Fall & Winter 2020 #1

My fashion horizon expanded significantly when I took up sewing this year due to COVID restrictions. Thanks to Etsy and to some extent Ebay, the availability of vintage patterns have made my imagination soar in the same way as creating artwork through collage, acrylics and  installation. Many of my inspirations will remain just that - ideas percolating in the mind. But others will be transformed into actual clothing in styles and fabrics that would be far too complicated or costly to purchase retail. Here is a lineup of some of my favorite Fall & Winter 2020 looks.

OVERSIZED COAT

One trend in the Fall/Winter 2020 season is over-sized coats. Athough editorial looks like the red coat (above) are too much for everyday wear, I want to make an oversized coat similar to one in Mina Perhonen's 2018-19 Fall Collection. Vogue Paris Original pattern 1082 featuring Antonio Castillo's design for the House of Lanvin comes very close to creating the look of this coat. I will make the collar-less coat version and add welt pockets and bound buttonholes. Mina Perhonen also produces its own textiles and I love the feminine roses on dark green/black background used for the coat. Instead of heavy brocade or winter wool, I plan to use a very lightweight floral wool fabric, underline it with silk organza to create some body, and line it in a pale bee-skep patterned silk shantung. If successfully sewn, this will be my signature piece for the second half of this year.

New Skills: tailoring, hand-sewing an underlining and lining, bound buttonholes, welt pockets 

Fabrics From : Mood Fabrics, https://www.moodfabrics.com/

The Chances of Making This Coat: good     

DENIM SKIRT 

Denim is a heavy and stiff material to sew and I have never made anything with it. I have no desire to sew traditional denim wear such as jeans or jean jacket since they are readily available in stores. My preference is using denim to create feminine looks in a skirt or dress. One day while trolling Pinterest, I came upon a fringey skirt. It captured my imagination right away. The raw edges on the hem and waistband were fabulous and I loved the drape of the flared lower skirt. I found a Donna Karan pattern (Vogue 1451) that I could adapt for this skirt. I prefer the pattern's shorter length over that of the original. Mood had a great sale on a Rag & Bone dark indigo cotton denim from Japan so I ordered some. The fabric took a long time to come and nearly didn't make it to my home because Fedex delivered it to the wrong address. Fortunately the person who received delivery bicycled it over to my house (thank you neighbor!). I have now washed the denim twice to get ride of some of the dye. It is fringing nicely and I am looking forward to cutting and sewing it.  

New Skills: sewing denim, putting in a zipper, sewing an asymmetrical flounce, fringing the hem and waistband

Fabric From: Mood Fabrics, https://www.moodfabrics.com/

The Chances of Making This Skirt: good 

THE DRAMATIC COLLAR

Another Fall/Winter 2020 fashion trends is the dramatic collar. I love the long, sharp collars seen on the runway and would love to make a blouse that reflects the look but drapes a little more softly. Vogue 1187, which features three blouses with a great selection of collars and sleeves designed by Donna Karen seems just the ticket. The blouses in this pattern are bodysuits but I would lengthen the torso and lose the snaps at the crotch. I want to make this in silk, but haven't decided whether to go stretchy/slippery (stretch silk charmeuse) or less slippery like silk shantung

New Skills: sewing with silk, making sharply pointed collars, button holes, rolled seams

The Chances of Making This Blouse: at the dreaming stage, no fabric selected at this time

  

 

IT STARTED WITH ZURI

In late September, 2017 I tripped on a garbage bag filled with concrete rubble and broke some bones in my shoulder. In preparation for post-op, I had to assemble clothing that could be worn over my immobilized shoulder for a period of two months. The recommended garments were giant tee-shirts, men's size XXXL. They were meant to be discarded after my arm came off the sling. Despite my pain, I could not bear to wear something so unattractive for two long months. In casting about my closet, I came upon a Zuri dress that was purchased for a summertime trip to Manhattan. With the help of my husband I tried it on over my arm injury. It worked! I immediately ordered six more Zuri dresses so that I could have a dress for each day of the week. These colorful dresses made my recovery much more pleasing and I was showered with compliments from doctors, nurses, technicians and physical therapists.  

I was 65 at the time, and it got me thinking about fashion choices, or the lack thereof. So much of retail seems to target eighteen-to-thirty-year-olds and offer designs appropriate for teenage body types. My injury made me consider what else I could add to my wardrobe besides denim leggings, torn jeans and loose shirts that had been my mainstay as an artist. 

Alas, the immediate choices for the 50+ crowd weren't fabulous. On the affordable side, I could buy loose tunics, wide-legged pants, oversize tee-shirts or the ubiquitous black leggings. Or I could switch to an expensive designer wardrobe in all shades of black. 

Taking a step back, I realized there is another choice. I have gone home to Japan every year for the past 30 years and have paid close attention to fashion trends. Over time the wildly innovative Comme des Garcons, Yamamoto Kansai, Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake and Kenzo design housses have faded into expensive respectability. Other Japanese designers have settled into a range of silhouettes that are attractive for women of all ages, particularly for those over the age of 60. 

Through the lens of Japanese fashion, I have begun to find clothing in this country that I like and wear. Examples include the Uniqlo Marimekko and the Uniqlo U lines and of course, Zuri.  

Recently, thanks to COVID and stay-at-home directives, I have also rediscovered my love of sewing. Pattern houses and sites like Etsy and Ebay offer a multitude of looks that are quirky, innovative and beautiful. Online fabric shops sell familiar textiles and new ones that are delicious to handle and sew. And for someone like me, who hasn't sewn anything since the 1980's, YouTube tutorials and internet blogs offer perfect snack learning opportunities. Making my own clothes has opened huge new possibilities for fabulous over-60 clothing. 

In this blog, I will write about my fashion choices and projects. Please check back periodically and keep me company!