I’m nearly finished the tuxedo-inspired trousers which are made from the same vintage Pendleton wool as the tuxedo-inspired jacket – I’ve just got to hem and turn up the bottoms and they’re ready for a photo shoot! But in the meantime, if you’re a Pattern Review member, take a second right now to go vote in the One Fabric: Wool contest in which said tuxedo-inspired jacket was entered. Go on, I’ll wait.
So finishing up such classy threads has made me stop and think about which parts of my wardrobe I actually wear most on a day-to-day basis. I absolutely love making the smart ensembles and special occasion wear, especially since the aim of my FW/07 Collection was to increase my business attire, but I tend to wear a lot of basics in my otherwise very casual office. I think looking through the garments I wear most often might help to give me some focus as I start mentally planning what I’ll be sewing this spring…
Fehr Trade Most Worn Awards
(in no particular order)
- Black leather handbag – I use it to haul all my supplies, lunch, mittens, iPod, and everything else around every single day. I wouldn’t change a thing.
- Red corduroys I love the fit – and I adore the colour, but after only a month the fabric is starting to thin, so I’m very much afraid they’ll not be a “most worn” for much longer, though I fully intend to clone them in more robust corduroy, and possibly interface where these are wearing through.
- Brown trousers – Identical in cut to the red ones above, these are made of sturdier chocolate twill and go with absolutely everything.
- Bedside organisers – James and I both use these every single night. They keep my phone (which I use as an alarm) and my glasses and chapstick within reach of me, but out of reach from the cat!
- Grey wool skirt – Little did I know when I made it, but this goes with everything from teeshirts to lace and satin. It’s so versatile, and the summer wool suiting is amazingly soft, and the big kangaroo pocket is incredibly useful.
- Red velour and blue fleece wrapover tops – These are as comfortable as any old sweatshirt, but infinitely more stylish. I find myself slipping these on if I’m cold, or lounging them as pyjamas, or wearing them out down the pub. I wear these so much I’m considering making a third before the weather warms up.
- Cotton vests – And speaking of warm weather, I practically live in these during the summer months. I can crank them out in under an hour, I’ve got them in a huge variety of 100% cotton prints, and the upper portion is lined so I can go au naturel if I choose.
- Jeans – I’m wearing these now as I type this. Over a year later, and they’re still the most comfortable jeans I own. Another pair that I bought from an upmarket brand last December have already fallen apart but these keep on kicking! I’m realising now how much better my own jeans are than RTW, so I just bought rather a lot of Levi Strauss denim fabric…
- Yamamoto jacket – In everything but the coldest months, you’ll find this on me. I wasn’t sure of it at all when I made it, but after wearing it for a few weeks, it was absolute love. I wear it equally in both configurations, and I don’t even mind that it hasn’t got pockets, it’s just that damned great. I feel like I’m on a catwalk whenever I wear it, and the second it gets warm enough to team with a scarf, it’s going back into active duty.
Before I get to spring sewing, however, I’ve still got three remaining pieces in my FW/07 Collection to take care of, and I’m actually going to change all three from my original plans. I don’t know whether it’s because I’ve left my least favourite designs until last, or whether I’m just losing interest, but I’ll be making the following substitutions:
- The optional shirts in the upper left corner will now be replaced by BurdaStyle’s JJ blouse, made in semi-sheer white cotton shirting. I can’t wear to wear this with the tuxedo-inspired suit!
- I don’t have enough mottled wool to make the BWOF kick skirt shown in the top centre, so I’ll be replacing it with the Jean Paul Gaultier skirt from the newest Patrones made in black wool crepe with accents of either black duchesse satin or black leather.
- And finally, the two knit faux-wrap dress possibilities in the upper right will be replaced by this knit knotted dress from the newest Burda WOF.
Announcement: It’s come to my attention that a lot of my RSS-reading visitors are using the wrong feed and seeing everything BUT my finished garments (which are clearly the prettiest part!!). If you did not see the posts about my boyfriend’s fleece or my finished blue Pendleton wool jacket, please change your RSS feed reader to use this link right here and you’ll then see everything!! thanks.