Leading on from the amazing April issue, you’d be forgiven for expecting May’s to be a bit sub-par. But oh no no! Manequim have produced another really good issue with at least one “absolutely WILL make” for me, and if you’re Plus-sized, just drop everything and go buy this issue on eBay now.
The first pattern that stood out to me is this amazing Plus-sized biker jacket with gathered sleeves and diagonal zipper! (Also the dress is rather nice, too)
The cover star’s pleated dress has definite potential, but I prefer this sheath dress with piped, angular seams that she wears later in the same feature, even though it’s got an extremely short hem! (which is easy enough to fix, thankfully.)
I adore this blouse!! It’s made with panels of silk chiffon and silk satin, but I personally would instead make it all from silk satin and just alternate the shiny vs matte sides to create texture instead. This means it’s both easier and cheaper to source fabric, and you don’t unintentionally reveal anything in the chiffon sections!
The designer-style section this month is influenced by Max Mara, and contains a rather nice, full-length camel coat (seen here on the right) in addition to this blouse with the interesting curved centre bands.
Now here’s an idea which doesn’t require buying the magazine! Take a pencil skirt, and add an exposed zipper diagonally across the front!
This issue has an expanded Plus-sized section, so in addition to the usual one-page we get every month (like the awesome biker jacket above), there’s also about ten additional patterns! My favourites of these were this knit dress with the side gathers…
…and this sheath dress with angled seams! But there’s also a blazer and trouser combo, sheath dress with lace yoke, and a kaftan (ok, you can’t win them all).
And finally, in a feature showing articles of clothing styled for both day and night, I like this sporty little skirt, though NOT the awful quilted pleather fabric they made it from! I mean, who walks into a fabric store and selects that??
