Wednesday 31 March 2010

"Age Appropriate" Dressing


I made a kind of off-handed joke last Sunday about the saying that goes, "if you were old enough to wear it the first time around, you're too old to wear it the second time around."  (I think this originally applied to mini skirts.)

Yesterday, a few of you pointed out that my 1941 dress pattern was a rather matronly design.  While I recognize it's not particularly youthful, it doesn't exactly scream dowager either.

Then I read an article Gertie linked to recently, about prom dresses too mature for the teens who (want to) wear them.

Do most of us still make distinctions like these today?  I happen to think that -- at least here in America -- we do not, or not so much.  We seem to be living in a sort of "anything goes" period style-wise, where sixty-year-olds routinely dress like teenagers and teenagers routinely dress like streetwalkers.  Personally, I do not have a problem with this -- but then again, I'm not a parent.


Clothing choices are obviously complicated and their meanings can be so subjective it's hard to make sense of them any longer.   Not that many years ago, the display of a woman's ankles was considered provocative.  Today, I think we've lost our ability to be shocked; we've seen it all -- literally.

While I'm of the "whatever floats your boat" persuasion, it does bother me that so many styles today seem to be derived from pornography (e.g., hooker-wear) and prison (e.g., sagger pants). 


It's not that I think there's anything intrinsically wrong with the garments themselves -- loose pants and short-shorts are literally meaningless -- but within the context of our society, I see them as indicators of a coarsened and degraded culture that openly romanticizes prostitution and violence.

I think most of us (we'll see if I'm right about this) are of the "if you still got it, go for it" school, i.e, if you can still pull off a look and you feel comfortable in it, that's all that matters -- or should matter.  We admire (or are told to admire) people like Cher, who in another era would have been put out to pasture or been relegated to Marie Dressler roles.  Good for her! we think (or do we?).  Too bad Cher is also the poster girl for plastic surgery.



There is something so refreshing about seeing an old (whatever we consider old today) person dressing in a way that looks unmistakeably adult.  It's an acknowledgment that we aren't always young and needn't try to look young.  We can look nice at any age.  (I don't like the word "attractive" because it suggests that we must always be thinking about attracting others.  At a certain point, enough already!)


The alternative to this -- while I may admire the commitment and discipline required -- exhausts me.


So I ask you, readers:  Does "age appropriate" mean anything anymore?  Are there things you won't wear, not because they don't fit well, but rather because they look either too youthful or too mature?   If so, upon what do you base your decision: a family member's judgement, a book on style, or just your own sense of what looks right to you?

Do you think this applies to men too or just to women?

Are we better off in this "freer" time or rather under more pressure to maintain the illusion of youth longer?

Dig in!

Pussycat Dolls lingerie launch

Last night was the launch of the Pussycat Dolls Shhh lingerie line at Crystal Bar in Sydney. The event was really fun and the room was absolutely PACKED! I opened the show with a contortion solo in my swarovski encrusted catsuit which was followed by a fashion show featuring model Laura Dundovic, former Australia's Next Top Model contestants Lola Van Vorst, Rebecca Jobson and Adele Thiel and actress Gracie Otto. Plus choreographer Brandon Barton was flown out from the US to choreograph a modern burlesque inspired dance routine.Guests at the event included Ashley Roberts from the Pussycat Dolls who was really lovely and nice, Frankie Delgado from TV show The Hills, American band Carney, Ruby Rose who was there filming with MTV, Didier Cohen, SYTYCD contestants, Australia's Next Top Model winner Tahnee Atkinson, Bra boys and the list goes on!After the show we all sat in the VIP room drinking champagne and having fun! I wore my favourite new Sass and Bide dress with metal appliqués and my Marc Jacobs handbag.The lingerie itself was really nice and comes in lots of different styles from animal prints to stripes, to corsets and cute ruffles. Can't wait for my little gift bag full of lingerie to arrive so I can try it all out!

With Ashley from the Pussycat Dolls
 With Frankie Delgado from The Hills
 With Heath from SYTYCD & Laura Dundovic
 With Ruby Rose
 With Gracie Otto
 With Didier Cohen


Tuesday 30 March 2010

He Blinded Me With Science - Requested Tees For Teen/YA/A (Males & Females)


So hey..

I got this request from some people to make
these tees for YA/A Females and Teen Males.
Apparently they really like it so I thought why not making more?
Now since I have time and I'm being generous :P
I decided to make these for Teen Fems as well.
(You guys are really spoiled! :P)
So now all your geeky teen sims in the hood can have these XD.
SCIENCE = GEEK (?)
Then I'm a geek...well, not really. :P

Anyway, almost forget, the tees can be found in
Everyday, Sleepwear & Athletic category.
Recolorable
(except the stencil part)

And there's 5 Tees in each file.
I made all of them in one row.

