I hate Fashion Police.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

It's done that way I believe because the bottom half of the sleeve is probably cut on the bias so it will drape better (along with the cowl). Bias cutting became a big part of 1930's style after Adrian the designer created some stunning satin bias dresses for Jean Harlow in the early 30's. It was an extremely popular technique and many 30's patterns made use of it.

lol Kind of like around 1920, when Chanel took a new man-made fabric---jersey---and made simple, comfortable, flattering dresses out of it, with simple lines and dropped waists. After that nearly everything in the twenties was made out of jersey and it had that iconic 20's silhouette with no tucks at the waist and the waist seam dropped to the hips.

Whoops, sorry. Don't get me started, I could go on for hours until you were snoring.

I'd like to make the matinee jacket as a two-tone, with the cowl and the bottom half of the sleeves in a contrasting color to the rest of it.

[Giggle Goose]

But don't you work in a call center anyway, TPG? If only I didn't have to communicate with people face-to-face.

I'm sure those ladies have lovely credit card debt.

[MystyGlyttyr]

I have like, the same five or six outfits that I wear over and over to work. No one cares. I'm here to work, collect my check, and go home. As long as I don't look like shit or scare the old people, no one really cares what I look like. (I have worn PINK CAMO to work. )

If they'd actually said that to my face, my response probably would have been "Wow, your grandma has great taste, then!" with a bit shit-eating grin. Although taking a guess at the brainpower that might have been firing in these twits, it might have been a waste of perfectly good sarcasm.

[lordlundar]

Look at the bright side. You are leading your own path, not following a messed up pop culture figure. And you can tell them that to their face.

Personally, I wear what fits and what's comfortable. Fashion never has had a grip on me, and for that I'm thankful.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

But don't you work in a call center anyway, TPG? If only I didn't have to communicate with people face-to-face.

I'm sure those ladies have lovely credit card debt.

Yes I work in a call center, but I still like to look nice. Fiddling with vintage patterns is a hobby of mine, so over the years I've developed quite a wardrobe. If I didn't wear them on normal-work-school-days they'd never get worn.


I had this same problem in school. Certain girls would make fun of the way I dressed, and then they would go out and buy clothes at the same stores all the other girls did and they all looked exactly the same. It was always a mystery to me why they would do that, and then feel that they could turn and make fun of other's clothes.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

That's an easy one.

Insecurity.

If they are part of a group dissing someone else's clothes, and also part of a group that all buys the same stuff, then they must be right, right? After all, they are part of a group. Right? Aannnd...and....they're all making fun of the other chick who's different, so creating your own look and being your own person must be stupid, cuz being in a group of cool girls is much better. And safer. Right? If other people do what I do, then I must be right! Right? Right?

Totally.

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

I used to make a lot of my own clothes, too, because I had the balls and the personality to realize that what I wanted to wear wasn't available in stores. I got a lot of compliments. I also had to endure Looks. But interestingly, the people giving out Looks were tiny little people who really didn't even put a dent in my world (or any other world, really), so so what? I wore bolero jackets with tassles and frogs all over them, choli tops with enormous flounce skirts and petticoats, seamed stockings with witch boots, spagetti jeans with lace underneath, and hats. Hey, it was the eighties. :-D I was very much inspired by Pretty In Pink, where clothes were destructured and remade to suit their owner's taste. And I was a metalhead. A very feminine metalhead, but a metalhead nonetheless. I never liked designer stuff, it really felt pretentious and uncreative to me.

Vintage and vintage style clothing is WONDERFUL. The idea that these dumb little fashion tragedies don't get it is just...well... pathetic on several levels. Don't let it get you down, these idiots wish they were you but don't have the balls.

[IDrinkaRum]

I would love to wear some of those patterns (if I knew how to sew), however, I'm too plump. I have too much in the way of the boob area, the waist area, the hips area, and the thigh area.

Ah well, maybe I'll just start drawing pictures of what I wish I could wear? But then again ... I'll have to learn how to draw.

But yeah, fashion police ... meh, get over yourselves! Sheesh. I didn't listen to the 2 fashion police people in my house (my mother and little sister) why should I listen to people who aren't even related to me?

[Giggle Goose]

Yes I work in a call center, but I still like to look nice. Fiddling with vintage patterns is a hobby of mine, so over the years I've developed quite a wardrobe. If I didn't wear them on normal-work-school-days they'd never get worn.

Right, I know what you mean. There's nothing wrong with expressing your personality at work, whether you communicate face-to-face or not. I just pictured these women dressed up like they were tryiing to get a date or something with their fake designer duds.

