Capsule Wardrobe Fall - Winter 2019

A little over year ago, I set some intentions. I wanted to both refocus my personal style at the life stage I'm at as well as share my drafting with others. I've been part of our amazing sewing community for quite a few years now, and wanted to both grow with and grow in our community. Part of that journey was signing up for the Seamwork Design Your Wardrobe course. While I followed along, I was there to absorb the broader brushstrokes. 

A year later, as I was sewing my Seattle Frocktails outfit, I realized, I had achieved my goal. Granted, this is a forever, ongoing goal, but seeing this amount of progress really felt great. I had taken my time, curated my sewing, and created a Fall/Winter wardrobe. 

Jolene, my body double, and I will walk you through what I'm wearing this fall. The basis for these outfits are two pairs of Sew House 7 Free Range Slacks, Version 1, but you better believe all of these combos also get worn with my Ginger Jeans.

Frocktails faux jumpsuit first, as it hasn't seen the internet outside of Seattle Frocktails' Instagram. This faux jumpsuit is really a pair of SH7 slacks and a Wiksten Shift Top in viscose/linen noil from Sewing Studio. The fabric is great, by the way. Soft and drapey, but not as wrinkle prone as 100% linen. I really wanted my outfit to look like it was an 80s one-piece jumpsuit without actually having the hassle of a one piece jumpsuit.

I wear the pants pretty snug, but they still have plenty of ease for movement and comfort. I've biked in both of these pairs of pants. I feel like full elastic waists get a bad rap, but if cut right there's no need to relive the 80s poochy nightmares. I added 3 inches in length to the noil pair, but the wool pair that Jolene is wearing is an un-altered size 8. 

The leather accessories are all made by me, the night before leaving for Frocktails of course. 

Jolene is wearing a wool pair of the SH7 slacks, and Butterick B5526 in a needlecord from Joann's. Jolene's belt is off of Etsy, and both pairs of boots are from Nordstrom. 

I like that I can swap out shirts with these pants and they look entirely different. Here is my Friday Pattern Company Adrienne (FPC) blouse made in a rayon-blend knit from Joann's remnant bins. 

The FPC Adrienne blouse was a complete FOMO make for me after seeing everyone on the Instagram make it. When it came off my machine, I hated it. Then I played dress up and tried it on with things already in my wardrobe. I was surprised how much I loved it and it is now in regular rotation.

Jolene is wearing a FPC Adrienne hacked into a tank-top. If you follow Mary aka @boxcarsewing, you may have seen she hacked it into a tank top. So when I had this spongy knit scrap left over from the Sewcialists Beanie samples, I knew binding the edges into a cami would be perfect. It goes great under layers like this merino Papercut Patterns Aomori top. 

I'm wearing a Workhorse Ione hacked with a keyhole neckline and the bottom half is a black rayon knit to cinch it up into a blouson effect.

Shoes are both Zulily purchases, earrings made by my grandmother, Betty Ione.

Jolene changing it up with my favorite wool challis Workhorse Ione over a merino wool sweater from the Gap (purchased eons ago.) You can really see the difference in length now between me adding the 3 inches in the newer pair I'm wearing. 

I'm wearing a polyester chiffon blouse that was originally a Grainline Archer but has been heavily altered. Most notable the pussy-bow neckline, there's some shaping added and the sleeve-to-cuff has been altered. 

Another color of shoes off of Zulily; I think they're like Jessica Simpson shoes? They're about 5 years old. Jolene's wine & gold lamé scarf was a birthday present years ago, and my gold earrings were a splurge on myself from 4 years ago.

Jolene's last outfit is another Butterick B5526 from some gifted shirting. I want to say it came from a friend of my mom's at church, but I honestly don't recall. It was one of those boxes of fabric we sometimes get when a house is getting cleaned out. That's always a bitter-sweet gift.

I'm wearing a Seamwork Savannah. I really like this pattern. It's bias cut and hugs nicely. It's some older April Rhodes voile. 

Ha, sorry about the weird murder face here... I was trying to get a few last shots in before I hopped on my bike to pick up the kidlet at school. My face aside, this shot shows the April Rhodes cami fabric better. Jacket is one of my favorites. I bleached out some of my Cone Mills denim leftovers to make my ultimate 80s Pipe Dream Patterns Marion jacket. I wear it all the time. I feel like I might swap out the brass shank-backed buttons for rivet-backed buttons... but I really do love it. Shoes from Target.

So there you have it. My wardrobe work over the last year. There are more things that get swapped in of course, but this is a good sampling of what I'm often wearing. This project of shooting it both helps me see my progress and see my wardrobe holes. I feel like I really only do this once a year during Me Made May and doing it again in the fall was helpful. Must be why the Seamwork wardrobe class is twice a year! ha! They just might know what they're doing over there. :D 

Have you made a photo library of your seasonal wearing? How do you find your holes and wear to focus? I've got some merino layers to add for winter, and I've set aside other pattern work to focus on some better biking pants. Maybe not the biggest audience pleaser, but something about necessity being the mother of invention and all. <3