Work Wardrobe: Sewing Plans

I’m so excited to finally share with you all my Work Wardrobe Sewing Plans! Going back to work after 8 years at home has been a bit of an adjustment. Especially finding clothes to wear to work. My handmade wardrobe was so eclectic/hippy/artsy momma. Nothing was really work appropriate!  I’m starting from scratch here.

My visual merchandising position at Club Monaco calls for an elevated casual look. Neutral tones and simple silhouettes with feminine details.  It took some serious planning to flesh out my ideas, come of with a color palette and make my beginning fabric purchases.  Plus I’ve been using my new Sewing Planner from Colette Patterns to pull together all my ideas!

I also took a bunch of Craftsy Classes in the last month to build out my draping and pattern making skills as well as for general wardrobe planning ideas. I totally recommend all of these:

• Sew to Flatter with Nancy Nix-Rice
• Designing Your Wardrobe-Drafting Tops with Suzy Furrer
• Patternmaking & Design-Creative Sleeves with Suzy Furrer
• Fashion Draping-Bias Design with Paul Gallo

The Sew to Flatter Class was so helpful.  Because I don’t naturally gravitate to neutrals this really helped me decide what works best with my complexion.  Her method for choosing colors that flatter was really eye-opening.  I hadn’t realized how much contrast pure white is with my skin tone so now I’m going for more creams.   I also realized my hair color was getting a bit brassy which wasn’t giving me the look I wanted.  I toned it down to a darker cool brunette.  Here’s my color palette:

• pink + camel
• grey (light + dark)
• mauve
• cream
• navy

Designing Your Wardrobe helped with my drafting ideas as well as making up mood boards for the new image I want to project.  Here are my Black and White + Color Inspiration Boards as well as some of my Style Icons.  I love that she has you pick images that are non fashion that you relate to intrinsically and then use adjectives to describe what you’re drawn to. Structure, Movement, Fluid, Introspection, Calm, Beauty, Alone and Peaceful were some of the words I came up with. The colors I was drawn to,while more vivid than my current work palette, are very consistent.

Patterns I’m Considering:

Vogue:

• V1509 Anne Klein Tunic and Pants
• V1488 DKNY Dress + Slip OOP
• V1460 Badgley Miscka Dress
• V7975 Vogue Basic Design Jacket
• V9209 Very Easy Vogue Wrap Skirt

SAF-T-POCKETS:

• Two for the Road Shirt

Closet Case Files:

• Kelly Anorak Jacket
• Morgan Boyfriend Jeans

I’ve finished two of these looks already! I shared my Apollo Gray Culottes last week and in the next few weeks I’ll show off my White Lantern Sleeve Blouse (self drafted) and Denim Holly Hack Culottes and I’m just about to start on the Bagdley Mishka Dress (Image 3) in a grey ponte knit.  I’m also planning on making:

• a Chanel Style Tweed/Silk Lined Jacket V7975
• Bagdley Mishka V1460 Dress in Dior Grey Ponte from Marcy Tilton.
• White (Organic) Denim Morgan Jeans (CCF)
• a Kelly Anorak in White or Pale Pink (CCF) (I was a pattern tester so can’t wait to make another!)
• A shirtdress V1488 in a chambray and a silk crepe.
• A Silk Tunic and Crepe Pants V1509.
• Two For the Road Travel Shirts (I’m making one as a gift and one for me!)
• a High-waist Button Wrap Skirt V9209 in a Navy Hemp Wool Tweed and a Stripe knit top to match.
• as well a Pale pink silk version of the same ⇑ wrap skirt.

Can’t wait to share the finished looks! I’m going to try to share some of my daily work looks on Instagram too! Happy Sewing!