Closet Case Files

Some thoughts on gaining weight & sewing

2012-03-01T13:10:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading a great article in Elle about your body's "natural" weight and how hard it can be to keep weight off if you lose more than 10% in a short period of time. I hit my heaviest of 165 about 3 years ago from a combination of quitting smoking, eating poorly, stress and general lethargy. I've slowly been trying to hit my happy body weight of around 145 ever since. I think if I eat well and get some exercise this is more or less where my body wants to be, which is fine by me. I like a little meat on the bone and stylistically gravitate towards a vintage silhouette - T, A and H(ips) have always been a boon to my style and my relationship with my body. The man in my life seems to agree.

In the spring of last year, I was having some health issues and quit wheat, sugar and alcohol and quickly shrunk to the smallest I've been since I was a teenager working midnights in a factory popping over the counter uppers to get through the shifts. At 135 pounds, I wore a 27/28" waist and a size 8 dress. All of a sudden it was easy to find vintage at thrift stores since everything fit. I looked good in pictures and I got a LOT of attention from people since the weight loss was pretty dramatic. But.... my boobs were deflated, my bum was flatter, and I didn't feel half as bodacious as I felt at my heaviest.

Obviously it didn't last. I quit smoking (again, sigh), got back into the carb/sugar/booze nest, started a new relationship, and entered the long vortex of hell we call Montreal winter, all of which added up to a lot of time cuddling on the couch eating big bowls of pasta followed by big bowls of ice cream. Had a bit of a shock the other day when I realized I gained back 20 pounds. IN FOUR MONTHS. No wonder my skinny jeans didn't fit and I had to let out the measurements of my dressmaking dummy. DENIAL IS REAL PEOPLE.

ALL this to say.... I am about 10 pounds over my "happy weight" and I'm scared to sew! A few of the projects I finished in the fall are too tight to wear. And anything I make now may be too loose after I start riding my bike and taking it easy on the Daaz. It was much easier to have fluctuating weight when you could just go run and buy a pair of fat or skinny jeans, but now that I'm trying to greatly reduce the clothes shopping I do, the weight issue is more, well, weighty. If I labour for 3 days making a wiggle dress am I going to be able to wiggle into it in a few months or is it going to be less wiggle more sack? My next project was supposed to be this dress and I think it will probably be my masterpiece judging from the notions and fabric I've chosen. But I don't want to be swimming in it a few months from now....

My solution? Tent dress. In particular, this guy (the guy in the middle, to be more precise):

Mod, 60's, adorable. I have a beautiful cornflower blue crepe and a buttload of vintage buttons to choose from. This will fit me in 4 months or 4 years.

While I try not to buy into our society's obsession with the uber-thin ideal and try to keep a level head about body issues, it's impossible not to be hyper aware of your body when you make clothes for yourself.

So sewists: how do you handle sewing for a changing body? Are you careful about staying in a narrow range so it's not an issue or do you make clothes that will fit you at various times without agonizing as much about it as I appear to be? How do you maintain a healthy body image when you are much more intimately aware of your size than the average lady?

Getting older and golder (and learning the benefit of a muslin)

2012-02-27T20:42:00.001-05:00

The beast. The trial. The Courtney Love. The Very Difficult Birthday Dress.

I barely made it out alive.

I'd been hoarding this gold woven fabric ($3 a yard! I love living in a fashion center!) for months with the intention of turning 31 while throwing as much sparkle and twinkle at the world as humanly possible. I think it's safe to say I underestimated what that would end up entailing. Which was... tears, hair pulling and A LOT of seam ripping.

