I'm the kind of person who when I go on vacation, whether for just a long weekend or a week plus, I want all new clothes to wear. In the past I would make last minute trips to the mall just to buy new things that I would wear one time (if even that) on a trip and then never wear them again. On top of being expensive, this habit has always felt impulsive and wasteful, leading me to have a lot of anxiety over the unworn items in my closet, worrying about the fact that I never wear them yet convincing myself that I WOULD wear them if I ever had the perfect occasion. Of course that occasion never came, and eventually the clothes would make the inevitable long and painful transition from closet, to storage bag, to donation bin. I don't know what exactly causes this inclination to manifest, but it has been a near lifelong struggle. Maybe it's the idea that being somewhere different and away from home will feel more special, I don't know. However, I have found that since I started sewing my own clothes, this pretty much never happens. With my handmade and thrifted wardrobe, I am perfectly content to choose vacation clothes from my existing garments.
I believe that sewing my own clothes has been the key to ending this frustrating cycle of clothes buying first because it allows me to customize my fit. A big part of the reason store bought clothes, though lovely on a mannequin or hanger, click for me so infrequently lies in how they just don't fit all that well. They are often too long, too narrow in the shoulders, too baggy or tight in the underarm, etc. These fit issues would inevitably lead me to tell myself that if I just lose ten pounds the unworn clothes would fit perfectly, magically draping over my body just as intended, and everything would be right with the world. Obviously this is a very damaging thought pattern to get into and caused me to constantly feed a poor self image and feel down on myself over my body type. I engaged in this cycle for a huge portion of my life to the point that it was basically ingrained in me. However, with handmade clothes, fit issues have all but disappeared because I don't even make a wearable version of a pattern until I have resolved all the fit problems. Spending time perfecting the fit of garments also leads me to feel invested in the pattern, which in turn makes me want to wear it even more.
The other big issue with store bought clothes is simply the quality. Fabrics are poor, craftsmanship is lacking, and the design is often completely uninspired and in color pallets that do not fit my aesthetic. Generally the more expensive a garment, the less one sees of these problems, but even in high end boutiques, tales of clothing and accessories that do not stand up to long-term wear are becoming more common than not, but making my own garments allows me to have control over every single one of the previously stated issues. I can choose fabric of the exact quality, fiber, and colors/prints that I want and the craftsmanship is equal to the level of work I want to invest in an item (and I pretty much always take every step to ensure that my clothes come out made for years of wear). The fact that I supplement my precious handmade garments with low risk thrift store bargains removes any remaining wardrobe related stress. I always figure that if I spend five dollars on a pair of thrift store jeans or sweater, even if I only wear them a couple times, it's a very low cost per wear. I also find it to be way less upsetting if a thrift store garment has a malfunction, such as a broken zipper or sweater snag because I didn't pay top dollar for it, and if my handmade clothes have a technical issue, I am well equipped to fix them myself.
All this is to say, when it's time for a trip, I know exactly what garments I want to pack that I know will fit me perfectly and make me feel like my authentic self and no other garment that I make stands up as the perfect casual staple for me like the Charm Patterns Barbie top and its derivative, the Skipper Bodysuit. The genius of Charm, aside from it's absolutely lovely vision of "Vintage glam for the modern sewist", is how many of their pieces are all made to interchange within their own specific frameworks to allow for optimization of sewing options. There are a couple of said frameworks for woven patterns, but the one I use the most is the Barbie family of knits. I've been making these delightfully versatile garments since I first discovered Charm and learned they had a bodysuit option. I am a shirt tucker but hate having to constantly adjust my tops so they stay in place. Bodysuits remove all the problems for me and allow me to have a perfectly tucked top at all times. These interchangeable tops, dresses, and bodysuits have grown from the original mock neck style (pictured above) to include scoop necks, turtlenecks, and roll necks--there is even a pattern hack that allows one to make a mock neck style top out of a pre-made t shirt! A variety of sleeve finishes are also available, my favorite of which is the puff sleeve, but I get the most compliments on the original armband sleeveless version (pictured above).
