Wardrobe Crisis
Warning. Whining about clothing follows. Feel free to click away.
Aaack. I have nothing to wear.
OK, this isn't entirely true. I have things to wear, but most are not terribly functional for winter-winter. They are fine for fall-winter and winter-spring, but too open at the neck or un-layerable (allowing no more than a singlet underneath and not functioning as an underlayer). Most are also made of cotton (including pants and skirts).
I don't like being cold. It makes me grumpy.
The rest of my garments that are in some way winter-winter appropriate are getting such hard use and are showing the wear so much that I feel a bit like I am wearing rags. Add to this that I have little time to sew or shop and even less time to make mistakes and you get a wardrobe crisis.
David has promised me the chance to go clothes shopping after Christmas. But after briefly trying on jeans at the Gap and t-shirts at Target last week, I'm just not excited about it. Honestly, I do not have anything resembling a defined waist and the waistbands on all of the Gap jeans are HUGE even if they are snug in the seat and thighs. (What do their mannequins look like???) And the t-shirts specifically designed for layering at Target are crazy tight yet have huge armholes. So if I got a larger size in order to have enough girth so as not to feel like a sausage, I would have batwing sleeves and shoulder seams closer to my bicep. Bleh. I could sew better than this, but I have yet to try to make pants other than PJs and I am certain that my machine would not be fond of multiple layers of denim.
In related news, I ordered a pair of boots. I will have to send them back. They are too narrow across my foot and I can just barely get my leg zipped into them (I have short legs with wide calves - this makes boot-buying tricky - not to mention depressing), so I certainly could not tuck in pants. Not that this would be a flattering look for me, but it would be nice to have the option.
Things I hope to find(in colours that work for me and prices I can justify):
silk long johns/leggings
dark slim jeans with a mid to high waist (I never tuck anything other than singlets in anyway.)
long sleeve crew neck t-shirts for layering**
turtlenecks for layering**
a open -necked body skimming sweater or two (with wool content for warmth)
mid-heel knee-high boots
just below knee-length skirt (with wool content for warmth)
**I do have time to crank out a few t-shirts, but I don't have patterns for these basics.
There are mental piles of things that I want to make - many of them have patterns ready and waiting, some even have fabric waiting - but I have gotten out of my sewing routine since I moved my sewing gear.
It's time for my wardrobe planets to come into alignment.
Aaack. I have nothing to wear.
OK, this isn't entirely true. I have things to wear, but most are not terribly functional for winter-winter. They are fine for fall-winter and winter-spring, but too open at the neck or un-layerable (allowing no more than a singlet underneath and not functioning as an underlayer). Most are also made of cotton (including pants and skirts).
I don't like being cold. It makes me grumpy.
The rest of my garments that are in some way winter-winter appropriate are getting such hard use and are showing the wear so much that I feel a bit like I am wearing rags. Add to this that I have little time to sew or shop and even less time to make mistakes and you get a wardrobe crisis.
David has promised me the chance to go clothes shopping after Christmas. But after briefly trying on jeans at the Gap and t-shirts at Target last week, I'm just not excited about it. Honestly, I do not have anything resembling a defined waist and the waistbands on all of the Gap jeans are HUGE even if they are snug in the seat and thighs. (What do their mannequins look like???) And the t-shirts specifically designed for layering at Target are crazy tight yet have huge armholes. So if I got a larger size in order to have enough girth so as not to feel like a sausage, I would have batwing sleeves and shoulder seams closer to my bicep. Bleh. I could sew better than this, but I have yet to try to make pants other than PJs and I am certain that my machine would not be fond of multiple layers of denim.
In related news, I ordered a pair of boots. I will have to send them back. They are too narrow across my foot and I can just barely get my leg zipped into them (I have short legs with wide calves - this makes boot-buying tricky - not to mention depressing), so I certainly could not tuck in pants. Not that this would be a flattering look for me, but it would be nice to have the option.
Things I hope to find(in colours that work for me and prices I can justify):
silk long johns/leggings
dark slim jeans with a mid to high waist (I never tuck anything other than singlets in anyway.)
long sleeve crew neck t-shirts for layering**
turtlenecks for layering**
a open -necked body skimming sweater or two (with wool content for warmth)
mid-heel knee-high boots
just below knee-length skirt (with wool content for warmth)
**I do have time to crank out a few t-shirts, but I don't have patterns for these basics.
There are mental piles of things that I want to make - many of them have patterns ready and waiting, some even have fabric waiting - but I have gotten out of my sewing routine since I moved my sewing gear.
It's time for my wardrobe planets to come into alignment.
Comments
Planning to spend the day getting rid of all the things I don't really like or wear, but keep because I don't have much else. Hoping the vacuum will be magically filled...somehow!
In terms of T-shirts, I always have good luck with Land's End - they fit nicely without being too big in the shoulder and armhole and too small in the body (I usually buy Fit 2 - Original Fit).
I had great success at the Mt. Vernon Outlet Mall, (past Bellingham). Jeans (Gap), but only $20.
Also, two sweaters (with % of wool), for $15.
It might be worth the drive...
For boots, (as I have, apparently, enormous calves), I splurge and shop at Fluevogs.
Happy Shopping.
- r.