Never again will I start a difficult project for a special occasion without making a damn muslin. I fell in love with this pattern a few months ago and thought it would be perfect for the fabric. I'm not sure what happened exactly as I was exceedingly careful when I cut the thing but the fit was WAY off. Nothing lined up. When I finally managed to topstitch the gathered bits it came out crooked. Both times. On both sides. Even though I triple checked the gathering points in the back, the waist ended up at my hips and I had to McGyver the ruching so that the thing actually fit me. I took it in what felt like 10 times. I messed up the invisible zipper. I used the wrong interfacing. And to make matters the worst, with all my re-ruching and whatnot, I ended up with a hem that was almost obscenely short. BEFORE I hemmed it. Not to mention all the seams I had to rip out and start over because I kept forgetting to french them (you heard me).

In the end, after a pretty aggravating amount of time, I managed to turn something out I wasn't completely embarrassed to be seen in. But despite my fretting, everyone at my (AMAZING! FUNNEST! KARAOKE! DANCE!) party loved it. Unfortunately I woke up the next morning with a KILLER hangover and a few mystery snags and stains so I'm not sure if I'll wear it again. But oh, how I learned.

Before the party:

Getting ready for party:

Being very tipsy and having amazing time at party:


I claimed it was too dangerous to open the pinata in the traditional hit with stick manner since everyone was so bombed. But really, I just wanted to stand on the bar, rip it open and dump it on a screaming crowd. Simple pleasures.

Older & Golder dress:

Pattern: Vogue V1209

Total Cost (including notions): $17

Time to Make: Honestly? Over 30 hours. Sigh.

What I learned:

Make a muslin, dummy. Remember those french seams. Pick the right interfacing. Ruching. Topstitching slow and straight. Rolled hems are my bitch.

Instagrammin'

2012-02-21T11:07:00.002-05:00

Some snaps from 2012 so far.

Pinterest inspiration that actually got made.

Not a t-shirt

2012-02-19T23:07:00.000-05:00

I fell in love with this blouse pattern after seeing Sallie Oh nail it here. It's slouchy and drapey and references t-shirt but in a much more elegant way. I know that working with finer weight fabrics can be very difficult so I thought it prudent to experiment with an inexpensive polyester rather than losing my mind ruining silk.

Full disclosure: I initially intended on giving this to my step-sister for Christmas but wasn't sure it was really her style and didn't have the heart/guts to give it to her if she wasn't going to like it. Because I slaved over this. A lot. Like Spartacus style slaving, but without the blood, gore and killing for spectacle.

I learned the hard way that trying to cut this slippy, flimsy material with scissors is an exercise in cry yourself to sleep futility. NONE of the seams ended up at the right spot and I somehow managed to cut the front an inch shorter than I was supposed to. Thankfully it's not super obvious because of the dark navy but this blouse is pretty jacked. But I still love it and have worn it a few times. Now that I have my new MARRY ME CUTTING MAT and BE STILL MY HEART ROTARY CUTTER I would like to try making this some time in the future but, you know, not eff it up.

What I learned: french seams (although I had to seam rip a billion times since I kept forgetting and sewed the wrong ends together just about every time), rolled hems (left it unfinished for a month and magically figured it out after letting it marinate)

Slouchy not a t-shirt

Pattern: Vogue 1247
Total Cost (including notions): $15

Time to Make: Let's just say an obscene and embarrassing amount of time

Colour Stories

2012-02-13T23:17:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy month in the sewing room. In a mad spree I finished my insanely laborious and almost heartbreaking birthday dress which I will be posting as soon as I have a Saturday with good lighting. Tonight I finished the seams on my first pencil skirt, which I hope to give a try out at work tomorrow.

In the meantime, some collages of images I've found inspiring on Pinterest as of late. As usual, my heart belongs to gold:

I'm not sure I'll ever tire of it. In my teenage years I thought it was tacky and old lady, and preferred expressing my inner Courtney Love with lots of sterling silver. These days I don't leave the house without dripping in some kind of fake gold accoutrement. Been gravitating towards sequins and gold leather and evening looks for day. This collage directly inspired my birthday dress, which couldn't BE more Russian trophy wife.

As for colour, I have a few yards of a cotton knit cobalt which I cannot decide what to do with. Once I narrow down the pattern, I'll be peacocking along looking something like this:

All images sources can be found here.

