Sunday, October 28, 2012

Shape of the clothing versus Shape of the person?

I have spend the last year or so looking at other people's blogs and just looking at their clothing. I have read just about every fashion advice book I could put my hands on as well. 
But something so simple struck me the other day. On some people it is the shape of the clothing that makes them look good. An optical illusion because their natural shape really isn't there. They are the skinny people that are just straight up and down with little body fat hence no curves. Then there are people like me that have lots of body fat and lots of curves that the clothing tries to drape over and 'fit'. Atlantic pacific
This blogger has many examples of herself in very shaped clothing. How many women do you know that could wear a plaid mans shirt pearls and a Tutu and look so fabulous???
Maybe I should try not to structure my curves but let clothing drape over them. Knits seem to do that but the weight of the knits is tricky. Too thin and all of the extra rumples are exaggerated. Too thick and it adds unneeded bulk. Maybe the structured pants and jackets are the best type of clothing to put on a very curvy body? So I am going to post some structured clothing then some not structured for example knits and see what you all think???? Have you noticed this as well?? Macy's model 
Recently Une femme d'un certain age
had some similar thoughts inn her recent post,"I've come to realize that the more structured, boxy pieces that I love so much conceptually really don't look good on me anymore (if they ever did). ." 

 I think that I look too masculine in these jackets despite the feminine blouse and skirt. I think there is just too much structure and they don't fit very well. I also think the proportion of the jacket is wrong; the hem cuts me in half. I need a shorter jacket with this skirt. The other problem is that the two pieces are rectangular boxes stacked one on top of the other. 
The top jacket has pockets in the wrong places and has a boxy line too.  


 In these two pictures I have sweaters that drape over my curves. More fluid and they don't cut me in half. But there is still something off and I haven't figured it out but at least I think the non structured is better on me. What do you think should curvy girls just try to drape over the curves or try to restructure?

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Salvaging a bad bang job

Went to my hairdresser today and confessed my sins of last week cutting my bangs myself. She did a salvage job and I am very pleased with the results. I wanted to grow my hair out to a bob but I sort of sabotaged it with the 'bang job'. I think it looks kind of like a Sassoon style haircut from the 60's. Anyways here are the results, should I keep it this way or still grow it out to a bob??

Please excuse the no makeup look

Monday, October 22, 2012

Getting your fashion inspiration from your dog

I love the color combination in my dog's fur coat: Orange, Black and a creme white. So I put together a similar clothing combination and tried to get my dog to pose with me. Below are the results.The funny thing is that she wouldn't face the camera. So finally out of frustration with us, she flipped over onto her back and stayed that way.. Does your dog cooperate in photographs? I'm visiting  on Not dead Yet style blog and very good one indeed.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Vogue1036 Jacket Project

Before I cut out my fashion fabric  I am making a muslin of the pattern. I have to say it fits amazingly well. I was prepared to have to make the shoulder adjustments for a square shoulder and a forward shoulder and I didn't have to. There is a whole bunch of room in the shoulders of this jacket. When I read through the directions this jacket has a shoulder header and a shoulder pad. Wow no wonder. I couldn't find any lambs wool for the header at my fabric store so I am going to use a synthetic fake fur that has the consistency of lambs wool. The sleeves have a pieced detail that is very unique. It calls for top-stitching. I wanted to make this special so I have practiced on the muslin trying out top-stitching thread and using a special top-stitching needle. Superior Threads produces such products and I highly recommend them.
Brown denim with metallic gold highlights


This is a photo of my fashion fabric, it is a brown denim with metallic gold highlights so my top-stitching thread is a gold color. I have tried out many of the decorative stitches on my sewing machine,what fun that is. I have a light weight Brother CS 6000i computer machine. I am going to use stitch #02 for my top-stitching. I could have gone crazy with the stitches but I didn't want to end up with a costume effect. Today I will take better pictures of my sloper and I am going to prepare my fabric for cutting out. I have to interface the body of the jacket and it will also have a lining. I might just make the sleeves first because they are the bulk of the work on this jacket. I looked on Pattern Review  and I found one review of the pattern. This person said the band on the bottom of the jacket didn't fit properly so I am going to check mine just to be sure. I have to say that knowing where to cut the notches on the multisize patterns is very difficult. They are stacked onto one another and I was guessing which one was the correct notch for my size. 

 















Thursday, October 18, 2012

Project Runway Finale: Are you watching?

I love watching Project Runway. It is so inspiring. I couldn't do it. All that pressure to create something good.  Who do you think will win? I don't know but I am rooting for all of them. 
Well I am allotting this weekend to start a big sewing project that I have been mulling over in my head for a year. I belong to the American Sewing Guild and we were supposed to do a jacket. Well I hemmed and hawed, bought fabric and patterns and even cut out some slopers and attempted to fit myself. Something wasn't quite right. I had bought this Connie Crawford pattern Butterick 5574. I was going to make this 'Channelesque' jacket in a yellow/creme tweed. I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Where will I wear such a formal jacket. I know many style them with jeans but after all of the couture work it didn't seem logical to just wear it with jeans. 
I finally have decided on a jeans jacket made out of brown denim with a bit of gold sparkle in it. It will fit better with my self proclaimed style,'Flamboyant Natural'. I am going to use this Vogue 1036 pattern and I think it will look really more like 'me'. So this weekend I am going to take pictures of the fabric and make a sloper out of muslin and start the process. I am so stoked because I feel the design lines of this jacket will flatter my top heavy self. I also think that the princess lines will be easier to make the full bust adjustments. I love the pieced sleeves with top stitching I think they will be quite interesting. Pictures to follow wish me luck and hope you love my new DIY project

Saturday, October 13, 2012

CUTTING YOUR OWN BANGS BAD IDEA!!!

"Put Down the Scissors"
A voice in my head should have said that. I wanted to grow my hair out. I am tired of my 5 year stint with short hair. I had a bob back in 2006 and liked it. So I had intended to let it grow out. I wasn't going to have bangs but the hair in my face as it grows out was driving me crazy. I bought a headband but how ugly did I look with that....
This is how I want my haircut eventually to look. Yes it is Anna Wintour.
Okay start laughing this is what I did myself this morning. Ha I look like a serf from the farm in medieval France... Good thing my hair grows fast.

 This is before I cut the bangs. Say a little prayer for me as I face my friends in the next few weeks while I wait until I next see my hairdresser.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Plan B: No WiFi on trip

Step mom and soldier stepson
Cargo jacket?
Wear the hat and hubby
I went to upstate NY and tried to dress down for the trip. That part worked but there was no WIFI at the campground. They advertised that they had it but actually they didn't.So I couldn't post my outfits. So here is a slight recap of what I wore.