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February 24, 2023
So how do you tell when something's right or wrong?
This is one of those which came first?...the chicken or the egg questions that seems overwhelming at first, but after you get started, it almost solves itself.
But how do you start, when you think you know nothing? Well, you actually know more than you think you do! When you get ready to go to the store, and you see something at the store, you actually are picking out a garment that you think will look good on you. You try it on and either it's good or it's bad, well actually there are only 365,000,000 choices in between, and it's a matter
of picking something that's the best, particularly with RTW!
Here's how much you know...which pants would you buy in the store?
See how much you know? It's a gimmie on which pants look smarter, more modern and yet professional and something you would wear on a regular basis. And yes I did morph this out, but I didn't touch the waist, hip, thigh area - IOW, that hasn't be touched or shaved off or anything.
Where the problem comes is when you get to some details that you aren't sure are right or wrong. And here's where interpretation comes in. A lot of that knowledge comes from what we see on a regular basis. For example if we see this kind of look on a consistent basis...
You begin to see translucent, non-fitting dresses, and shorts with ill-sized tops as appropriate things to wear, it's hard to determine what's right and what's not.
Step into the way-back machine for a minute with me. If we were talking in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and/or 80s, I could have easily taken you to a fashion show of Oscar de la Renta, or Yves St. Laurent, or even Chanel after Karl Lagerfeld took over.
Look at this lovely jacket -
nice collar, nice tailored flattering
lines on the body - no matter what shape you are, this could be styled and fitted for just about any sized/shaped body.
Additionally it's flattering and looks like it would be comfortable to wear.
Then there's this gem from Karl Lagerfeld in the late 90s. Look at those seams? This is a designers fitting dream. There isn't anyone you can fit with those princess seams, and making them accentuated, is another great idea, then throwing in the pocket in between the princess seam and the side seam is another great design idea.
 Here's a huge trend in the 80s - the safari look. This look was a huge trend with both Yves St. Laurent and with Ralph Lauren who incorporated his "western" look into a safari-esque look. So there were two huge trends.
This look was classic and yet modern with what YSL did with it, but it had gobs and gobs of ideas that we sewists of the 80s incorporated into our clothing - the pleat in the middle of the pockets, the snap or button flap closure, the belt (the belt was huge), the slit on the side of the jackets, the flipped collar (there was a way to attach the collar with a beautifully designed collar band that would look like a flipped collar but actually wasn't - a wonderful design feature, that I
still use today on lots of jacket collars.
The point of going through the way-back machine, is that we had these kinds of designers to draw inspiration from back then. Today we have this:
That's why I'm leaning toward professional folks, Amal Clooney, Princess Kate and the like because they have to dress like sane folks because if they dress really weird, then people aren't going to have that much faith in what they are thinking, much less doing with all that weird clothing on. The clothing really does make the man.
For some other help here are some good guides:
- let's stand with hips straight (not tilted or weight on one side)
- stand naturally, as you would if you were waiting for a bus
- make sure jacket, dress, etc., are closing just the way you want
- start at the top, collar and shoulders, this must fit here or the rest doesn't matter
- as you work your way down, deal with the wrinkles or stretches that bother you the most
- remember that as you got through your garment, you will begin to solve your most glaring fitting problems, this will cause you to see less glaring fitting problems as you go
- The garment is not supposed to lay perfectly smooth over the body - The garment isn't "sprayed on you." It's forming to fit you in a flattering way.
These guidelines will help you get to the point where you can actually do a pretty good fit on your body. There are other techniques to use as well, but these will give you a great place to start.
And remember, you know more than you think you do, and go with your gut. At the same time, don't be overly critical. I bring up this beautiful Ralph Lauren outfit from his 2023 Spring Show again.
Although the plaids on the bodice match, they can't and don't on the skirt. Also remember that RTW can't get near the amount of excellence than you can. At the same time, looking at a piece of RTW is very educational. What you will buy will be far less scrutinized, than what you make. Don't be so hard on yourself, and do not think you have to get down to the most glaring
wrinkle when you've already solved 20 of them already. My bet is that you've taken care of most of the problems by this time.
Here's a very salient question to ask yourself when you're altering and working through your wrinkles. After that 20th wrinkle problem is solved, would you buy the garment you have on yourself in a store today? My bet is that answer is a resounding yes, because what you are competing with now is some of the worst workmanship that's ever been produced for the public.
Sewing will not only increase your awareness of how bad that stuff is, but also put you on a path toward more responsible clothing as well as more durable and longer-lasting clothing.
The SewingArtistry Resource Library is designed to contain information to not only make your sewing better, but to aid you in fit and flattery of your shape, size and style. Check it out.
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