Patches

2012-01-13T15:00:00.000-05:00

When I was in Paris in September it seemed like EVERYTHING with a sleeve had elbow patches. I've been wanting to make something with elbow patches ever since and I thought this pattern was a good oppurtunity:

Found this at one of my favourite vintage pattern sites (Lanetz Living) and then scored a really beautiful, heavy weight navy jersey on sale at Fabricville for $4/meter. Normally I'm not a navy girl, but I loved how elegantly Parisian women wore it. It really is a versatile neutral and I've been looking forward to using it in a project instead of boring black.

This dress was really easy to whip up - my serger does a great job on the hems. There were a few major issues though; I must have been off in my cutting because the waist seam is totally off where it is attached to the zipper. Thankfully I made this with a really wide obi style belt so it covers the booboo. Also, I did a few weird things to the interfacing so the necklines sits a little funny. I always envisioned wearing this with a scarf for that true Paris je ne sais whatever so I didn't sweat it too much. Still so much to learn!

Mistakes aside, I LOVE this dress and have worn it many times in the past month. The skirt is really full and flattering - I always gets a lot of compliments on it and then people are totally astounded when I tell them I made it. My boss was flabbergasted ("It looks like a $200 dress!" "It cost about $16 to make". "GET OUT!! MAKE ME ONE!!!") The elbow patches are a good contrast and I still have some of fabric left over so I'll probably add them to some old sweaters. I will DEFINITELY be making this dress again.

Sorry for the bad lighting in these photos - this was the only part of my apartment fit for public viewing at the time and the natural lighting was not ideal.

Navy dress with elbow patches:
Pattern: Vogue 1788
Total Cost (including notions): $16
Time to Make: 14 hours including cutting

Wrapping up 2011

2012-01-08T20:07:00.000-05:00

Can't believe it's 2012 already! The lack of posts in December can be blamed on the frantic rush to finish Christmas presents - I made a huge effort to make as many as my gifts as possible this year. Stunned I managed to make the following in only a few weeks:

- 2 white wool smocked/woven pillows for my sister in law
- an apron and 8 linen napkins for my mom
- denim mini from Vogue 1246 for my baby sister
- 4 gel-medium transfer prints for my brother
- vanilla agave syrup for my aunt
- Thai chili sauce for various friends
- all natural deoderant for friends (this stuff is seriously the BEST - works better than anything and can be made with household ingredients: recipe here)
- seed stitch knit cowl for my stepsister

Whew. And I still managed to squeeze in a few holiday parties. It was a busy month but eveyrone loved their gifts and I was over-the-moon to avoid the mall shopping trap. Hoping to finish the canvas teepee for my nephew this week. The one thing I couldn't finish in December.


Mumma in her linen apron.


Faith in her mini skirt. Stylishly layered over Christmas jammies.

I am completely psyched for the year to come. I know 2012 has all sorts of psychological import for us but this documentary helped me feel really good and positive for the future. If more people keep making the choice to make more and consume less I think we may be okay. I hope.

This year I would like to continue to make all of my own clothes. It's funny - I have completely lost the desire to shop for clothes (more staggering when you know what a horrible, debt-billowing shopping addiction I used to have). I made a decision to stop reading Vogue after their completely out of touch September issue and now curate a daily "fasion mag" with my google reader and lots of great blogs. Before I started sewing, seeing beautiful clothes I wanted but couldn't afford was incredibly depressing - now I pinterest inspiration to make later. I can't get over how incredibly empowering this process has been for me. I've never felt more creative, inspired and excited to get dressed in the morning. WHY DIDN'T I FIGURE THIS OUT SOONER???!!

The Mondo Shift Dress

2011-12-05T00:06:00.000-05:00

This was only my second time with a pattern. I made it back in September but only got a chance to take photos this weekend (with my 9-5 schedule and the fact that it gets dark in Montreal by 4:30 makes taking photos very difficult when you only wear pajamas on the weekend).

