Following on from yesterday’s review of the Brazilian pattern magazine Moda Moldes, I’ve got another magazine my friend brought back from her holidays in Brazil, Molde & Cia magazine.
I couldn’t find a month/year anywhere on the cover or masthead, but I believe this must also be the April 2011 issue as it shares a celebrity photo with Moda Moldes. I couldn’t find an official site for MM, but Molde & Cia have one, and its issues are much easier to find on US Ebay, too. I’d be interested to learn from any Portuguese speakers if it’s possible to order individual issues of Molde & Cia or Moda Moldes anywhere outside Brazil (that aren’t eBay), however, as Manequim requires a subscription for international customers.
Without further ado, here are my picks from this issue!
I really like the gathered bands on this mint green sundress, and it looks to be a pretty universally flattering style.
This cutaway top and skirt are based on the same model photo as seen in the same month’s Moda Moldes magazine (on the right)!
I would’ve never thought a ra-ra dress could look good on anyone out of their teens, but this Brazilian celebrity makes me eat my words – how cute is this on her? If only I could get the fun Eiffel Tower fabric, too!
This skirt reminds me so much of the Manequim “egg skirt” I made (on the right), both in cut and fabric, that I had to share! It’s a little edgy, but I still wear mine all the time.
Ignore the fact that the model is as orange as these dresses – I think the pleated fabric on the left dress is a really interesting detail that could be appropriated onto another pattern, and in more drapey fabric to avoid the “stegasaurus look”!
I really like this Plus-sized, knit, raglan sleeved dress. There were quite a few good Plus patterns in this issue, including some leggings with ankle zips, too.
I’ve seen a few variations on the ruffled blouse theme recently, but I think the asymmetric ruffle here is done really well.
This is my favourite from this issue, though – an unlined, cropped sweatshirt jacket made to mimic a traditional blazer!
But finally, to prove it was not all Good in this issue, check out these awful jumpsuits. I know it’s almost too easy to mock jumpsuits these days, but with a crotch that bad, it’s just asking for abuse (and very uncomfortable walking..).
As with Moda Moldes, the pattern sheets and sizes are very similar to Manequim. Here’s a scan of a Moda Moldes sheet:
By my eyes, the red or black lines wouldn’t be too bad, but tracing the blue would be awful!!
Molde & Cia also contains a bunch of kids patterns, a’la Burda, and some lifestyle beauty and food features, like Manequim.
Overall, I think the designs here are up to the same standard as Manequim or Moda Moldes, though from this particular issue, I’d rate it slightly lower than the other two, just because there were quite a few teeny-bopper styles too many, and again, only a very few patterns in size 44 for me.
I just did a count of the number of patterns in each magazine in my size, and the Manequim May 2011 issue had 11 size 44 patterns, the Moda Moldes April 2011 issue had 5 (plus two patterns sized S/M/L), and this Molde & Cia had 7 (plus one S/M/L). So it wasn’t just my imagination!
I’ve got one more Brazilian pattern magazine to show you, and Figurino Moldes is quite a doozy… It should get some laughs, in any case!