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A capsule for Earth Day

April 27, 2013

Judith Rasband tells us to cut down on our clothes buying, to celebrate Earth Day (which was Monday 22 April).

Here’s the basic capsule of classics she thinks we should be choosing instead of high fashion.

”earth-day-capsule”
image from Conselle blog

Re-cycling

Oddly, Judith Rasband doesn’t mention making new clothes from old ones.
Much done by all the people who love turning pre-owned clothes into something else.

The goddess of this is Marisa of New dress a day, and her book with the same name. Or see Cloth magazine. Or here are more book suggestions from an enthusiast.

As I was a small child in WWII, when children’s clothes were made out of the not-too-badly-worn sections of adult clothes, this is the first thing that comes to mind for me when re-cycling clothes is mentioned. Sweaters were knitted in stripes from still usable yarn unpicked from adult ones. Just what was available, colour irrelevant. So I have difficulty with thinking re-cycled clothes can be attractive 😀

–

As Judith Rasband’s choices are classics, there are dozens of possible patterns. Here are some easy makes for beginners, and supremely elegant designer versions needing advanced skills.

– – –

Safari jacket

Go for high quality and use Claire Shaeffer Vogue 8732.

”v8732”

For a much simpler make, there’s Kwik Sew 3534.

”k3534”

Also see my post on jackets with many pockets.

Choose your pocket locations with care ! If your upper-lower body proportions are not balanced, you may look better in a 2-pocket style – on your hips if you’re upper body dominant, above your waist if you’re a pear shape.

A safari jacket is the casual jacket Judith Rasband tends to go for. If you like something a bit softer, I think a drape front jacket is now a casual classic. Imogen Lamport has a post on choosing your cardigan jacket to flatter your body shape. For other casual possibilities, see my post on choices for the jacket in a basic casual capsule.

– – –

Camp shirt and straight leg pants

Let’s go simple rather than designer, for ease of making, and choose Kwik Sew Kwik Start beginner patterns.

Kwik Sew Kwik Start 3475 is a basic camp shirt.

”ks3475”

Kwik Sew Kwik Start 3314 straight leg pants have an elastic waist.

”ks3314”

If you’d prefer elegant designer versions, how about a couple of patterns by Chado Ralph Rucci.
Vogue 1215

”v1215”

and Vogue 1054.

”v1054”

Change the length a bit to layer under Claire Shaeffer’s safari jacket.

Or use Chado Ralph Rucci’s Vogue 1347 shirt jacket.

”v1347”

(Sadly the beautiful Chado Ralph Rucci Vogue 1144 safari jacket pattern is out of print.)

– – –

Straight and flared skirts

Kwik Sew Kwik Start patterns for speed and simplicity again.

Kwik Sew Kwik Start 3765 is a straight skirt with elastic waist.

”ks3765”

Kwik Sew Kwik Start 2806 is a flared skirt with elastic waist.

”ks2805”

If you prefer a fitted waist, Kwik Sew Kwik Start 3877 is an a-line skirt with darts, zip, waistband.

”ks3877”

The basic classic patterns for these styles are
McCall’s 3830 for a straight skirt,

”m3830”

and McCall’s 3341 for an a-line skirt.

”m3341”

The flared skirt illustrated by Judith Rasband is a designer skirt with horizontal pin tuck detail round the hem.
No need to go for the detailing, but if you’d like some designer elegance for your skirts, there are plenty of straight skirts among the designer co-ordinates at Vogue patterns.

Currently only one flared skirt designer pattern – lengthen the skirt from Rachel Comey in Vogue 1247.

”v1247”

From Chado Ralph Rucci there’s a bias cut straight skirt, Vogue 1310. And some dresses it’s possible to take a flared skirt pattern from – Chado Ralph Rucci at Vogue.

– – –

Intermediate patterns

I’ve chosen specific patterns needing easy and couture sewing skills. Of course there are many other ways of picking the styles for a basic group of jacket/ top/ pants/ straight and full skirts.

How about the wardrobe pattern book ‘Dressmaking’ by Alison Smith for intermediate sewing skills (making ultra-conservative styles). Then the wardrobe pattern Vogue 6701 has a jacket a bit more advanced than Alison Smith’s (separate the dress into peplum top and flared skirt).