I bought this pattern 2 years ago when I was initially planning on taking up sewing.... time was ripe. I found this divine fuchsia crepe practically sitting on top of the black & white houndstooth, and with both under $5/yard at my favourite fabric store it was kind of a no-brainer. Mondo-style all the way. Mondo being the horribly slighted second-prize winner of last season's Project Runway. I was so, so, so angry when he lost to brown-town Gretchen, not only because he was sweet and quirky and amazing but because he knew his way around a bright colour and a print which is a sure ticket to my heart.

Mondo's final runway collection

Although the McCall pattern was described as "easy" it was definitely challenging for me, especially with the lining. I had a few minor issues and the fit in the rear is not perfect, but overall I was thrilled with the result. I've worn this dress a number of times since then and have got pretty dramatic compliments on it each time. Nothing feels better than saying "Oh this? Yeah, I made it" (demur eyelash flutter).

This weekend I have AGONIZED over a blouse I was planning on giving my sister for Christmas. It's a very fine poly crepe with french seams and parts cut on the bias; it may be the death of me. I have seam ripped the shit out of it - it's more or less done except now I'm stuck on the hem. My seam-rolling foot is not co-operating and doing it by hand was disastrous. Somehow I doubt I can give sis this tortured, wrinkled mess. But I'm learning.

Anyway, the Mondo:

Mondo Sheath dress:
Pattern: McCalls 5753
Total Cost (including notions): $20
Time to Make: 18-20 hours (cutting patterns takes me forever - really need a rotary cutter and a mat)

Second dress ever: Surprise 60's magic

2011-11-21T21:39:00.002-05:00

I found this pattern thrift shopping and picked it up for a whopping $0.69. I don't generally do an empire waist but found a great neutral animal print for $5/yard and thought it might take it down a few notches on the sweetometer.

And OH MY did it. I could not love this dress more if it bought me dinner and read me e.e. cumming in a bubble bath. I've been wearing it more mod with thick black tights and flats but this day I wore it with my favourite suede boots and some lacy tights and tried for a more Haight-Ashbury vibe.

It was pretty easy to make. I serged all of the seams since it was a weird unravelly polyester (which normally I would have avoided but the pattern called to me and it doesn't feel that bad on the skin). The only real snag (besides how easily the fabric would actually snag if I wasn't careful) was my interfacing. I'm lucky in my hood to have access to an envy-inducing amount of fabric stores and I'm blessed to have a little sewing supply place basically around the corner from my apartment. Since I've never used interfacing before I didn't know what to ask for. So I ended up with a non-fusible interfacing that was way too heavy for this lightweight fabric. Rather than go back to the store I figured I'd use it and see what happened. The obvious happened. The neckline is way too stiff, not so much that it looks bad but I notice it when I'm wearing it. Lesson learned. Buy the correct weight of interfacing.

Either way, this lady was super easy to make and makes me happy every time I put it on. Not bad results for my second effort sewing from a pattern!

Self portraits in the sample room at work. Plastic laminates make the best backdrop I think you'll agree.

Pattern: Simplicity 7245
Total Cost (including notions): $15
Time to Make: 12 hours

The word "Sale" instigates madness

2011-11-16T22:59:00.000-05:00

I realized today that Vogue and McCall were having an online pattern sale ending at midnight tonight. Even though I have the new Burda style magazine with at least 3 patterns bookmarked, 6 new vintage patterns I got online last week, and a stack of vintage patterns sitting on a shelf waiting to be made, I kind of lost my mind and went for it.

I've had a Vogue/McCall wishlist for a few months and got about half of it. I spent way too much and probably won't have money for groceries next week but this addiction needs to be fed. Comin' my way shortly:


Vogue 1247. Bought this one because of this lovely interpretation.

Vogue 8615. This one makes my heart pitter pattery. The instructions suggest silk or chantung but that is too "evening". I'm thinking a fine wool check or crepe instead.


