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Style inspiration: Lady Gaga, Madonna, Kat von D, leather, jersey, denim, lace. Fitted silhouettes, 40s blouses, 50s pencil skirts. Black, grey, white. Simple shapes, year-round pieces that work with each other.
So my inadvertent hiatus didn’t last too long. The new camera came in today, but I’m still missing a USB cable so I can’t upload any pictures yet.
My two weeks off from sewing and blogging has made me re-assess how I dress naturally. Slowly and surely it’s reverted back to black denim, black leather jackets, plain jersey t-shirts, sheath dresses, lace stockings, leather ankle boots, black cuffs. The new vintage-inspired elements I carried on were sheath dresses and pencil skirts.
I was trying to write a cohesive paragraph about this, but I do better with lists:
1) Vintage makes me look 10 years older. No kidding. I love how graceful and on point vintage looks, but for me I feel like if
it’s not done all the way, it doesn’t look right. It was also starting to feel like I was wearing a uniform, which is not good.
2) I’m tired of setting my hair. I’ve been sleeping in curlers for the past two years, and I’m just way too lazy now. I’m also tired of fighting with my hair’s natural state, which is wavy, curly and naturally rebellious.
3) Sewing in grey/black/white monochrome is very easy. No palettes, everything goes together. Less color variation mean a tighter focus on silhouettes and textures, and less on buying fabrics to match other fabrics. Also more of a focus on abstract graphic prints, stripes, plain fabrics.
4) Will still sew vintage patterns, but styled modernly. I learned how to sew on vintage patterns and I still love them. However, after some reflection I’ve realized it’s not really me. That means 40s button down blouses in lace or weathered chambray mixed with Clover pants or distressed denim, or 40s blouses accessorized with leather cuffs.
5) Will also sew modern patterns, mainly jersey tops. I also realized I wear a lot of my basic jersey tops because they are comfortable and go with everything, so I need to stop dawdling and start on my Sewholic Renfrew soon.
6) Sense of style is bred out of practicality, comfort, attitude and wearing whatever makes you feel beautiful. For me that means realistically embracing the fact that I like wearing flat shoes, cigarette pants, jeans.
I still love vintage and still want to continue to sew vintage patterns, but this time with my take and interpretation of how it suits me and less of a “vintage accurate” way of dressing.
Your point #6 is awesome, and I hope you do whatever it takes to achieve that sense of style and beauty. I look forward to seeing how your style and ideals translate into garments.
What an interesting post! Good luck with the re-thinking of your style, I think you’ll look awesome either way ;o)
I too have thought that sometimes vintage can look like a uniform or costume. It’s hard to pull off. I like your idea to modernize and to make it bend to your taste. Style is a journey, not a destination.
I like it! … have similar ideas myself
Thanks for all your support, guys. I expected a lot of “nooo what are you doing” posts, but in the end I really want to make things that I will wear, not wear things just because I make them and feel obligated to fit into a “look”.
I loved this post! I always thought your vintage wear had a rock and roll vibe, and all the better to make your rock-n-roll vintage-y! I like #6, too: we’re putting the effort into making our clothes, they should suit us, our lives and make us feel beautiful. And I think since the sewing blogosphere is so overrun with the vintage aesthetic (which is stunning, but for me, deeply unpractical — I like vintage elements just not the whole shebang) that I think it’s awesome and self-aware to own your style.
Wear whatever you’re comfortable in! I love the gorgeous, girlie vintage looks that so many of the gals in the blogging world pull off, but I can’t quite work them myself and don’t feel that comfortable in them. I feel like I’m playing dress-up, and that can be really fun sometimes, but most of the stuff that I’ve sewed I don’t really wear everyday. Style is something that evolves over time and should be fluid– you shouldn’t feel locked into any particular look and should feel free to experiment!
Thank you, Ginger! I’ve been feeling that way too for a few months. Sometimes I do find myself wearing things just because I’ve made them, and that can’t be good. Hopefully this will change soon with a new style direction.
Thanks Ali, it must be the tattoo or something
Thanks Marie! I still plan on sewing, so we’ll see how it goes.
Thanks, me too! This is sort of uncharted territory for me so we’ll see how it goes.
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