Many pattern companies have basic camp shirt, skirt and pants patterns. They don’t all have a safari jacket style, but if they go for basic classics they usually have a shirt jacket pattern which you could add pockets to. These are just a few of the possibilities :
Cutting Line Designs (click on Store tab)
Loes Hinse (Textile Studio for her easiest patterns)
Palmer-Pletsch at McCall’s (with fitting advice)
styleARC (what they call a safari jacket doesn’t have the 4-pocket style).

– – –

Judith Rasband suggested a simple 5-item capsule which can be business/ casual/ dressy, depending on colour, fabric, accessories. Though I would want more than one top. I’d make several shirts, other people might prefer knits !

She says – for a wardrobe that only needs to be replaced when it wears out, not because it’s gone out of fashion : “make classic pieces the bulk of your wardrobe, with a few trendy items to update and add some fun.”

Well, I’m not sure we would all be at our happiest when wearing ultra-classic styles.
And I don’t agree that it’s only ultra-classic styles that are wearable for many seasons. Fortunately, we haven’t got to choose between either ultra-classics or new-each-week ultra-fashion. There are many other styles which last for more than one season.
Even ultra-classics can’t always be worn for many decades, as proportions and details change.

Here’s YouLookFab on using a few classic items with others.

Make several versions of this capsule while working your way from an easy starter-wardrobe to a big challenge !

– – –

Patterns and links available April 2013

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Categories: specific capsules

Comments: 4 Comments

Rich Links on personal style

April 13, 2013

More Rich Links with lots to explore when you get there. And some chatter ! This time on personal style.

Do you know your body shape, colouring, personal style?
What flatters your special combination of qualities ?
What do you enjoy wearing ?
Have you got an effective wardrobe ?
Or do you just enjoy reading about it all 😀

– – –

Follow Imogen Lamport’s April Style Challenge at Inside-Out Style.
Get some ideas for re-thinking how you wear your clothes. (Sorry, a bit late now – do it in May instead !)

More inspiration for using your existing clothes to best advantage, from Jill Chivers of My Year Without Clothes Shopping. She and Imogen have a video on styling up a basic outfit of tee and jeans.

Imogen Lamport also has good groups of posts on
body shape.
colour personality. (Posts on individual colour types in the Archive for early April 2010 – scroll down.)
capsule wardrobes.

And a recent series on which neutrals are flattering to wear with your hair colour (allowing for warm-cool differences) :
blonde,
red,
brunette,
grey.

Another Australian site for getting to know what you like to wear describes 6 steps to a personal makeover.
There’s much good advice here, without making any purchases.

The Joy of Clothes has a fun style quiz – even if I don’t recognise myself in much of it !

Lot’s of advice to explore from The Chic Fashionista. Another style quiz (look under Fashion 101 > your personal style) – this one does include me 😀 except I’ve never owned a pair of black pumps. Interesting advice on wardrobe essentials – ignore that the examples are all white, grey, black.

Or simply search your body shape, for innumerable suggestions. Example for me : “pear body shape”.

If you’re interested in exploring your personal colouring, there are free videos on the 6 basic colour types used by UK Colour Me Beautiful.
The videos are oriented to selling handbags, but you can always move on once you get to that section !

The videos show people who are clearly dominant on one of the UK ColourMB 6 colour types :
Light . . . . . . . . . . . Deep
Warm (yellow) . . Cool (blue)
Clear . . . . . . . . . . . Soft (muted, added grey)
Many of us are a mixture. I need to wear Light clothes in Warm colours with a touch of Soft.

Not the same as the US Color Me Beautiful company, which uses the 4 seasonal colourings based on 2 dimensions :
light-warm . . . . Spring
light-cool . . . . . . Summer
deep-warm . . . . Autumn
deep-cool . . . . . . Winter

Sadly I don’t look good in all the colours suggested by either of these colour schemes. I find it best to use colours directly based on the colours in my hair, eyes, and skin, as I have cool hair, warm skin. There are many of us, but UK CMB says it’s impossible.

US ColorMB’s seasons are similar to the colour system used by Dressing Your Truth. Who go so far as to relate colour of clothes directly to face shape and clothing personality.
DYT . . . . colour . . . . style . . . . . MBTI temperament
Type 1 . . Spring . . . . . Casual . . . . . . SP
Type 2 . . Summer . . . Romantic . . . .NF
Type 3 . . Autumn . . . . Classic . . . . . SJ
Type 4 . . Winter . . . . . Dramatic . . . NT
DYT claim their system is unique – this way of relating it to well known categories of colour, style, personality is mine. See also this post from Expressing Your Truth which analyses in detail how DYT is derivative. (Much information on that site about many other style and colouring systems.)

