So, something miraculous happened.
I took the photos for my Renfrew post this past Thursday morning. Then, I walked out the door and wore it to work.
Yes, it is both sad and hyperbolic to call that a "miracle."
But that experience of so effortlessly wearing something I’ve made has led me to do some thinking about why I sew, why I choose the patterns I do, and the clothes I wear versus the clothes I want to wear.
I’m very motivated by the idea that sewing would allow me to wear a lot of items that I have difficulty fitting RTW. But there’s a big assumption going on there: that I don’t wear these items because I rarely fit them and, therefore, if I had more versions that fit I would wear them.
I’m starting to debate the extent to which this is true.
Reflecting on my wardrobe, I’ve come to a few conclusions:
1. Dresses:
I LOVE wearing a good dress that fits well. However, I really don’t like dressing to be noticed. The number one reason I don't wear the dresses I own is because I feel like I stand out too much in the print. If my goal is to incorporate dresses into my regular wardrobe (rather than “special occasion”) then I need to be sewing them in solid colours. (At least until I become more accustomed to wearing them and those around me become more accustomed to seeing me in them.) I also need to develop a much better understanding of my own sense of style, so I can better know which prints I will actually feel comfortable and confident wearing (as opposed to just thinking they look great objectively on the bolt).
2. Blouses:
Woven blouses are tricky. It’s a rare blouse that fits me in a way that I feel comfortable and attractive wearing. That being said, I really do enjoy the loose and easy fit of the Sorbetto tank (my oh MY how I wish my cat hadn’t eaten the pretty and well-fitted one!) and it provides a really welcome break from the boring old jersey tanks that I wear under my cardigans (which is basically my uniform, it seems.) I think that with some careful attention to detail I could make a blouse with sleeves that works for me. But I also need to remember that there are certain details I will probably never like on myself, such as the traditional dress shirt collar or any kind of shoulder embellishment (particularly sleeves with even a hint of puff. Not my thing.)
3. Pants:
If I want to wear a more handmade wardrobe, I need to start sewing pants. The truth is that I live in pants, and I can’t see that changing anytime soon. I also seem to have a terrible time finding any that fit me the way I like, so the sewing experience isn't likely to be that much more time-consuming or frustrating than the shopping experience.
4. Knits:
The first point above for pants also applies to knits. Even when I have well-fitted woven tops in my wardrobe, I go for the knits more often than not. So I really should start focusing on this in my sewing.
5. Jackets:
I don't have enough warm layers and jackets, and that is mostly because I just can't find anything that fits me. I really need to tackle my fear of the jacket and just jump in, because a good wardrobe for a temperate climate probably includes at least a few jackets in various weights and I have precisely four. Lest that sound like a lot, be aware that this consists of: a Gore-Tex rain jacket, a snowboarding coat, an ill-fitting blazer and one linty old peacoat. (And really, as much as Vancouverites like to think that Gore-Tex can be dressy… let’s stop fooling ourselves, shall we?)
All that being said, the biggest takeaway from this reflection was the realization that the best-loved items I sew, for myself or for others, are almost always pajamas - and that I’m totally okay with that. Mostly, I just really want to sew things that I wear, love, and prefer to a store-bought version. I’ve suddenly realized that as much as I aspire to sew well-fitting dresses and winter coats, I’m also just a product-driven crafter who wants to make stuff that actually gets finished and worn. And while I don’t care to be noticed in it, or singled out for making it, I do derive a lot of satisfaction from putting on a handmade garment and knowing, I made this.
I have come to the same conclusions 1-4! :)
ReplyDeleteI love looking at fun prints but feel so uncomfortable in them. It took me a while to arrive at that conclusion because I think because I didn't want to admit to myself I was so self-conscious. But I've started making things in solid colors and it's going really well! a dark purply blue woven alma in particular. I also agree on slowly slipping more dresses and skirts into what I wear- it makes me feel weird when people make such a big deal of seeing me in one :)
Definitely! The whole point is to make things we feel great in. I'm always looking for great print tops but dresses... it can just be a lot of look, if you know what I mean.
DeleteI enjoyed reading your thoughts! Doing an evaluation like that on why we sew, and what gets worn is really really helpful - it certainly helps cut down on selfmade things that just don't get worn, or get worn out of spite (I made it! I have to wear it no matter what!).
