Through this blog I will explore the restructuring of my personal style and the ways in which I go about achieving it. I decided around the beginning of the year that I want to build my wardrobe of only handmade and thrifted clothes (running clothes and most undergarments as well as socks are exempt from this general rule of thumb). Through research and self-reflection, I realized that natural and luxury fabrics (silk, cashmere, merino wool, linen, and fine cotton) have become a main priority for me. Well-fitting garments made of these textiles that also fit into my burgeoning aesthetic are not always the most abundant in the secondhand sphere, and therein lies the challenge. The journey of marrying my love of luxury and a desire to curb contributing to the increasingly troubled and fraught garment industry has posed challenges. I work on managing these challenges every time I decide to buy an article of clothing and even getting to this point, at which I can put words to my clothing ideas and desires has been an adventure.
One of my first fitted dresses, The Rockabilly Dress from Gertie's Ultimate Dress Book (March, 2022)
Almost two years ago, I realized that I did not enjoy the style of clothes I owned and wore on a regular basis. Having taken up road races in 2017, I acquired a rather large number of race shirts over the course of the year and thought it would be a good time to try to develop an "athleisure" look that I could rely on. I bought some expensive Athleta leggings in various styles and a sporty lightweight jacket to pair with my race shirt collection and off I went. This approach worked ok for me for a couple years, but over that time I never really felt right, or like myself. I also didn't know what did feel like me. I went to mall stores and bought some things, usually multiples of basics like long sleeve t shirts and whatever kinds of pants Gap had at the time. With these items, I cobbled together a sort of more pulled together look, but I never fully landed on anything that made me feel at home in my clothes. Stores just didn't have things that worked for me. I floundered in this style purgatory until covid and the pandemic lifestyle of being home all the time took over and I relied even more heavily on my athletic leggings and cozy hoodies, because why not. After a year and a half of that, though, I felt completely disconnected from any concept of my own personal style and what a personal aesthetic could mean to me. So, I did what everyone does when they are devoid of inspiration: I asked YouTube. YouTube gave me way more than I bargained for.
Over the course of the summer of 2021 and a ton of "cultivating your personal style" videos, I discovered that if you don't like what stores are selling, you can MAKE whatever garments you want. This idea was not entirely novel to me, as someone who grew up in a sewing environment. I had only ever made quilts and covid masks, really, but I was willing to give clothes a try. But WHAT clothes though? I didn't see the point in making things that looked exactly like what I could already buy in the store with a whole lot less effort and zero learning curve. Somehow I landed on some instructional sewing videos that focused solely on sewing vintage style clothing. That's when it hit me. THIS IS WHAT I WANT. I didn't even have to question it. I waded around in the styles of the 1930s for a couple short months, getting really interested in the idea of the natural textiles that clothes of the time were made of and that are increasingly hard to find in the current era of very inexpensive and very synthetic fast fashion. Vintage clothes, however, came in amazing fabrics like linen, silk, wool, and of course cotton. These fabrics are available today, naturally, but are usually pretty expensive (except cotton which remains fairly common and affordable) and are still often blended with synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon (which are hard on the environment to produce and often unpleasant to wear).
My husband, Alex, and I in my first ever handmade set of vintage inspired garments at Dapper Day in Disneyland (November, 2021)
(Charm Patterns: Presley Shirt [on him} and Skipper Bodysuit and Circle Skirt [on me])
After attempting a few versions of 1930s style garments, I realized that I just don't have the body type for the long, slim, boxier silhouettes of that time as I struggled intensely with each fitting. The '30s is without a doubt my personal favorite fashion era aesthetically, but I needed something with a fitted waist and generous proportions for the lower body. Then a search for something like "diy vintage inspired wardrobe" turned up Gertie's Intro to Foundation Garments by then unknown to me vintage inspired sewing maven, Gretchen Hirsch, better known as Gertie. It was Gertie's delightful presentation of petticoats, vintage style bras, and other forms of underwear best suited to a 1950s style wardrobe that hooked me. I knew that whatever I was going to sew, it would require the usage of petticoats and whatever lingerie 1940s and '50s pinups wore. From her undies video, I discovered a whole series of Gertie how-tos, Patreon subscription, and line of sewing patterns, Charm Patterns by Gertie, all centered on the midecentury as inspiration. When I found this wealth of content, I immediately subscribed to Patreon and dove in, beginning to teach myself the ins and outs of garment sewing with fairly intense gusto. Here I began learning to sew clothes I truly love to wear, and that I will continue to make and share, along with my sewing process and finished products.
Stay tuned for part two of this entry in which I will share the story of how I got into thrifting as well as my thrifting goals!
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