The Joys of CustomizationNovember 7, 2025 After decades of sewing my own clothes and creating custom pieces for customers, and with pattern companies coming and going, I still derive immense satisfaction from customizing my own
patterns and those for my clients. You should see the brides light up when I say, "Would you like pockets in this dress?" and they look at me like I've just given them a tremendous gift. It's a lot of fun to do this. This is precisely the sort of thing that we sewists often take for granted. Especially those of us who have more or less quit shopping in the stores. My pockets are too high, easy take them out and make them higher; my pockets are too shallow (an all-too-common problem in RTW), I have a standard pocket that holds my big phone with the case that protects it from an asteroid attack from outer
space! And this is one of the main reasons (besides styling my garments to fit me), I love sewing. However, the process can put some
people off and even lead to the point of giving up sewing. They say that those challenges that are the very hardest to get through are also the most rewarding. And this is so true. But there's more than the challenges of styling a garment. That styling comes from what we are used to seeing.
We would never think that this sort of styling is fashionable today.
Nor would we think this sort of style is fashionable. Styles change from decade to decade, and our eyes are accustomed to seeing a certain silhouette. So our eyes tell us that sometimes things look too big, too small, too baggy, too revealing, although sometimes I wonder about that last one! The point is that we get used to a silhouette and a "look" and when something doesn't match that look, it
looks "off" or irregular. This was a huge problem when I was teaching my Woven Pant class. What was really ease, was perceived as baggy,
and there was no way my students could be convinced otherwise.
This really makes my case. No one would ever consider Lauren Bacall of every being out of style - after all she was a model before she was an actress.
She was so famous as a model/actress that Dior did an homage in thier 2010 ad campaign with Karlie Kloss in the Bacall "The Look" that Bacall made so famous.
And again this makes my point, that classic is classic and part of the nature of classic
style is that it is also timeless. And good fitting pants are a vital part of that classic look.
So it took me gobs of time to find this because this is not only classic, but it's also the pant I'm working on. I had to go through gobs of photos to finally get to the pant that I really like. The key for me an my Armani pants a la 2025, is
that they must have a bit of a boot cut to them, but not exaggerated and they must be long. Lately I've been watching Lady Alexandra Taylor,
Miss Taylor the Tailor, and one of the things she talks about is the drape of the fabric, especially in this video: @taylor.a.jones, so the thought had occurred to me to add a deep hem, or double over the hem, to get the swing in the Armani pants that I want.
This may be one of the few times I've found something in the fashion world
that truly inspires me. Here's the problem. Back in the olden days (when fashion was actually quite impressive), I could browse through
the likes of Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, Armani, Chanel, Dior, Claude Montana, and even Gaultier, who would have some marvelous ideas. Because they had worked out all the proportions, balance, focus, and all those other aspects of design, I wouldn't have to worry with that. I would have to take the design and work through the parts I liked in my style, and not have to use the exact pattern the designer used.
I loved the idea of the satin/velvet contrast in texture. I had a beautiful waist, so I used the satin for a cummerbund, very tuxedo-ish looking, topped with a white silk blouse, with stud-type buttons and a 1/8" ribbon as my "bow tie" (this was a nod to
the bolo tie, which is seen in these parts at formal occasions a lot), and I was finished. Basically, the hardest thing was getting that satin to lie flat when I sewed it to the velvet under the lapel/collar. But the whole outfit was my take on YSL's take on Le Smoking, one of the looks that he became known for. Only my version fit like a dream and was comfortable, making me look way thinner than I actually was. I miss being able to go to classic designers to find fashion that I really like. Even when I put in "classic fashion," I get something like this:
This may look great to the kids, but frankly I'm not into showing my belling button, or wearing white every day, or a camel strapless double-breasted dress. I like change as much as the next person, but this isn't change. It's throwing something out
there to see if it will work. My thinking is that the fashion editors today have as much trouble finding classic as I do.
This is why I'm sort of turning the clock back a bit and going to classic looks that
I've had in the past. One of them was the Armani pants. But I'm using something else that I haven't used in a while.
I had a fabulous collection of classic jewelry, and lately I've been filling a few holes, and this doesn't have to be expensive. I have some great pearls - that length that I
can wrap around my neck twice, or wear as one long strand, but some other pieces I have that are very classic and work great to pump up that "classic look."
I bought this heavy brass cuff bracelet when I was in Norman at the University of Oklahoma. There was a shop there that specialized in a Yuppie or Preppy look, and it was a really grand piece. It's heavy, but it wasn't costly because it was made of
brass (the one on the right is freshly polished). I have to polish it almost every time I wear it, cause I don't wear it that often, but it makes a powerful classic statement when I do.
Some other classic bracelets include this bijoux-esque middle bracelet, which is a takeoff of a tennis bracelet. The Elephant/green bracelet is by Kenneth Jay Lane, a renowned jewelry artist of the 1970s and 1980s who specialized in exquisite faux jewelry.