I think they're just jealous they don't have as much personality in their style.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

But yeah, fashion police ... meh, get over yourselves! Sheesh. I didn't listen to the 2 fashion police people in my house (my mother and little sister) why should I listen to people who aren't even related to me?

I know, right? They must think quite a bit of themselves to imagine that total strangers give a flying handshake what they think about anything. That's probably what annoys me more than the rudeness and cluelessness, even. The idea that these bimbos think anyone else would give a damn what they think.

How old were these idiots?

[ThePhoneGoddess]

RK---They were probably 18-19 years old.

IDrinkaRum---yeah, I know what you mean. I'm pretty thin so those long, belted styles look best on me. I tried to make one of these once and it made me look like a little girl playing dressup. I ended up giving it to a friend of mine who was quite a bit larger than me because it looked great on her.

[DesignFox]

TPG- I think it's so cool that you make your own clothes.

I wish I had the desire to learn sewing...My figure is so weird that it's very difficult to find clothes that look flattering. If I could sew them myself, I'd probably have more success. And I could use materials that don't stick like cling wrap...anyone else notice that about women's clothes?!

But I don't have the time to learn- I'd much rather ride horses. (and boy are riding pants unflattering!) *laughs*

What was wrong with those little twits? I bet deep down they were jealous...they obviously lack creativity.

[XCashier]

TPG, it's wonderful that you are sewing your own clothes and marching to your own beat. Too many sheep people don't have the guts to do that.

I got some velvet from a thrift shop for a great price, and am planning to make some shirts from it. I'm using this pattern (lower right version) for the purple velvet. Not sure what to do with the dark red, wheter to make a modern outfit or SCA garb with it (did they have velvet in that era?)

I hate shopping in stores for clothes; today's fashions are usually ugly, made of uncomfortable fabric or in horrible colors that won't work on me. Guess I'll have to sew more!

[Seshat]

It's done that way I believe because the bottom half of the sleeve is probably cut on the bias so it will drape better (along with the cowl).

OOOOOH! Of course. Why didn't I think of that?

Whoops, sorry. Don't get me started, I could go on for hours until you were snoring.

No problem. I had figured it was a soft knit, where bias is less important.

I'd like to make the matinee jacket as a two-tone, with the cowl and the bottom half of the sleeves in a contrasting color to the rest of it.

That would look lovely.

[Seshat]

I would love to wear some of those patterns (if I knew how to sew), however, I'm too plump. I have too much in the way of the boob area, the waist area, the hips area, and the thigh area.

If you have an hourglass figure, try stuff from the 40s and 50s.

http://www.oldpatterns.com/suits40.html
http://www.oldpatterns.com/suits50.html

If you're more belly-heavy than hourglass, some of those 50s ones will still suit - the ones that don't emphasise the waist. The 60s would also be a good era for you.



Actually, here's the easiest way to figure out what would really suit you.

Get a friend to take a photo of you from front-on, and one side-on, with you just in your undies. Make it two sets of photos: one with your arms sort of at your side, one with your arms out a bit.

Then trace over the photos so you have a silhouette of yourself. Scan that trace into your computer (or trace the scanned/digital photo with a drawing program), and print out a lot of copies.

This silhouette is called a 'croquis' (pronounced crow-kwee).


Draw all over your silhouettes. Draw different necklines on one set, different hemlines on another, different sleeve lengths and types, different jacket/top lengths, different loosenesses or tightnesses of tops and skirts and jackets.


The ones that look good on the croquis will (usually) look good on your body. The ones that suck on the croquis will (probably) suck on your body.

Now all you have to do is go through somewhere like http://www.oldpatterns.com/ and find out which era tended to have lots of patterns in your 'looks good' hemlines and necklines and tightnesses.

You can also draw a pattern onto your croquis. Pattern envelopes tend to have their patterns drawn on tall, thin people without much bust. So copy the features of the pattern onto your croquis: draw the same type of shoulder, the same type of neckline, put the hemline on your waist if it's on the pattern envelope woman's waist, and so on. You can then tell if the pattern looks good because it's on a tall, thin woman; and if it would still look good on you.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Aaaand don't forget to retrieve that photo of you in your smalls off the glass of the office copier.

GREAT links! Thanks for sharing! I can't wear the styles you do, I'm too short waisted and busty. 40's and 50's style looks like a million bucks on me, though. In fact, when I clicked on the first link, the third pattern down looked very much like the wool suit I mentioned that i liked so much.

I'm always on the lookout for those awesome sundresses with the wide circle skirts and fitted bodices. They are probably the most flattering style on me. I could probably find a pattern for something like that in these links.