Wardrobe Architect: My Style

A few weeks ago, I told you about Coletterie's Wardrobe Architect series and shared with you my color palette. Over the past few weeks, I've also been collecting lots of inspiration via Pinterest to narrow down the silhouettes that I find most appealing, most flattering and most appropriate for my lifestyle. I've assembled these into some Polyvore sets which I'll share below. These looks aren't meant to be rules or outfits which I'll create exactly; instead, they are a good reminder to me about where I should put my focus when creating my handmade wardrobe. I'll warn you though - my looks are pretty booooring! Lots of tees, jeans and flats. My shoe selections are not very diverse, either, as I picked things that I already have in my closet (or something similar).

Also, these looks are most appropriate for spring/summer and maybe a little fall. I admit that I don't really plan my wardrobe based on seasons; I really like to have things that work either way depending on how they're layered and accessorized. It doesn't get super hot or super cold here in Portland, so that's not so hard to do. Plus, I tend to wear pretty neutral colors, so it's not like I'm going to be wearing a super bright, summery frock in the middle of winter (or anytime, for that matter). I'm sure I'll do some new sets later in the year that include lots of button-down shirts, cardigans and sweatshirts!

You can click on any of the images below to go to the set on Polyvore, or you can see my sewing pattern ideas below each set.

My original Pinterest board which inspired all the looks below can be seen here.

Pattern Ideas

• Top: Union St. Tee by Hey June Handmade (perhaps with sleeves shortened slightly and shirttail hem modification)
• Jeans: Ginger Jeans by Closet Case Files

Pattern Ideas

• Skirt: Basics Pocket Skirt by Cali Faye Collection
• Top: Basics Tank by Cali Faye Collection, Tiny Pocket Tank by Grainline Studio or Wiksten Tank

Pattern Ideas

• Top: Hemlock Tee by Grainline Studio (free), Extraordinary Girl by Filles a Maman, Plantain T-Shirt by Deer & Doe (free), Bronte Top by Jennifer Lauren Vintage or Brigitte Top by Tessuti
• Jeans: Ginger Jeans by Closet Case Files

Pattern Ideas

• Top: Lane Raglan by Hey June Handmade (modified to be sleeveless and have that uneven hem - is there a term for that?)
• Shorts: Ginger Jeans by Closet Case Files (modified to shorts - I haven't seen this yet!)

Pattern Ideas

• Top: Lane Raglan by Hey June Handmade (modified with shirttail hem)
• Pants: Hudson Pants by True Bias (modified for woven - and maybe add a faux fly?)

Pattern Ideas

• Top: Union St. Tee by Hey June Handmade (I know, I know! But this time, add a pocket and shirttail hem!)
• Jeans: Ginger Jeans by Closet Case Files (Again, I know. At least I'm consistent. I really hope this pattern works for me once I get around to sewing it!!!)
• Handbag: Oh yes, I want to sew this bag of leather. I'll probably just draft my own pattern since it's so simple. A less-intimidating version would be the On Holiday Bag by Green Bee Patterns.

Pattern Ideas

• Dress: Marianne Dress by Christine Haynes (short-sleeve version, no collar)
• Denim Jacket: (I do not plan to sew a denim jacket. I already own one!)

Pattern Ideas

• Blazer: Morris Blazer by Grainline Studio
• Top: Basics Tank by Cali Faye Collection, Tiny Pocket Tank by Grainline Studio or Wiksten Tank
• Jeans: Ginger Jeans by Closet Case Files (high-rise version...modified to have wide legs?! We'll see!)

Pattern Ideas

• Jeans: Ginger Jeans by Closet Case Files (I would LOVE to experiment with bleaching/distressing these!)
• Top: Lou Box Top by Sew DIY (View C). I also love the sleeves and yoke on the Tessuti Alice Top, and although it's a bit different from the look above, it might be a suitable alternative.
• Cardigan: Julia Cardigan by Mouse House Creations (lengthened...for me, anyway, as I made one already that wasn't this long), Jalie Drop-Pocket Cardigan or Jalie Cocoon Cardigan

SOOOOOO...

Not a lot of variety, right?! I know! But the good thing is that it won't take me too many patterns to really build a foundation for my wardrobe. My goal is to come up with a small set of "TNT" (tried-and-true) patterns, and then I can add variety to that later. I'd love to have more dresses and maybe some top silhouettes, but the truth is that I'm going to be breastfeeding for at LEAST the next six months - possibly up to a year and a half. So for now, these simple looks will be great.

Oh, and there's also that 50 pesky pounds I have to lose...

And that baby I need to push out...

One step at a time, I suppose. :)

Wardrobe Architect: My Color Palette

I recently came to the conclusion that I had no idea what colors looked good on me. In fact, I don't have much of an idea what clothing shapes/styles flatter my figure or what my figure even IS for that matter. I blame that on my weight fluctuating by 50 pounds (three times over) and my bust measurement varying between five cup sizes over the past five years. And of course, the clothing that worked for my lifestyle five years ago has all since been donated or sold. I blame (almost) three babies. :) I'm left with a pretty horrendous hodge podge of ill-fitting, non-flattering clothes in pretty much every shade of gray you can imagine. Much of it is maternity, and for the first time in my life, I'm actually wearing out clothes. So once the baby weight comes off and I get myself into some semblance of shape again, I plan to work toward creating a carefully planned wardrobe that suits my taste, body type, coloring and lifestyle. AND, I plan to make it handmade.

I've been working through Colette's Wardrobe Architect series, and it's been a huge help. I started out with identifying my color "season" and determining which of the suggested colors I like/wear the most.

Based on the coloring of my hair, skin and eyes, I am considered a "soft summer." My natural hair color is light, ashy brown, and I have fair skin and gray/blue eyes. The undertones in my skin look blue or green depending on the light, so I'm kind of neutral there. This means that muted, cool tones are the most flattering on me, and bright, pure colors are less so. Of course, this doesn't mean I can never wear those colors; it just means my core wardrobe should be built from what looks consistently good.

Now, if you're a sewist/fabric hoarder, you KNOW how hard it can be to avoid brightly colored, fun, modern fabric prints in ALL. THE. COLORWAYS. But, this is something I'm going to work on as I not only build a new wardrobe, but a new fabric stash. I'm hoping it will save me some money and time at the fabric store. Okay, who am I kidding. I love spending money and time at the fabric store. I'm just hoping it will help me look better. :)

You can see my extended color palette above. I foresee the bulk of my wardrobe hitting in the blues, grays and tans with a spot of color here and there. And if you're curious, I've created a Pinterest board of the clothing shapes/styles that most appeal to me:

Follow Lauren Dahl | Sew Kinetic | PATTERN WORKSHOP's board Wardrobe Architect on Pinterest.

I'm hoping this exercises will help me in my journey! Are you in?!

Quick update: I'm currently 38 weeks pregnant with baby #3 and am due around the first week of May. I have gained 50 pounds this pregnancy and hope to be back in semi-normal (new normal?) shape within 6-9 months. I'm hoping to be blogging a lot more and documenting my handmade wardrobe/weight loss journey here in the coming months. I've also been working my fingers off creating an almost completely handmade spring/summer wardrobe for Harper (almost 4) and Ezra (almost 2). I'll be documenting that here, too! Stay tuned! And thanks for sticking around during my recent absense!