He used Swarovski crystals, enamel, and other faux stones to create elaborate animal jewelry that might be reminiscent of Paloma Picasso's work for Tiffany or something that resembles a 1920s Cartier piece. But KJL's work was much cheaper, but just as practical.
Etsy is by far the best source for things like this. Here are some neat classic pieces I found on a "Kenneth Jay Lane" search. Click the photos to see more.
Then these are some of my classic necklaces.
I love a great nice sturdy chain necklaces. They are 17" and 22". The shorter is for summer inside a blouse, and gives just a little glitz to bring the attention to the face. The longer is for winter over a turtleneck under a jacket. Again
just a little glitz to bring the attention to the face in a very classic way. Here is a good source on Etsy:
And I love my Omega necklaces, which can cost up to $3,000 for a short one. But they are elegant and very classic, and you don't have to pay anywhere near that for a more reasonably priced Omega-style necklace.
Again, I have two lengths and widths - the shorter for summer under a blouse is the perfect finish to a professional look. The longer for winter, and special events. I had picked up this pin from the gift shop at the State Capitol Building. It's
really cool, and people love it when they see it. If you notice, it's a little caddy-whampus, because it's meant to be worn as a brooch, so the pin in the back doesn't lend itself to sitting straight on the necklace. However, no one has ever noticed, because the print is so small that hardly anyone can read it. It's a look, and that's what I'm really after. Most Oklahomans know it's the state seal, and that's what they see. Although one day I might take it to a
jeweler friend and see if he can mount a cool loop in back to thread through this necklace.
I found both of these Omega-like necklaces on Etsy. The summer one is 4mm and the winter one is 6mm.
Click the photo for more info
Most of my jewelry is in gold, as I have a ruddy complexion and tend toward the warm side of the color wheel. If you lean more towards blue, peaches and cream, or the cool side of the color wheel, silver looks better on you. Additionally, Omega-style chains
and silver cuffs are available in silver on Etsy. More and more I'm leaning toward that classic look, and where I'm finding the most
inspiration is on Instagram. See I just drool over this stuff:
This sort of thing NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE. Okay, so you spend some money on
the fabric - maybe at most $200/yd. (probably more like $100/yd but just going out there in the stratosphere!) However, you will have the garment for 20 years, and if that's a jacket for $500, or $25/year, that's really a bargain. You also get the enjoyment of having all the customization that makes it even more valuable. Additionally, consider visiting Neiman Marcus or Bergdorf Goodman to compare prices. It's a shock what they are charging now.
Frankly, it's like going
to Armani, Valentino, Oscar, and Karl and having them make it for you - oh yeah. You can't. They're gone. So you can't even do that if you have a ton of $$$$$.
We sewists really are so lucky.
The SewingArtistry Resource Library is designed to contain information to not only make your sewing better, but to aid in you fitting and flattering your shape, size and style. Check it out.
I'm taking a break from teaching right now, but I am able to do Zoom demos or talks for your sewing group. Contact me for details.
|
This is a sad day - the loss of a classic tradition. Armani held the line
to fashion style that ...
Tracking a fashion trend isn't all that hard after seeing a few of them.
Living from Mid-Century Modern through Twiggy...
It's worth the time to look at these styles, particularly today as
there is a group of that wants to look....
This is the way fashion used to be -- pretty, flattering and I can't wait to make some of...
NOTE: There are some folks who can't get my email, or it's sporadic, or something is hinky. I will always respond to any of you who send a private message, whether it's about the topic of the week or something else. If you don't get anything
from me, it's probably because the support@sewingartistry.com email is blocked, and even a private message can't get through. In that case, I'm on Instagram often, and you can always PM me at @sewingartistry.
As a precaution,
please ensure I'm in your email Address Book and check your spam, junk, and trash folders. Some email clients get extra excited when they see emails coming into the Inbox that go to many other receivers. They automatically think it's trash or spam, and it never makes it to the Inbox. I must constantly check my spam and junk folders to ensure I'm getting the emails I subscribe to.
To view in browser along with past emails, click here. We respect your email privacy. |
Tracking a fashion trend isn't all that hard after seeing a few of them.
Living from Mid-Century Modern through Twiggy...
It's worth the time to look at these styles, particularly today as
there is a group of that wants to look....
This is the way fashion used to be -- pretty, flattering and I can't wait to make some of...
NOTE: There are some folks who can't get my email, or it's sporadic, or something is hinky. I will always respond to any of you who send a private message, whether it's about the topic of the week or something else. If you don't get anything
from me, it's probably because the support@sewingartistry.com email is blocked, and even a private message can't get through. In that case, I'm on Instagram often, and you can always PM me at @sewingartistry.
As a precaution,
please ensure I'm in your email Address Book and check your spam, junk, and trash folders. Some email clients get extra excited when they see emails coming into the Inbox that go to many other receivers. They automatically think it's trash or spam, and it never makes it to the Inbox. I must constantly check my spam and junk folders to ensure I'm getting the emails I subscribe to.
To view in browser along with past emails, click here. We respect your email privacy. |
|
|