Of course DYT makes an extreme over-simplification of all our subtle individual differences. Psychologists long ago gave up on the idea that there’s any link between face or body shape and personality.
Indeed, DYT have to colour people’s hair so they look good in the colour of clothes suggested for their personality. Which to me doesn’t seem a way of respecting the Truth of our own bodies and personalities.

But anyway DYT have a free course on identifying your Type.
And many entertaining free videos about their system. See if you like the ideas and presentation style.
Despite all the limitations I enjoy watching this material. But it’s probably most helpful for people who don’t know there are innumerable sources of personal style advice – consultants, sites, books – out there !
(Don’t buy the book ‘Dressing your truth’ – expensive and says little about clothes.)

UK Colour Me Beautiful expands the usual 4 categories of personal style to 6 :
City Chic – elegant quality basics with an emphasis on accessories, or minimalism. See Janice of The Vivienne Files for inspiring outfits in this style.
Classic – traditional classic, modern classic, tweeds.
Natural – casual, relaxed, rugged, sporting.
Romantic – feminine, vintage.
Dramatic – edgy, sexy, fashionista.
Creative – a wide range of possibilities, from the Tilton and Sewing Workshop patterns through crafter’s embellishment, Goth/ Lolita/ steam punk, to grunge or the wildest of unexpected shape/ colour/ print/ texture combinations. Or ‘eclectic’ – any style depending on how you feel at the time ! (Have a look at Fantastical Beauty and Urban Threads.)

UK CMB have nothing free on-line about these styles, but they have got an on-line course for training professional personal stylists !

The 7 personal styles in the Australian 6-step wardrobe revamp include 6 similar styles and also ‘Alluring’.
Elegant
Classic
Natural
Feminine
Alluring/ Sexy
Dramatic
Creative.
Choose a main style, then a secondary one to add special character to it.

My main style is relaxed, but having a ‘chic’ category helps me include the quality aspect that’s important to me. With touches of creative and feminine. I’m not at all into being highly visible, either dramatic, alluring, or aggressively creative !

‘Alluring’, ‘casual’, ‘feminine’, ‘creative’ – there are many situations, such as at work, where these styles are either inappropriate or unhelpful. It’s good to know your tendency and preference, so you can think how to get round it. Sometimes your secondary style is helpful. I’m a ‘natural’ and unhappy in classics (as I keep saying 😀 ) When I was working I focussed on my ‘chic’ side to look successful and competent. I know a supermarket supervisor who goes home in black leather and chains – when at work he keeps his ponytail with the company uniform.

Does any combination of these categories describe your personal style ? Where do you feel you fit in ?

– – –

I’ve looked at many systems describing body shapes, colouring, and personal styles. None of them fit me exactly. Some of them I can fit myself into quite easily, others only with great difficulty. But I’ve learned something or got inspiration from nearly all of them, so it’s worthwhile as well as entertaining.
I am nearly always a combination of categories, and have learned much about what suits me by working out what would be a combined style.
Your own judgement about you feel ‘comfortable’ in is the best guide – physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. . .

Have a look at some of this for a bit of enjoyable relaxation.
If it gives you any ideas for your own style, that’s a bonus 😀

– – –

Links available April 2013

= = =

Categories: personal style

Comments: Be the first to comment

Loungewear

March 16, 2013

What are the people who go to the supermarket in pyjamas aiming for ? – extremes of lazy comfort. Is it possible to have that lazy comfort and still look stylish ?

I don’t think it’s the style elements that make you look slobby-sloppy-shoddy in pjs. I think it’s the state of the fabrics – unwashed, overwashed, stained, pilled, fraying. Basically pjs are classic casual styles.

Though sometimes overwashed, stained, fraying is a high fashion style statement, or even a political one – all style rules can be broken 😀

High quality of fabric and finish are essential if you want to look classy in casuals – quality always counteracts a casual effect ! My current favourite style words are “Relaxed Luxe”. Happily the days when stylists thought casual style meant you didn’t care about quality are long gone.

Love tailoring ? elegant chic ? always wear pretty dresses? Of course there are many people whose personal style means they never get near the point where casual becomes slovenly, but what about the rest of us ?