Vogue 8280. This one reminds me of a classic Roland Mouret sheath and has tonnes of sleeve options. This will be a great work dress.

McCall 6324. Super simple shape but with the right fabric = killer.

Vogue 1209. Designed by Rachel Comey (same as first blouse). So pretty! Thinking it will be nice dressed down in a matte jersey.

Vogue 6279. Again, this guy has some really cute options/modifications. Classic shape.

McCalls 6028. One of my girl friends lent me an insanely awesome orange dress in this style that I wore for a TV interview. Never got the job but I always wanted to recreate the dress. I've been hoarding a thick orange jersey for just such an occasion.


McCalls 6278. I've been lusting after this for a while. I love the contrast between the solid and pattern. I bought a beautiful beige and metallic animal print for the pattern.

So basically I'm going to be chained to my sewing table this winter. At the moment I'm finding it much easier to find patterns I like than fabric. I find it psychically overwhelming in large fabric stores but I'm hoping it's going to get easier as I get to know each store a little btter. So lucky to have the fabric district in Montreal, but because most of the stores specialize in remnants and designer leftovers, it's hard to go in with an exact idea of what you want. I'm finding myself picking up fabrics that I like in my price range and then matching them to patterns later on.

How do you buy fabric? Do you go in with a really concrete idea of what you're looking for or are you more flexible and will tailor the project to what you find?

Obsession in green

2011-11-11T16:26:00.000-05:00

I love colour. Hard. When I was in Paris I was utterly disappointed by the "classic French" style. Yes, everyone looks chic and elegant and timeless, but all the women also look interchangeable. A sea of grey, beige, black. Every once and I while I would peep a Parisian in red or yellow or aquamarine and it was almost titillating - like a Victorian man starved for skin who is shocked by the nape of the neck or an uncovered ankle, a shock of colour in Paris is scandalous.

My favourites are easy to spot in my closet. I have altars devoted to bright coral and acid yellow, but my oldest love is kelly green. There was a time when it was more or less the only colour I wore. I've branched out since then but still get verklempt when I remember this dress:

Omg, my knees are buckling. KIERA KNIGHTLEY WHY MUST YOU BEGUILE ME SO.

Of course, this insanely beautiful bias-cut 30's style emerald green majestic wonder is from the film Atonement. So many of my favourite things in one garment. It is here that I would like to say a little thank you to the internets; because of you I can easily find the dozens, nay, hundreds of women also obsessed with this dress. This site does a great job of dissecting how it was made. And this one takes my obsession to dizzying new heights with an incredible history of the dress with various photos taken in person.

My reading revealed that the hallucinatory colour is probably not available at your local fabric store. A master dyer made 100 versions of this emerald green - they narrowed it down to 3 which they used at different times in the film to invoke varying subtle moods.

Suffice it to say, 3 dresses into what I hope is a lifelong learning curve/love affair, I doubt my sewing skills are quite up to snuff yet. Besides the fact that the fanciest thing I've done over the past few months is sprinkle parmesan on my popcorn on Netflix/jammie night with the fella. If only my friends would have ill-conceived, doomed weddings!! I NEED SPECIAL OCCASIONS TO WEAR MY DREAMS, DUDES.

Alas, you can imagine the shriek of joy uttered when this popped up on one of my embarassingly frequent "70's vintage dress pattern" google image searches (what can I say - I'm a sucker for Studio 54 stylez):

Eff off. Get on my body immediately. She looks so easy to make! Again, occassion-less, but the more I sew the more I feel I should just wear the damned things wherever I want. I've earned it. I think this number would look bewitching floating behoind me when I ride my bike to the market, don't you think?

Unfortunately every online source I've found for this pattern is over $70 which is more than I feel comfortable spending on a dress for a hypothetical bike ride/doomed wedding. So until then, I keep it in my dream bank and pull it out every once and a while to pet and murmur to: "One day pretty baby. One day".