I haven't been feeling well for the better part of three weeks and I have drastically needed a pick me up. I've also been eyeballing the stacks of knits fabrics in my stash and really wanting to use some of them up to make room for some new styles. With both of these situations afoot, I decided to have a go at one of the pieces of rayon jersey I've had sitting for a couple years. I've had a Barbie Top bodysuit on my mind since early spring--somehow never having made one despite having a near mountain of the Skipper variant-- so I felt that would be my best option and could also serve as an easy sewing "win" for me while I'm feeling poorly and in need of a boost. I set to laying out a blue polka dot and floral rayon jersey body with contrasting striped arm and neck bands in a cotton jersey (pictured above) and made the whole thing up in an afternoon (another amazing aspect of the Barbie family of patterns is how quickly they sew up--all while not sacrificing any quality of craftsmanship). I found myself so uplifted by the finished garment that I laid out a second version of this same combination the next morning in a pink and blue floral rayon jersey with contrasting bamboo armbands in a bright fuchsia (pictured above)--these armbands came from a scrap of pretty expensive fabric so that was an extra win! Upon finishing this second bodysuit I proceeded to lay out and make yet another version in the same cotton jersey that had served as accents on the first one--a really soft ecru and blue Breton stripe cotton jersey (one of my all time favorite fabric patterns). When I finished this third bodysuit, I realized I had made myself the perfect little capsule wardrobe of Barbie Top bodysuits that would go perfectly with two pair of shorts I already have in complementary colors.
The Loretta Shorts is another of my favorite Charm Patterns patterns (Loretta fits into its own framework of interchangeable pattern pieces that I won't elaborate on for the purposes of this entry). As I've gotten older I have gotten much fussier about my shorts and Loretta perfectly fits the bill with its high waist and sculptural pockets. I make them in stretch wovens so the seat doesn't sag with wear (one of my biggest clothing pet peeves!) and the waistband stays comfortable without ever having to pull them up. I am not too proud to say that I made seven (yes, seven!) test versions of these before I got them right. I nearly gave up a few times but the wonderful photos other sewists posted of themselves in the perfect Lorettas kept me going. Last fall my efforts paid off in two pair that fit like a dream. Now that I have this mini capsule wardrobe made I will know exactly what to reach for when it comes time for my next vacation. These three bodysuits and two shorts, with a couple of shoe and sandal options, and a few pairs of earrings will make the perfect long weekend wardrobe, or even longer if I add in a few extra pieces. I could not be happier with how all this came together and it's the perfect example of how one can work within a color pallet to make a perfectly interchangeable mini wardrobe. The best part for me is, that because these patterns are all tried and tested in my daily life I know how they will fit, wear, and hold up for me, leaving zero stress over whether my vacation clothes will even be something I want to wear.
All of my knits here came from GirlCharlee.com. Pretty much all my knits in general have come from there. I find that the quality for the price point is really pretty fantastic overall, and I haven't been disappointed in anything I've gotten from them. They have a reliable stock of cotton spandex blend solids and stripes and a rotating inventory of rayon blends. The rayon blends are especially great for Barbie tops because of the softness and nice drape. I prefer the cotton spandex for all my Skipper Bodysuits with puff sleeves because that fabric makes the most poofy puff sleeves! My Loretta Shorts are made from stretch cotton piques from Mood Fabrics. While not inexpensive by any means, Mood means business when it comes to fashion fabrics and they are nothing if not a reliable source for great garment making textiles. I never buy from Mood unless I have a specific and heavily tested pattern in mind that I am shopping for because I know it will be an investment.
Thank you so much for reading and/or liking/following/signing up. This next week I am planning to tackle one of the patterns included in the new book Gertie's Charmed Sewing Studio. My family is going on a week long trip to Los Angeles at the end of the month to attend VidCon as well as go to Universal Studios and Disney for a couple days each. I am going to make a new dress from the book in a Hello Kitty fabric for Vidcon, as well as reuse a Hello Kitty dress from last year's San Diego Comic Con. Can one have too many Hello Kitty dresses? I doubt it. I'm also hoping to make a non-character version of the same dress from another fabric in my stash, though I'm not sure which fabric as of yet. I will also definitely be taking along my new mini capsule wardrobe!
I feel like you are describing me.
If only I knew how to sew, life would be so much easier when it came to packing for a vacation.
Thank you so much for your input.
I absolutely adore all of your designs. Veronica Patton