I’m inconsistent on this. I automatically hang up blue jeans. But I do like to be very comfortable and can easily slump into definitely-not-chic.

So what are these comfortable comforting but stylish clothes ? This all got a bit long, so I’ve made the section on pj patterns into a separate post.

– – –

New casual shapes for the season

Lots of ‘bomber/ baseball/ varsity’ jackets in the high street here (summer 2013). Such as Simplicity 1940.

”s1940”

And ‘slouchy’ pants are loose at the hip but tapered at the ankle. Such as McCall’s 6514 view A.

”m6514”

Many patterns for ‘slouchy’ tops. Oversized tops in soft drapey fabrics, so they show the body shape rather than standing away from it. My favourite easy slouchy pattern is Butterick 5651, now oop – shows the idea has been around for a while !

”b5651”

– – –

Cosy indoor ‘jackets’

Before Christmas I bought a ‘cardigown’ – a hip length dressing gown (US robe) made in light cuddly fleece.

”cardigown”
Rocha John Rocha

Apart from a down vest, this has been my most worn garment this winter. A double breasted wrap hoodie. So what would be a good pattern for copying it ?

Saf-T Pockets Portlandia coat.

”portlandia”

or Design and Planning Concepts Hooded Orknot coat.

”desplancoat”

Make thigh length in snuggly fleece for a cosy indoor version.

And for deep winter I have a Lands End robe (dressing gown) made with down. I’m planning to shorten it for next winter as I think jacket length will be more useful.

”ledown” Lands End

I confess these robe/ gown ‘jackets’ are so cosy and comfy it’s had a disastrous effect on my willingness to ‘get dressed properly’. Hence I’m planning a post on pjs and similar patterns. See also my posts on designer Sweatshirts and Fleeces and hoodies.

There are solutions to this problem of looking good while being very lazy. This isn’t just an over-reaction to the ultra-classic styles in my last post !

Ah, looking good in ultra-casuals involves all the usual themes. Make sure sleeping-slumping clothes co-ordinate and are in good condition. And are in flattering favourite colours, shapes, and styles 😀

– – –

Links and patterns available March 2013

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Categories: my choices, personal style

Comments: 4 Comments

‘Dressmaking’ book – classic styles

March 9, 2013

I’ve had many thoughts about this book, ‘Dressmaking’ by Alison Smith. A wardrobe pattern book with a focus on clearly explained technique.

This post reviews the classic style patterns in this book, with suggested alternatives. With comments on building a classic wardrobe.

Each wardrobe pattern book has it’s own style (see my posts.) Most are on casual or pretty styles. This is the first book on classic style, so it won’t be for everyone but fills an important gap.

– – –

The basic patterns

The ‘Dressmaking’ patterns are pure classics based on fitted blocks with fitted armholes, most with zip opening.

There are 12 basic scaleable/ download patterns :
(The second top actually buttons up to the neck.)

”tops”

”skirts”

”pants”

”dresses”

Plus instructions for simple pattern changes to make 19 variations. A good range within one personal style and ease level.

As my body shape is far from average, I’m not the right person to test these patterns to find how well they work. These patterns are such simple basic styles it’s easier to adapt my personal fitting blocks, rather than going through the fitting process with these patterns.

– – –

Fitted classics only

These patterns won’t warm your heart if you like casual slouchy/ body-con, frilly/ drapey/ vintage, or trendy styles.
No dartless styles with dropped shoulders. No raglan or cut-on sleeves.
No slimmer pants, or tops with generous or negative ease.
No notched or band collars (though sufficient instructions are there).
No dresses in dartless shift, wrap, or draped styles, and those can be more flattering for many body shapes.
Nothing on sewing knits, fleece, denim.

The late Shannon Gifford thought you need 5 basic pattern blocks : pants, a-line skirt, classic shirt, fitted tee, jacket. All but the tee are here.
I like to have basic blocks for drop-shoulder, raglan, and cut-on sleeves as well as fitted armholes. And I use a casual dartless block a lot. Some people like a separate block for slim fit pants like jeans. None of those are here.

If you follow designer fashion these patterns will look a bit dull. Nothing here if you want to mimic this season’s high fashion (see my review of seasonal trends). Or a tees-sweats-jeans or tunic-leggings look. Or a cascade cardigan or notch collar blazer.

