Saturday, May 14, 2011



It was an unbidden and unwelcome thought, straight from my unconcious mind that leapt in before it could be censured or justified away.

"that coat looks ridiculous"

The polka dot coat has already gone to the recycle pile, fabric to be recycled in some way.

Then I got out the Regretsy book and so many passages spoke to me of homemade folly. The key point though, was the story the author told when she and a friend got dressed to impress at at play they were going to. In the pre drinks melee a pair of women were staring at her. Not glancing, but outright staring. Then she overheard one of them say to her friend, "no, Halloween is tomorrow night."

At that point, she knew she was too old for whimsy dressing.

This skirt (Ottobre 05-2007-09) however is part of a more disciplined regime to make more clothes that are suitable for my lifestyle. The requirements are as follows:

- fabrics must be comfortable and durable, easy to launder and easy to care for
- styles must allow movement
- clothes must represent personal style, a little interesting, a little quirky, a little ugly, a little old fashioned, a little home made looking, a little fun but ONLY A LITTLE. Smirk, not guffaw

and I think this skirt nicely ticks the boxes, don't you?

back pocket, indearingly wonky:



front pocket, could be lifted from one of their children's editions:



.. and some very cute vintage cotton drill. Very happy with this skirt. Now I really do have to knuckle under and sew those tee shirts. In theory I have nothing against going out and purchasing them. In practice it would be like asking a vegetarian to go to a steak house and only eat off the salad bar. Could be done, in theory.

31 comments:

  1. I L.O.V.E. that skirt. Very very non-regretsable.

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  2. Awesome skirt - love that fabric!
    It looks like it will go with lots of things, so it also ticks that box!

    What do you mean you're throwing out the polka dot coat?!! If you think it is too much, maybe you can shorten it to a jacket?

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  3. Very cute skirt! Wearable, and practical but still super fun! I love the vegetarian analogy. I can't bring myself to buy clothes anymore either. But in theory...

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  4. The skirt is very nice. But I'm going to stand on my opinion that I love the polka dot coat.

    I can relate to the difficulty in buying what you know you can sew. My kids desperately need shorts, but at the store this week I couldn't bring myself to pay for little girls' shorts. I was able to buy boys' shorts, though, maybe because boys' clothes are so much more boring.

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  5. I love the polka dot coat too. I can't imagine how it could be a "regretsy," although I've recycled a number of my projects that others thought were fine--so I understand things like this are personal. That skirt is perfect. I like the vegetarian at a steakhouse analogy too!

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  6. The skirt is great, but what about the coat? Tiny white polka dots on a black background hardly seems over the top to me. I thought it was nice. Anyway, the skirt is definitely a keeper.

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  7. I liked that polka dot coat, but you're the one who has to wear it, right? Or not wear it. I also like this skirt VERY much and yes, it fills out your criteria boxes quite nicely.

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  8. You threw out that COAT?!? And you think the skirt is less bold, more smirky? Don't get me wrong, I think the skirt's awesome, but really, the coat is much more staid, and looks really good on you besides. I can't imagine it doesn't fit your criteria. I'm just sad..

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  9. I like the polkadot coat on you. I have a thrifted polka dot cardigan and wear it a lot. Mind you need to feel comfortable in it I guess. What's up with it?
    Skirt is cute. I find it works well to have one interesting garment per outfit and keep the rest more as background pieces. All background pieces is boring, all statement pieces is crazy. The sweet point in the getting the mix right.

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  10. Oh I do love your blog! I am a reader, not a commenter on the whole, but this post got me - I identified so strongly with the unbidden "this coat - dress - hairdo or whatever is ridiculous thought". It is a hazard for the experimental dressers amongst us. But I love the skirt - very much - and it looks fabulous on you.

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  11. Surely you don't think the denim polka dot looks ridiculous? Does that make me ridiculous for liking it?

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  12. Fabulous skirt - This is something I would definitely wear heaps. I loved your polka-dot coat. I thought it got a tick next to all of your requirements. I know how it feels though when something just doesn't 'feel' right.

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  13. Boo...I love the polka dot coat and don't think it is too much at all.

    The skirt is fantastic of course.

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  14. Love the skirt! And I loved your polka dot coat, too. Maybe you just didn't like it in combination with the wide legged pants?

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  15. I too thought the coat looked perfectly charming and not OTT in the photos. I would wear it myself in a heartbeat, and I am not a quirky dresser. Any chance your interlocutors were just jealous? Or high? ;)

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  16. You have inspired me to look out some skirt patterns. I love this one and the fabric.

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  17. Hey, you received 100% positive feedback on that coat and it was awesome. Please rethink it, polka dots are definitely not too whimsical or too young. It looked great on you though I probably wouldn't wear it with such wide leg pants. Slimmer pants or a skirt would look incredible. Don't cut it up just yet.

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  18. Well I like that skirt very much. I also liked the polka dot jacket so I'm a little sad that one went to the Sallies.
    I love those pockets- such a cute shape.

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  19. I love polka dots in any size and color. The coat was awesome, a classic shape in a fun fabric. And this skirt is great too. I really like the fabric. Vintage you say? I wish they would reproduce it.

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  20. "that skirt looks groovy"

    How big is that regretsy pile? Personally, I loved the large lapels on you. But you know, I am still sad that you didn't wear the Holly Hobby dress.

    I probably need your ruthlessness in going through my wardrobe. I have slowed my sewing down because I don't have room for any more clothes...although the shelves are filled with garments I rarely wear. Really, I should stop sewing Liberty prints. They don't look good on me. They are nice to sew though, which is why another is on my waiting-to-post-review pile. I should also stop sewing anything remotely sexy or trendy, because I don't feel comfortable in either.

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  21. The new skirt will be perfect for summer weather. I've always liked navy and red and this is a unique print to boot! Bummer you're not happy with the dotted jacket. I still think it's cute, cute, cute. In my opinion, the mini-dots keep it wearable, unlike a larger dot print would, but ultimately you have to be comfy in it. Onward!

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  22. That is a cute skirt.
    I wonder if the polka dot coat was too staid for you? It couldn't possibly raise a guffaw?
    Just let us know to which Sally's you are sending it.

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  23. Hey I love this one! Very cute. It looks great on you

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  24. It's been said 23 times already but we really liked the coat (Bill too)and thought the lapels worked well. It would go with that great skirt?
    The disclaimer of course is that personally, I don't have a well thought out wardrobe and it is easier to appreciate 'fun' on someone else.

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  25. That skirt is fantastic! I've got a few brightly-coloured cheery dresses I call my 'happiness dresses,' hope it'll be a happiness skirt!

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  26. Your skirt is very cute, love the contrasting pockets.
    I'm going to pretend I didn't read that you are recycling your polka dot coat. Ignorance *is* bliss.

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  27. I think you judged your polka dot coat too harshly. It looks pretty good to me!
    And the new skirt is fun, and I very much like the wonky pockets :)

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