Nothing on personal colouring or style. (Here’s my post on the plans in this book.)

– – –

Fashion entertainment

Robert Pante Dressing to Win (oop)
Just one personal style – assumes you want to dress for the top. Prestige wardrobing, I enjoy this for a good laugh.

His One-Star Wardrobe (6-garment capsule plus accessories) cost about US$1900 when the book was published nearly 30 years ago (1984).
The UK Retail Price Index has gone up more than 2.5 times since then.
That means investing about $5000/ £3300 on a basic RTW designer starter capsule at today’s (2013) prices.
Looking at Net-a-Porter for current designer RTW prices, that is actually in the low price range for top designers.

From that Pante works up to a Five-Star Plan which includes furs, big diamonds, and red-carpet dresses (he doesn’t cost out that one 😀 ).

In contrast, Imogen Lamport manages to come up with a RTW starter wardrobe of 12 items for aus$196, not including accessories. Yes impressive if you’re starting from a modest point. But people in the know will recognise the low quality fabrics and make. So work up from there if you want to impress 😀

Making your own clothes could work out at a fraction of the designer RTW price (see my post comparing hobby sewing and designer RTW clothes prices). But do choose quality fabrics and accessories if you want to look like you buy from designers.
Say $700+ for materials for clothes (pant suit, blazer, 2 blouses, dress), and $1300 for accessories (2 pairs shoes, bag, belt, preferably leather).
Gets it down to about $2000 for your starter capsule.

For more amazed laughs about the real-life fashion business, I enjoy :

Bringing home the Birkin by Michael Tonello – on the world supported by luxury fashionistas.

Fashion Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones – fictional life of a designer.

The September Issue movie about the editor of US Vogue – on the making of a fashion magazine. (Do you want to be told what to wear by these people ?)

– – –

Happy hobby sewers – we can admire and enjoy inspired design and technique, the creativity of clothes making, without getting enmeshed in all the ‘keeping up’ and staying ‘in’ side of ‘being fashionable’.

I hope you know your own best styles, colours, shapes, and your sewing gives you what you love 😀

– – –

Originally written May 2013, links checked August 2019

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Categories: personal style, wardrobe planning

Comments: 6 Comments

Basic comfort styles

May 11, 2013

My previous post on Loungewear started on the topic of looking good while being lazy. There are two easy routes to go for slumping – exercise wear or sleep wear.

There used to be a designer loungewear section at Net-a-Porter which simply had sweatshirts and jogging pants in pretty colours. I’ve already posted on sweatshirt patterns. Silhouette 3400 is a quick yoga pants pattern with associated webcast.

Looking instead at sleepwear rather than exercise wear for guidance on comfort :
Most pyjama patterns are actually camp shirt/ sweat shirt/ tee with elastic waist pants, made in soft cosy fabrics.
And with bigger ease levels (more on that later).
Hence the vagueness of the dividing line between sleepwear and loungewear.

– – –

Classic pyjama styles

There are many pyjama patterns which could make good general casuals (or casual top and bottom patterns that would make good pjs. . .)

Simplicity 2317 is one of many pj patterns with camp shirt, tank, tee and pants.

”s2317”

I look better in a collar which closes up to the neck.
And a style which can close up to the neck has the potential to look more formal, if you want a pattern which can be used for both sleepwear and daywear.
I’ve only found one pj pattern like this, Simplicity 2280.

In hospital last summer I had a good opportunity to survey pj styles. Most people wore a tee with shorts or capris. And most of those could equally well be worn pool-side or at the beach.

Or a sweatshirt and elastic waist pants. Such as Simplicity 3577.

”s3577”

– – –

Added style interest

I prefer clothes with inherent style interest, rather than adding interest with accessories.

There are several non-traditional sleep/ loungewear patterns which could be casual ‘Key 3’ outfits.

Here’s McCall’s 6658 loungewear wardrobe pattern. Pullover layer, pants and shorts, knit top with 3 necklines, 3 sleeves.

”m6658”

Shorten the robe of McCall’s 6659 and you have basic shirt with darts, pants, and cardigan jacket.

”6659”

New Look 6161 is a similar Project Runway pattern for jacket, more interesting sleeveless top, and pants.