The patterns are best suited to ultra classic personal style in woven fabrics.
For ‘modern classics’ including knits, see styleARC patterns.

–

Other personal styles

Using these patterns, you couldn’t copy the basic wardrobes from Janice of The Vivienne Files. Here’s her casual wardrobe , and here on a wardrobe as a background to accessories.
My posts on patterns for these are on a wardrobe of relaxed basics and a common wardrobe.

Staying with wardrobe pattern books which claim to teach you to sew :

If you like casual styles, you could combine the sewing instructions in this ‘Dressmaking’ book with Wendy Mullin’s pattern books. Her patterns have a wider range of style elements and basic blocks but sometimes poor sewing instructions (and beware the fit. See my wardrobe pattern book reviews – Index page 3).

What about flouncy or vintage styles for skirt and dress lovers ? Those can easily use the Steampunk clothing company production. The Colette Patterns or Burda Style pattern books might be a better choice, too. I haven’t seen the Colette Patterns book. I have seen the first Burda Style book, which isn’t right for me as it has brief written instructions with few illustrations.

Also Gertie’s new book for better sewing, which I haven’t seen as it isn’t my style or body shape. Here’s a helpful review.

For draped styles there are the ‘Drape, Drape‘ Japanese pattern books. I haven’t seen these books, but Japanese pattern books are usually very visual – many diagrams and few words. See Simply Pretty for extended images from Japanese pattern books, to see the instruction style (or get the Japanese editions of the ‘Drape, drape’ books 😀 ).

–

A Wardrobe of Classics

If you work through all the projects in ‘Dressmaking’, you’ll have a variety of standard fitted classic tops (5), skirts (6), pants (4), dresses (12), and jackets (4). (No classic casuals like tees, jeans, cascade cardigan.)

Co-ordinate fabrics and colours to make a wardrobe.

Using the patterns in ‘Dressmaking’ you can make clothes similar in style spirit to Nancy Nix-Rice’s basic starter wardrobe. Here’s the first of my posts on it. Better to read her complete set of newsletters.

Nancy suggests you use 3 colours : dark neutral, light neutral, accent colour.
And have a foundation wardrobe of 12 garments :
– top, layer, pants, skirt – one group in dark neutral and another in light neutral,
– top and layer in accent colour,
– top and skirt in mixed colour print.

You couldn’t copy Nancy’s suggested styles exactly using the ‘Dressmaking’ book, as there isn’t a pattern for notched collar or knits.
And Nancy doesn’t include any one-piece dresses.

Perhaps use Butterick 5760 wardrobe pattern for the further classic styles needed, once you’re familiar with the techniques in the ‘Dressmaking’ book. Add making a band collar, a more structured jacket, and a knit cardigan to your skill set.

”b5760-2”

Or just make the 12 dresses in the ‘Dressmaking’ book – plenty enough for a classic ‘dresses only’ wardrobe !
Once you’re happy with a bit of pattern altering, you’ll be able to combine patterns to add collars and different sleeves to these dresses. Though with only a narrow range of shapes.

– – –

My first posts inspired by this book were on sewing guidance for complete beginners and advanced beginners.

The technique instructions in this book – for intermediate level skills – are very good (I plan to write on this later). And they apply to any style. But the patterns won’t be to everyone’s taste.

I don’t wear such extreme classics, so need to adapt the patterns a bit. Lengthen the skirts and jackets, make sleeveless vests from the jacket patterns, taper the pants, make tunic versions of some dresses. . . (examples of all these pattern changes are in the book). Shortened versions of the waist seam dresses can be used for tops while peplums are so popular. With my personal style, body shape, and local climate, I’m unlikely to make any bare-shouldered styles, unless I just made them to try the skills involved.

I’ll go elsewhere for my favourite loose fitting layering top and jacket patterns. The same pattern altering and sewing techniques apply to the casual dartless block, but there’s no pattern here to use as a starting point. Other guides also needed for sewing a wider range of fabrics.

Even if ‘classic’ isn’t your style, they can be good to use as background basics. Here’s YouLookFab on using a few classic items with others.

The cover of this book claims it’s a ‘one step resource’. It isn’t that, but it is very good on the styles and techniques it does include.

– – –

Patterns and links available March 2013

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Categories: Nancy Nix-Rice, personal style

Comments: 2 Comments

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