I'm S(cr)ewed

2011-11-11T13:46:00.000-05:00

I originally started this blog as an incentive to stop buying shit. To learn how to sew, to be more creative with what I already have in my (overstuffed) closet and keep the "shopping" to the thrift store.

While I've been doing all of that, I stopped blogging because frankly, it felt kind of weird and narcissistic to take photos of myself wearing cute outfits and then posting them online. I have a few dozen style blogs I follow religiously and I love these girls with a strange passion, but whenever I stepped in front of that self timer I just felt incredibly self-conscious and vain.

So I stopped, basically. But then something changed.

This last month I have basically become a junkie. Straight up spending all my money on supplies, driving out to random destinations to get my fix, blowing off plans with friends to stay in and scratch the itch. It's like a Darren Aronofsky movie except instead of pills and dirty needles I am mainlining fabric. And vintage patterns. Staying up way too late cruising online pattern stores and dragging my boyfriend down to the fabric district so I can find the perfect crepe wool for my new sheath dress.

AND THE TOYS. Drove 45 minutes into the middle of industrial Montreal to meet a woman in a parking lot with an 80's Singer serger. Googling sewing machine feet. Researching what I should replace my old regular machine with now that I want to do button holes and such. This is straight up crack and I CAN'T GET ENOUGH. I've made 2 dresses this month and have been modifying stuff I already have like crazy. I've set-up a sewing corner in my dressing room and I have at least 5 new projects lined up.

All this to say.... I will be posting again. Not daily outfit posts, but I will be sharing my sewing projects as I finish them, along with any other pertinent info I feel compelled to share. I'm hoping this process will feel less narcissistic and more participatory as I join this community of amazing home seamstresses. There are so many women (and a few men!) doing really exciting things with their sewing machines and I am so psyched to be joining them. I will post my last project very soon!

Dress for Jack

2011-08-24T21:42:00.000-04:00

It's been a really hard couple of days for my fellow Canadians and I. On Monday morning we lost a wonderful human being - Jack Layton, leader of the NDP (Canada's left party, now the formal opposition to the Conservative party). Jack, as he is known here, led the NDP to a momentous win across the country in our last election, but especially here in Quebec. He was an intellectual, an activist and an honest to goodness honest politician with incredible integrity, a rare breed indeed in these troubled times. We lost him to cancer, and I am not alone in my mourning.

A weird opening to an outfit post I know. But after reading his final words to us, I felt inspired the morning after he died to put on one of my favourite orange dresses (the colour of the NDP). Kind of going for a bit of a Mad Men vibe but with a little leather cropped trench jacket to cut the nostalgia.

Jack, we'll miss you. But I thought of you every time I caught a glimpse of this orange linen dress. xoxo

Deets
Orange linen dress - Value Village
Black leather trench jacket - Winners
Belt - Joe Fresh
Shoes - Aldo
Knock off Birkin bag - General 54 (vintage store)
Expo '67 gold necklace - flea market

The Jean Paul Gaultier Exhibit at Le Musee des Beaux Arts

2011-08-16T21:22:00.000-04:00

I didn't end up making it to NYC this summer, and thus (tragically) missed the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met. What made this fashion heartache bearable, however, was the truly stunningly staged Jean Paul Gaultier retrospective at our own Musee des Beaux Arts here in Montreal. The first of its kind, the show was produced by JPG himself, and was brimming with key pieces from his own archives, along with works provided temporarily by collectors.

I'm a pretty informed lady when it comes to fashion history, but no amount of Fashion File watched under the baleful and condescending eyes of my brother as a teenager really prepared me for the breadth, beauty, sly wit and intelligence of his body of work as a whole. What a brazen misfit.

The exhibit itself was so cleverly staged - as a designer I blown away by the way they moved people through the space, narrated the story and used lighting and spectacle to capture the pieces in all their artfully constructed and insane glory. The detail that tripped me out the most was the use of projected faces on the mannequin heads themselves - psychedelic, eerie and slightly distorted, just like JPG's style. Some photos snapped on my iphone of my favourite pieces:

Classic JPG sailor stripes - outside the gallery they a had racks of Breton striped tees and corsets to try on for a souvenir photo.

