ward·robe
ˈwôrˌdrōb/
noun
noun: wardrobe; plural noun: wardrobes
Years ago I had a VHS tape (remember those) called Look Changers by Judith Rasband. I had seen her at a seminar at Nancy's Notions Sewing Weekend. She was teaching people how to coordinate a wardrobe so you could get a million looks from like two and a half pieces of clothing, a purse and a burlap sack.
I exaggerate, but that was the theme. She made core groupings of things like jeans, a white shirt and a red sweater, then added a jacket, another pair of pants and a scarf, a skirt and a tee shirt. From this outfit, by changing accessories, you could get anywhere from three to ten outfits and you could look different every day. Supposedly people would not notice that you wore the same sweater six times.
Judith, bless her heart, was a slim woman, maybe a bit larger on the bottom than the top when she stood before us in her black leotard and tank top. She proceeded to whip things off a clothing rack and put on the outfits she had organized, one by one.
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| This is NOT Judith's rack. Hers was much more color coordinated. |
It was inspiring.
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| The female body types... that's me, second from right. ;-) |
For someone who thinks they look like the third from the left but actually looks more like the second from the right in this little lineup it was also kind of frightening! How many times have I stood in front of my closet and said things like:
I wanted to know everything about her clothes and have that same kind of closet! I do (or used to much more frequently than I do now) sew clothing items as well as quilts. I've been sewing since I was -- well, a little girl. At 8 or 9 years old, my grandma taught me how to use her treadle sewing machine and I was off and running.
So why do I have nothing to wear??
- I'm short. Most of the pants and skirts being sold today fit the 'average' woman. Even the ones that say "Short" on the label are very often too long. So even if I bought them, I still have to hem them up.
- I know how to make pants, but when I get into my sewing room, I get distracted by the shiny stuff of beaded bracelets and patchwork. It's like I'm a cocker spaniel and I just saw a squirrel!
- I'm above average sized. I don't look good in every style out there. Yes, I should lose 10 or 50 pounds.
- I find a lot of designers are making ugly clothes. They might look good on a 16 year old, or a model. Not so much on me.
- I love colors, almost all of them. I like patterns more than plain things. It's hard for me to put on a plaid skirt and a printed blouse no matter now many times I see it on the runway.
- I'm cheap. I often say "I'm not paying $40 for THAT, I could make it for $10." And my daughter will give me that look and say "Yes, mom, but WILL YOU?"
- I think more is better. Less is not more. More is more. If I find a sweater I like in blue, and it also comes in green, red, and black, I want them all. And four red sweaters are better than one.
- The Goodwill is my favorite shopping place. I can get more there.
Actually, I have lots of things to wear but I'm so tired of black and navy pants I could barf! I know, I know, many of you swear by those two colors, they "go with everything". But seriously - are you wearing five pairs of black pants, or one pair five days in a row? Who can tell?
So today I vow to myself and my three faithful followers that I am going to go into my sewing room tonight and pull out that pants pattern. I spent a lot of money on that pants fitting seminar with Sandra Betzina, and a few more on another seminar with Marta Alto. I know how to make pants that fit like they were made for me because they are. I'm going to find those dozen fabrics I bought specifically for this task.
I am not going to play with any more shiny stuff until I make at least ONE pair on non-black, non-navy pants that fit.
Fingers crossed...
Sew on!
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