”nl6161”

Butterick 4406 has a mandarin jacket and tunic top.

”b4406”

And there’s a pretty yoked hoodie, McCall’s 6472.

”m6472”

Scrubs, like sleepwear, are designed for maximum ease of movement. There are some scrubs patterns which are worth considering for casual top and pants, such as Kwik Sew 3979.

”ks3979-3”

– – –

Onesie

Jumpsuits are fashionable this season, so how about an adult onesie, such as Kwik Sew 2175.

”ks2175-2”

I picked a style with waist casing, so it’s like a bomber jacket and slouch pants combined 😀 There are several patterns without waist casing, such as McCall’s 7586, if that’s more comfortable for you.

There are several companies here which sell RTW adult onesies, mainly in jokey style 😀
Very cosy to wear, but sadly cold for going to the bathroom.

– – –

Fabrics

So pyjamas are basically camp shirts or tees with elastic waist pants.
The difference between more formal day wear and lounge or sleep wear lies in the comfortable looseness of the fit and the soft non-abrasive fabrics, rather than the style elements.

Make the same patterns in fun soft princess/ jokey/ wild/ sports fan fabrics for lounging, and plainer stiffer fabrics for work.
Pink flannel covered in frosted fairies – for slumping and sleeping.
Taupe silk noil – for being taken seriously.
It’s the style of the prints that identify sleepwear and beach holiday camp shirts so clearly, not the style of the garments.

Don’t go to the supermarket in purple frogs.
Well actually, why not, if that’s what you like, so long as they’re quality fabrics in good condition 😀

My favourite comfort fabrics are brushed cotton, flannels, cords, cuddle fleece. They do have to be good quality or they can look scruffy quite quickly. Neutral solid colours aren’t much fun, but they don’t attract attention in public ! I don’t like wearing stretch fabrics, but they can be ideal for comfort. And I don’t wear knit fabrics as they cling lovingly to my too small lumps above the waist and too large lumps below. But many people love knits for their ease of movement.

How about loungewear in this season (summer 2013) fabrics :
Monochrome/ graphic : top with white body, black collar and sleeves, pants in black with white polka dots. Or strong stripes. Or checkerboard.
Minimalism : beige, or pale greyed pastels.
Metallic.
Sports Luxe : performance fabrics, primary colours.
World Travel : mixed prints, especially ethnic (South American this season).
Lace, cut-outs.
Make your pjs in these and wear them to the supermarket with pride 😀

Last summer, pj styles in satin or men’s stripey flannel were a high fashion item. . .

– – –

Ease levels

The other crucial factor for comfort – being able to move easily in the clothes, without any binding. If you use non-stretch fabrics you need :
– a neckline that isn’t tight to the neck.
– a deep armhole, or raglan or dropped shoulder.
– a deep wide crotch curve (fashion jeans have no ease to the crotch seam, not a route to comfort).
– generous extra fabric around bust and hips.
Very loose fitting – more than 10 in./ 25 cm larger than body measurement for lounging.
Compare with close fitting – 2 in./ 5 cm ease for formal daywear.

The ease level you find comfortable is also a matter of personal style. And many of us who are difficult to fit wear very loose fitting clothes to be comfortable, though we can wear more closely fitted styles if they fit properly.

– – –

This approach to loungewear wouldn’t work for everyone of course. Depends on your personal style. Some people feel very uncomfortable/ unlike themselves in casual/ loose fitting clothes rather than tailored clothes, or pants rather than skirts and dresses, or soft rather than crisp fabrics. And if you like frilly/ lacey/ bias cut nightdresses, you probably don’t wear them in public !

YouLookFab has mixed feelings about ultra-casual high comfort trends. She doesn’t want to lose polish, luxury, style, flair. I don’t think that’s unavoidable, it just needs care. If you’re being casual about shape, you can’t be casual about quality – in fabric, finish, fit, cut. (Though this may just be my personal style. I have to be physically comfortable. But for me to be comfortable in spirit, I also have to be ‘stylish’.)

Does the idea of ignoring the dividing line between night and day styles horrify you – or would you find it worth exploring 😀

– – –

Patterns and links available May 2013

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Categories: my choices, personal style

Comments: 6 Comments

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