Trippy projected face

They integrated sound into the installations as well - these ladies busted out some opera.

From Madonna's personal collection - one of the bustiers from her Blonde Ambition tour.

Personal favourite - hounds tooth gimp suit

THE BEADWORK! My god.

I couldn't help but be incredibly moved by the attention to detail. Most of the pieces displayed were couture and it was overwhelming being in a room filled with thousands and thousands of hours of such meticulous handiwork. Was definitely feeling inspired to get back to my sewing machine....

Hungover watercolour

2011-08-14T20:29:00.001-04:00

Hangover lesson #1 - do not be enslaved by the hangover. Acknowledge the Vodka-Whiskey Body Gargoyle but don't listen to it. Don't stay in bed all day and whine to it. That way lies madness. No no, put on your brightest, watercolouriest item of vintage, slap on some heels, throw your hair up in a bedhead bun and go have a coffee in the late afternoon sun. Your hangover will glower but ultimately bow before the power of the pastel floral print sheer bolero and slink off while you giggle with your best friends about boys.

Deets
Watercolour bolero - dead stock vintage store now closed
Jeans/tank - Joe Fresh
Spectator pumps - Aldo
Purse - church bazaar
Jewelry - vintage
Watch - random mall kiosk

A Soft Rain is Gonna Fall

2011-08-09T23:16:00.000-04:00

Rainy days are always bearable with a gigantic plaid umbrella. I had one of those days when almost everything is secondhand. My friend Val gave me this trench coat in the 8th grade (17 years ago!!) It was her mother's in the 70's.

Another friend named Trashy gave me this miraculous tartan umbrella when I helped her pack her hoarderesque apartment for a big move.

These photos are so blurry! Gotta prefocus before self portraiting next time!

The dress - found at a Value Village in a Big Love length so I hacked off a couple feet.

Deets:
Trench coat, umbrella, watch = gifts from friends
Shoes = bought at a yard sale in Mexico
Necklace, scarf tied as bow = vintage

Orange crushing

2011-08-07T16:40:00.001-04:00

One of my oldest, nearest and dearest friends got married this month. For our bridesmaid dresses she requested bright, summery colours. I immediately got to thinking about coral. It is the colour of my kitchen, the theme of this blog and the hue I turn to when I need an encouraging tap on the ass.

But what I was envisioning was not likely to be found in the mall, and I've been meaning to get to sewing already. So I started trolling the web looking for vintage 70's patterns. I have a knee-quivering weakness for those sexy, slinky Halston jersey numbers sported by the Bianca Jaggers and Maggie Trudeaus of Studio 54. And this my friends is what I found on etsy for $8.99:

An easy-peasy discotastic pattern in my size and at the right price. I (blessfully) live spitting distance from a slightly rundown sewing district filled with dusty shops of discontinued fabrics, mismatched buttons and old man proprieters whose hands are welded to antique cutting scissors. And for only $5 a yard I found the most beautiful, silky 4 way stretch jersey in an almost neon coral.

I quickly realized my old Singer could not handle the stretch fabric so I borrowed a friend's serger and pieced the bulk of it together in a few hours. I finished the gathered neckline by hand and left the bottom seam unfinished since the fabric looks cleaner without a hem and won't unravel or fray. The end result? This little number:

For the wedding itself I tied up my hair and kept the make-up pretty minimal. The humidity in Windsor in July is too intense for much else. Added some huge gold earrings, a vintage belt and flat Grecian sandals (unfortunately in the following photos you may see, ahem, Birkenstocks. I have recently sprained my ankle and required full hippie support at the drunken time these were taken).

Meat Locker Modelling 101:

Miriam, Tereska, Barbi and I. Friends for 17+ years and going strong.