ReplyDeleteHaha, wearing out of spite - love that! I'm actually not so attached... I've given a fair number of handmade things away! I'm a heartless crafter, lol.
DeleteI wore 'Sewbusylizzy' clothes to work twice this week! I also used to never wear prints, now I love them. I don't much like cutesy little girl florals, I prefer modern but feminine prints. I often pair a print with a solid to 'calm it down'.
ReplyDeleteMy most worn homemade things are my denim Vogue 1247 skirts - I adore them. I wear them most weekends.
I'm totally with you on modern prints. I think that's part of my exploration - I love big, abstract florals, watercolours, graphic prints (herringbone, houndstooth, etc) but not so much on the pretty precise little florals. I think I should start a mood board to figure out what kind of prints I would really wear and like to be my signature style... modern is definitely a word I should put on there (I'm the minority in the sewing world but I'm not really keen on vintage, aside from taking inspiration from the details & silhouettes and applying them in a modern way...)
DeleteThis is why I sew mostly with knits---those are the clothes that I reach for most often and feel most comfortable wearing. Maybe if you get more comfortable sewing with knits, do you think you would feel comfortable with some pretty patterned knit tops? It's an easy way to jazz up your wardrobe basics.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually quite comfortable wearing prints as tops (because they get broken up and paired with neutrals like jeans or plain cardigans), it's mostly dresses that I feel conspicuous in. I suppose because it's a LOT of print at once, and because I already feel sort of conspicuous in a dress as it is (due to not wearing them regularly). But, I do think that I need to put more careful thought into what sort of prints I like wearing. I've made a few I really love (my two print sorbettos, the large abstract floral and the tiny polka dot) but I've made some major misses (my floral crescent skirt).
DeleteBut part of it, for me, is realizing that it's okay that I don't want a jazzed up wardrobe, so to speak... I'm always worried that it's boring how much grey and black I wear, but I LOVE grey and black! So it's okay if that's my signature, with maybe some pops of colour in my tops or accessories? It's a work in progress, for sure.
One thing I've done with a lot of success-- success meaning I wear them :)-- is do a solid color on the top half of the dress and a printed fabric on the bottom!
DeleteOh my goodness - I hear you!! I'm struggling with the exact same thing right now :) I wish I had an answer! Although I do wear my knitted sweaters a lot ... Now it's time to start looking at my clothes (namely pants) & what fits well & wears well :)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE my knitted sweaters but I seem to be such a slow knitter these days that I can't see my collection expanding anytime soon... really should put down the scarves and pick up the sweaters soon.
DeleteLove this post! I'm trying to be a bit more practical in what I sew, not sewing boring things, but sewing stuff that I can actually wear and will want to wear day to day. I'm also trying to say no to patterns that look cute on other people, but aren't really my style. Odds are, I won't end up wearing the finished garment, and how sad is that?!
ReplyDeleteExactly! I must say that I'm also battling that urge to sew "for the blog"... i.e. staying away from "boring" projects not because I don't want to make them but because I worry they won't be good blog fodder, you know? I always have to remind myself that I sew for me, the blog is secondary (much as I love my readers!)
DeleteI read this post 2 or 3 times, because I so much relate to it. I got back into sewing after decades of Not sewing. And even thought I had my share of failed projects, I'm so happy I did. I'm starting to realize what I actually do wear and what I want to sew next to integrate into my now weeded out wardrobe.
ReplyDeleteThe best decision I made was to buy a decent serger. I can now whip out solid color tees and turtlenecks that actually fit me (AND have the sleeve lengths that I like.)
Enjoy your blog. Keep up the good work.
Oh I'm so on the same page as you. I've learned so much in the last two years, even if I do look back at all my projects and realize how few of them actually get worn. (And even a few have been given away!) It's all in the name of learning, but I would love to reach a point where I actually get wear out of things!
DeleteI'm jealous of your serger. Mine gets the job done but it's a bit old and clunky.
I'm with ya! When I started sewing I made almost exclusively special occasion dresses, but as I realized the joy I got from wearing something I made, I wanted to do it more, so I jumped into sewing knits and never looked back. I now get much more pleasure out of sewing something simple and quick and wearing it the next day than spending weeks on a complex fitted garment. And solid knit dresses are now the bread and butter of my wardrobe... though I confess I'm now delving into pantsmaking too...
ReplyDelete