The thing is, a generic suit makes me want to vomit. I HATE wearing a suit. I gave a speech yesterday and practically begged to be able to wear a dress (this one) with a blazer. Permission granted. Honestly, for speaking gigs my insistence on looking like myself is to my benefit for the most part. Especially because I am petite and look young, people way underestimate me, and the clothes factor into that too--though I must say the dress looked very respectable with the blazer, not unprofessional at all...just not a suit. Then when I give a dynamite presentation that blows all the other speakers out of the water the impact is all the greater. She said modestly. Heh. I will grudgingly wear a suit for depositions (a funkier suit) and court (a very traditional suit), but for anything short of formal legal proceedings I think they're unnecessary.
So I tried to come up with a collection of tasteful, professional clothes that don't make me want to vomit. I think I succeeded. They're even in neutral colors and I don't hate them!
Now, I am in no way committing to these projects. In fact, I'm already second-guessing my use of the gray pinstripe wool. Now I'm obsessed with the idea of a moderately high-waisted pencil skirt with a corset-type, possibly double-breasted belt that looks like part of the skirt but is separate so that if the style gets tired I don't have to ditch the otherwise classic skirt. I thought BWOF had given a pattern for such a belt, but I must have been thinking of the pants on the right, 08-2007-103; the "belt" is an attached waistband. It wouldn't be too hard to design the belt, but it would be easier just to use a pattern! But on the other hand, I definitely want to make that Simplicity jumper out of a wool. We'll see.Tomorrow is my day off (yay!) and I hope to finish the Mondrian Dress. It will be so insane. In a good way. It needs some buttons and I wasn't finding any that inspired me. I found some cute yellow shanks, but they are going on red and I thought it looked too ketchup and mustard. So last night during Project Runway I painted some white satin fabric-covered buttons traded with Cidell from one of her 4 pound Fabric Mart button lots.
Could you just die?
OMG! Those buttons are fantastic. What a great idea.
ReplyDeleteLove your plan! Those color and fabric combinations are great!
ReplyDeleteThose are absolutely awesome! Love 'em!
ReplyDeleteI think this wardrobe you're thinking about has some kicky flair to it. An excellent compromise, I say! What type of law do you practice? My DH, DS, BIL, SIL are all lawyers.
ReplyDeleteI hear you about suits. I hate wearing them too and I work in a very conservative place. Instead of wearing suits, I tend to stick to a lot of neutral colours/styles for bottoms/blouses but wear colourful cardigans/shoes. I'm excited to see your Simplicity dress since I've been thinking of making that pattern as well for the fall.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the buttons!
ReplyDeleteYour wardrobe looks like the pieces will mix and match nicely.
Ummm...one more for the love your plan...it's P-R-O-F-E-S-S-I-O-N-A-L enough but it still has your personality in it...and I would use the wool pinstripe for the jumper! Won't there be enough left to make a belt!?
ReplyDeleteenjoy your day off! i love the dress pattern! cindy
ReplyDeleteLove your wardrobe plan, the colors are neutral, but not boring. And those buttons are to die for!
ReplyDeleteLove your wardrobe plan. In fact, I saved it. I really hate suits, too, so this was a great idea for some fall stuff. I shrunk out of all my last year stuff & need new clothes.
ReplyDeleteAnd I DO dig the buttons! very chic.
I'm with Marilyn - I don't think you could make a boring garment if you tried, it's just not in you. You're being a tease with the buttons. We have to see the dress. Soon.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way. Suits, especially boxy like suits are the worst. I don't have to dress that way at all, but if I did, it would be hard on me.
ReplyDeleteBut I have seen and I do buy lovely "suit" patterns these days. Vogue has a few of them...with a stylish fitted dress with interesting, feminine lines...and with feminine jackets. No matronly, boring, unfeminine looks here. The Vogue patterns I am speakin of are:
2966, 2958, and 1042.