Top 5 of 2014: My Wardrobe

I took on a huge sewing endeavor in 2014. This year, I participated in the Goodbye Valentino’s Ready-to-Wear (RTW) clothing fast, meaning that I didn’t purchase a single pre-made garment this year. Not going to lie, this challenge was tough, especially in addition to my costumes. I’ve gone through some weight fluctuation this year, and my professional wardrobe at the beginning of the year was in pretty dire need of an update. Also, I missed out on some seriously adorable geeky t-shirts. Boo.

But before I get into that, here are my top five makes of the year:

• Lady Skater: This dress gets worn at least once a week. Love it.
• Lady Skaterfrew: Another dress that gets worn at least once a week. It’s been perfect for my winter wardrobe.
• Colette’s Mabel: Another wardrobe staple. I wear either my grey or navy one at least once every other week, though that’s been a little less since the weather has been cooler around here.
• Bombshell Swimsuit: While I didn’t really wear this much, it’s one of my favorite makes this year. It’s absolutely gorgeous and oh-so-flattering.
• Sewaholic Tofino pants: My go-to pants pretty much anytime I get home. Super cozy.

Bonus mentions to my Captain Marvel dress and Moogle hoodie. Because I love them.

And an honorable mention to the makes that are going into the recycle bin:

• The Conference Dress: I like a lot of things about this dress and I always get compliments when I wear it, but it desperately needs a FBA. I may cut the bodice off and just wear it as a skirt.
• Colette Sorbetto: This just isn’t my style. I feel really bulky wearing it. But it was useful for learning how to do FBAs!
• Gertie’s Pencil Skirt: I really should have muslined this one first. In hindsight, I’d nix the waistband and use something with a little bit of stretch.
• Sewaholic Alma Blouse: This was a fabric issue more than anything else. The cotton voile was just so iron prone that it drove me crazy. I’m lazy when it comes to ironing, so I think I’d go for something with a bit of poly next time.
• McCall’s 6754: Funky pattern (seriously, why do all the middle pieces have seams?) and bad fabric. I think I’ve worn this all of 3 times since making it.

This challenge revealed a lot about my wardrobe, including how many clothes I simply don’t wear. Despite feeling like my professional wardrobe is underdeveloped, I realized that I mostly wear the same 5-8 outfits with various cardigans: slacks with a knit top or skater dresses with tights and cardigans.

My home wardrobe really is just PJs/comfy pants and t-shirts. I would like more weekend wear, but I feel like my sewing is slightly out of balance in that realm. I have several fun, campy makes, but not a lot of staples. Not unless you count items like my skater dresses. The ever present conflict of too much icing and not enough cake.

Next year, I’d like to focus more on knits and simple makes for my home wardrobe. This is partly to allow for more commissions, and partly because some items like my more fitted dresses just don’t get a lot of wear (much to my chagrin). While I love these makes, I have to allot my time and funds wisely next year. Here are a few things I’d like to add to my me-made wardrobe next year:

• Tailored coat (working on this now!)
• More knit dresses and skirts! This one would be perfect for both work and fun.
• Leggings to go with knit dresses
• A pair of slacks just for the experience and practice of fitting pants. I’m still not sure what pattern to use. The Juniper seems like a good choice, but I’d definitely need to take the pants in a bit.
• A self-drafted A-line skirt
• A maxi skirt, specifically this one. Because some days, I really don’t want to wear tights/leggings to cover the fact that I haven’t shaved in a few days.
• A few decent blouses. I have had a horrible time with blouses (both in terms of fabric and patterns), but they’re what I need the most for my work wardrobe. I’m open to suggestions!
• A work-friendly Cambie with a FBA. I will conquer the conference dress, dammit!

This is a pretty long list, but really my goal for next year is to slow down and enjoy the sewing experience, hence projects like the tailored coat project. I doubt that I’ll participate in the RTW challenge next year, partly because there are some things I need to update that I simply don’t want to sew (*cough* jeans *cough*). Still, this challenge has been a great experience. Plus, I’ve gotten so much faster at sewing. Seriously, I made 14+ costumes (I’ll review those later this week) and 20+ garments. How did that happen? I can’t wait to get started on garments for 2015!

What are some of your favorite looks from 2014?