clothes...

Caitlin Moran wrote, in How to be a woman that “When a woman says, ‘I have nothing to wear!’, what she really means is, ‘There’s nothing here for who I’m supposed to be today”. 

This really resonated with me. I, along with many women, hate shopping for clothes and in recent years have bought clothes mainly as part of the supermarket shop. (I went jeans shopping while procrastinating over revision for an exam recently – a largely depressing experience – incredibly difficult to buy a pair of jeans that are just plain, mid blue denim that don’t look like you have been in an acid related accident and  / or cost less than £100)

I have a really clear image in my mind of how I would like to look and have a pinboard full of images on pinterest of the sorts of things I would like to wear – artfully layered outfits, colourful and coordinated but I inevitably end up in jeans and a tunic, looking pretty much like every other woman of my age who is wearing jeans and a tunic… The artful layering looks lovely but it must generate a huge amount of ironing.

There are days when I am a student – I can dress for these. Jeans, tshirt, kickers or converse.

There are days when I am at work – these are harder. I’d like to wear shift dresses and shirts, high heels. I love a high heel but my balance is appalling and any elegance acquired via the shift dress is negated by the wobbly walking. 

The days when I am at home, and just being me, I don’t know what to wear. In response, I have decided that the course of action is to make something. I have never made clothes. I can sew and cut fabric but I’ve never followed a pattern. 

Months ago, a friend made her daughter a great top – really simple, crossed over at the back, no buttons, no zips and best of all patch pockets. Everything is better with pockets (and bunting, but not together, but actually, maybe big bunting with pockets for a childs bedroom, but I digress). I've bought the fabric... (spotty bias binding, if I were a squealing sort, I may actually squeal at the thought)

I’ve taken the bull by the horns and booked a two hour sewing lesson. A very nice, and possibly overly ambitious lady, thinks that is those two hours we will cut out and piece the top and, most excitingly, make bias binding from some lovely spotted fabric. The plan is for spotty pockets too… If this works, I can see one in a mid denim colour with a crocheted edge. 

I’m hoping that this will become my signature top, you know, in the way that Ina Garten wears the same shirt it lots of different colours because she knows it suits her… And also,  that it will be really easy to iron.