'Twas a magical night surrounded by DIY decor, fireflies, dancing toddlers, roasted pig and momma-made desserts. A fitting debut for my first homemade dress.

Outfit deets

Dress: homemade

Belt: thrifted

Earrings: Old earrings I picked up at the mall years ago but had fitted with 14K hooks so I could wear them all night without my ears going postal.

The Stinky Jeans that Broke the camel’s back

2011-08-07T15:57:00.003-04:00

I was at work the other day and couldn’t get over how gross my new jeans smelled (bought at one of those ubiquitous cheap disposable fashion mega emporiums). It was a potent combination of cat pee and chemicals. When I mentioned it to my co-worker she complained of the same problem with her new cheap, disposable denims.

So I googled “stinky jeans”. What should have led to a youtube video of farting slash barfing babies led to a truly staggering new-to-me realization: that smell - that gaggy, chemical, did I pee my pants and forget about it smell – was formaldehyde. And a host of other creepy chemicals our wise clothing manufacturers use to preserve the colour and shape of our crisp new unwrinkled sweatshop jeans. Formaldehyde – a carcinogenic compound used to preserve dead bodies was sitting on my skin, all up in my baby making parts. Nothing could have been more catalyzing at that moment. Because for months, nay years, I have been fighting the nagging conclusion that my obsession with clothes, and my barely controlled shopaholic tendancies were only feeding this consumerist BUY ME THROW ME AWAY plague that may end up being our undoing. This same realization has been had by legions of people. It’s not a new idea, but sometimes you need to buy a pair of stinky jeans before you realize something has to change.

I love clothes. Love. My mother was as elegant as is possible in the shoulder pad 80’s and I worshiped her and her chic little suits when she marched off to work at the family jewelry store. I loved clothes in the early 90’s when I adopted grunge like an armour and spent my allowance at Value Village on old man pants and Adidas track jackets that made me feel above the shiny, girly neon trappings of my school mates. I loved clothes when I got my first real job (working the line of a minivan factory no less) which let me spend a youthful waste of money on pretty, sexy clothes that helped me shed the factory at the end of every shift. I loved clothes when I moved to Montreal and realized that in a big city I cold wear whatever the hell I wanted and get admiring glances rather than the bemused and groaning jokes of my small town peers. I loved clothes when I got $25,000 in debt buying what I shouldn’t, and I loved clothes when I had $5 to my name and scored the perfect vintage handbag at a church bazaar. I loved clothes when I finally got my dream job as an interior designer and could finally put together the same kind of chic outfits my mother wore to work, the kind I used to imagine wearing when I would flip through Marie Claire and envision strands of pearls and pumps and blazers that would make me look and feel like the young professional I was becoming.

Most of all, I love clothes when I look different. The desire to blend in has never been something I've subscribed to. Call it vanity, call it individuality, call it what you will, but the ability to convey your unique singularity as a human being with something as simple as a vintage dress is powerful and addictive as hell.

Clothes are armour, comfort, canvas. Being able to dress every morning in a way that reflects how I feel or what I’m thinking seems a gift and honour, a pleasure that feels almost sinful in its self-indulgence. But doing that at the expense of my paycheck, the third world, the environment, local labour and handiwork is beginning to feel oppressive and Catholic guilt inducing. I know that the days I feel best are the days when almost everything I’m wearing has been scored from a thrift store, a flea market or a clothing swap. Even better than those days are when I am wearing something I have sewn myself. Vogue would have us believe that empowerment comes from saving up for an “it” bag but as much as I love my monthly dose of Vogue longing I also know it’s a fantasy. A fantasy of wealth and having that is not only impossible for me to ever achieve but comes at the cost of so many.

So. Starting today, no more new clothes. I could clothe a gypsy caravan for generations with what I currently have in my closet. I am blessed by the thrift saint and have an old sewing machine as reliable as time. From this day forward (maybe I can make an exception for tights, underwear and shoes for my size 9 boats?) it is make it, thrift it or put it back. This blog will be a record of this personal step forward.