Sewing With A Plan - Wardrobe Planning

Article from Timmel Fabrics website by Julie Culshaw (circa 2003/2004)

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Sewing With A Plan - Wardrobe Planning

We have all had this problem at one time or another:  nothing in our closet works together.  All we seem to have is a lot of unrelated garments; if we were to pull everything out and put it into outfits, we might have two decent ones.  Everything else is the wrong style or colour or we just don't like it anymore.  (We won't even mention the ones which don't fit us now - we won't go there)  Does this sound familiar?   Unfortunately, I seem to have faced this dilemma all too often.  Every couple of years, I look in the closet and say "yuck".

Well, how about a fresh start?  We have all heard of wardrobing, the system of making or purchasing clothes in basic colours which all work together, making multiple outfits.  But the downfall is not following through on a plan of action.  Kind of like New Year's resolutions.
Recently, I bought the Australian magazine "Stitches", Vol. 5, No. 3.  It came out this past September.  In it is an article entitled "The Perfect Wardrobe" written by the Editor-in-Chief, Lynn Cook.  I missed the first article in a previous issue because this one is the second part.  In the first article, she showed 11 garments she had made, providing a different outfit for 7 weeks, because of the inter-changeability.  We have all read these types of articles before, haven't we?  So what is different about this one?

The difference is the simplicity of the garments.  As Lynn says, "use simple styles that can be sewn quickly and easily".  These clothes are clean lines, casual and comfortable, yet well chosen in both colour and fabric so that the end result looks professional.  

Here is the formula:  Stage One  -  make 11 garments.
These are:

• 2 pairs of pants
• 2 skirts, one in a solid colour, one in a print or check
• 2 simple tops, one solid, one in the above print
• 4 tops, in colours which coordinate with the solids
• 1 simple cardigan jacket in a solid colour

To make sure that your formula works, choose 2 basic colours, add a third complementary colour, and make sure the print has the two basic colours in it.  For example:  beige and navy might be your basic colours.  Add a skirt in gold, a print in navy/beige, and let the 4 tops be the fun colours that spice up the wardrobe.  You could add rust or ivory to this colour selection.   If those are not your flattering colours, try navy and burgundy with accent colours of ivory and pink.  And you can't lose with black and white; then the whole spectrum of colours is there for the accent colours.

Stage Two:  make the following 10 garments.

• One cardigan - in one of your basic colours
• 3 long-sleeve tops in tones that coordinate
• 1 long skirt in a print
• 1 blouse or top in the same print
• 1 knee-length skirt in a solid colour
• 2 more pairs of pants in tones that blend with your palette

If skirts are not your style, simply replace them with pants.   Or vice versa, but keep the right number of bottoms and tops to give you maximum versatility.

If you have noticed, prints are kept to a minimum.  If you tend to choose printed fabrics when you sew, you will find that your wardrobe is very limited because they only go with themselves or one other item. The prints chosen in this plan are very carefully selected so that they bring out at least 2, and perhaps 3, of the solid colours already there.  This ensures that these garments will go with everything even if you split the top and skirt up and wear them separately.

Tip:  With two-piece garments, such as a skirt and blouse in the same fabric, be sure to clean both pieces together at all times, even if one hasn't been worn.  Otherwise you may have a blouse that fades to a lighter tone than the companion skirt.

Now, where is the downfall?  If you are like me, you don't carry through on your resolution.  You start a plan like this, make 2 or 3 of the basic items, then quit.  No wonder it doesn't work.  In order to have the plan work, you have to complete at least the first stage of it.  This is why I found Lynn's advice helpful, because she emphasized the importance of keeping the styles simple.  Don't get bogged down in fitting or construction problems.  Make very simple shapes and keep them free from details.  In fact, most of her tops are simple T-shirt shapes.  But the fabrics are quality so they don't look like T-shirts.  The skirts are pull-on, elastic waists . This is not the time to try new patterns; this is when you should be re-using patterns that you know work well and fit you. Some of the pants are tailored, but remember you don't have to sew everything you wear.  You are allowed to buy some things.  Perhaps you already have some of these garments in your closet.

Once you have at least stage one made or bought, time to progress to stage two.  You can introduce some new colours here to spice things up, which in turn leads to more  combinations.   Perhaps you will have clusters of garments that work together.  But make sure you have the first 11 pieces in order to have a wardrobe that works.

Keep in mind your fabric choices.  If this is a wardrobe for work, you will be choosing suit-type fabrics and perhaps silk or silkies for the tops.  If this is a casual wardrobe, then make the fabrics casual.  Plan it around denims or cottons, or knits.

If you get bored with the selection of garments, try interjecting a vest in an interesting fabric that will work with at least 3 of your pieces.  Or this is the time to do some embellishing or other fun-stuff.  But limit yourself to a vest until you have the wardrobe complete.  Otherwise, you are right back to where you started from - a lot of clothes, but nothing to wear!

FYI  -  Stitches Magazine is published by Express Publications Pty Ltd.
It is distributed in North America by Quilters' Resource Inc., 2211 N Elston
Avenue, Chicago IL 60614.  Phone 1-773-278-5695.
Their website is www.expresspublications.com.au

~Julie