“You look like a Cupcake”: Sewing for my lifestyle

Actual thing that happened to me (thanks S!). To be honest it was probably quite accurate.

As I was compiling my “to buy” list for America (less than 60 days to go!) I realised that my wardrobe needed a mini-overhaul I have quite a lot of stuff, both me-made and purchased that I don’t wear for various reasons. I also want to make 2014 the year of sewing! Although I’m not ready to try a RTW fast like Sarah. I do want to be more conscious of what I buy and make this year – too much of my wardrobe is unsuited to my life. This seems to be a bit of a theme among sewing bloggers this year actually, with Rochelle, Clare along with a bunch of others posting similar sentiments lately. Not to forget Tasia’s great post a while back on sewing “frosting” rather than “cake”.

So, all this in mind, I have come up with a bit of a plan which will hopefully help me sew lots of lovely things that I can wear a lot as well as some frosting to make it fun!

First up, I tried to define my style, aided by my pinterest boards:

I’m going to go ahead and label my style a mix of classic prep and mid-century whimsy with a splash of modern wearability.

So I love big skirts, pastels, matchy-matchyness and novelty prints but prefer to keep my style modern enough that it leans vintage inspired, not actually vintage. I also have a pretty clear silhouette – fitted to the waist and then flaring out, knee-length and necklines just below the collarbone. occasionally I toy with slimmer skirts and different necklines, but I tend to go back to the old tried and true. I also have a strong preference for sleeves, which can be hard to find in RTW (this was part of the reason I wanted to get back into sewing – sleeves and pockets for all on everything!).

My palette is a pit harder, I wear a lot of grey, navy, pink, red and green. For prints, I lean towards florals, polka dots and novelties.

So based on this, major holes in my wardrobe are:

• Not enough skirts – in 2014 I want to really broaden my mix-and-match ability. I’m pretty partial to plaid and striped skirts, so that’s where I plan on starting and if I have printed skirts I should be able to mix-and-match them with multiple cardigans and blouses.
• Not enough blouses – particularly ones with cute neckline details like bows and ties in solid colours. Hopefully I can mix-and-match these with the skirts.
• Not enough work dresses – in grey and navy prints so I can wear with different blazers and belts
• Not enough formal dresses that I actually wear – a lot of my cocktail and formal dresses are just too low-cut for me to feel comfortable in and none of them have sleeves.

This year, I tried to sew one item for work for every non-work item. Next year, I am doing away with this rule a little – for one, I didn’t actually stick to it at all! Instead of a hard & fast “rule” I want to just stick to my overall goals of making a more integrated wardrobe that fits my life. I don’t want sewing work clothes to be boring, I want them to be fun and interesting and cute.

Until next time!