+ Bee Robot +
+ Robot For Science +
+ Robot & Ghost +
( As seen here)
+ PlayBot +
+ Do You Like My Robot? +

Well, Enjoy!
Go Simming!
Have lots of FUN!

NewOne


+ TEEN MALES VERSION +

(click the pics to enlarge them)


CLOSE UP






+ DOWNLOAD +

FOR TEEN MALES

For YA/A Males
You can get it here

------------------------------------------------------------

 + FEMALES VERSION +




+ DOWNLOAD +


+ + + + +

Models by Me:

Alice
Ashton
(Teen)

Custom Content By Me:

Skinny Jeans For Teen Males

Custom Content I used:

Skins by Aikea & Subaxi
Hairs by Anubis & Peggy
Brows & Blush by Subaxi
Lipstick by Lemon Leaf
Eyeliner by Rose Sims
Eyes by Sims2Time

Credits:
CTU Team for the tool
All creators above for creating cool CC. Thankies!
Alice & Ashton
<3

Vintage or just plain OLD?



I've made up my mind: my next project will be Simplicity 3873, a two-piece dress pattern from 1941.  (Sorry, Maria -- it's back to the convent for now.)

I mentioned this pattern on Monday; I'd ordered it on Etsy and received it last week.  I wanted something classic Forties, but simple.  It cost only $5.99 with shipping; the somewhat ragged envelope no doubt kept the price low.

I'll be honest: I have some trepidation about this project.  Maybe it's those bound buttonholes, which I may not even bother with.  I've never sewn anything this old.  Frankly, I think this crosses the border between vintage and antique.

I hunted for the right fabric but didn't find anything that felt appropriate to the period. 

I've had this in my stash since the fall and badly want to use it:



It's cotton and definitely has a vintage feel but I don't think it would work.  For one thing, the skirt has twelve separate panels and I don't think those roses would look good broken up that way.  I'll save this  for something more flowing (I think both Gertie and Elaine have picked up rose prints too -- spooky, huh?).

I tend to honor the pattern artwork: if a dress is shown in a solid, I'll go with solids.   I did get some fabric on Monday -- four yards in fact -- of a purplish-blue cotton with a vertical stripe in the weave, but when I got it home I realized it was too heavy.  I'd been thinking of this as a suit -- it looks like a suit -- but it's a dress.  The skirt has to move and the cotton is too stiff.  It would make a great summer men's suit and maybe that's what I'll do with it.

I've decided to use sheets again -- clean sheets.  I'm going to use this yellow one for the top...



...and the black one pictured here with the yellow for the skirt:


I don't know; maybe if I have enough fabric, I'll do the whole thing in yellow.  We'll see.

Yesterday I started to prepare my pattern pieces and imagine my surprise when I saw this:



This pattern pre-dates seam allowances printed on the pattern pieces!  I recalled reading something about this on somebody's blog, I don't remember whose.  The patterns of this period had no printed markings, but rather only different size punched holes.  Here's how individual pieces are labeled:



Cool, right?

This marking is for a dart in the top of the sleeve:



I should mention that straight out of the envelope, the pieces looked like wadded up Kleenex:



I managed to inventory and press everything yesterday and am happy to report that all the pieces are accounted for.  Today I'll start cutting and we'll see how far I get.



My goal is to make this version:



Readers, have you ever sewn from one of these old unmarked patterns?  Would you?  What's the oldest pattern you've sewn?

Do you prefer contemporary vintage patterns to authentic ones?  Is there a difference?

I'm in uncharted waters here.  Wish me luck!

The plight of the vicarious shopper



As I mentioned yesterday, I spent Sunday afternoon with my Queens-dwelling doppelganger, the notorious Johanna.  Johanna will spend hours digging in the most claustrophobic, packed-to-the-gills fabric stores, and come out buying...bias tape.  I'm not kidding.  I think she is, like me, primarily a vicarious shopper (and much less blurry in real life, btw).

It's not that Johanna particularly likes purchasing nothing -- I mean, hello, this woman owns nine vintage sewing machines -- but rather, she prefers to make her purchases alone.  Still, she enjoys the social aspects of the group-shop -- it's fun.  Of course, this is conjecture on my part.  Hopefully Johanna will check in today and speak for herself.

The only problem is that if you put two vicarious shoppers together with nobody buying much of anything, it can put a real damper on the local economy (and it certainly doesn't endear you to shop owners).  Plus you can't make smug judgments like, " She's buying another three yards of polyester knit?"  That's when you need to call the Bloggettes.  They buy everything.
 


On Sunday, Johanna introduced me to some of Lower Manhattan's most renown, if somewhat frozen-in-time, fabric stores:  Belraf on Orchard Street, P&S Fabrics on Lower Broadway, and Fabric Warehouse (right next door), the latter two on the edge of Chinatown, just south of Canal Street.  Pretty snazzy, huh?




I admired the sequined trim, but I don't need any right now.


I found this box of patterns for $1 each, but there was nothing that struck my fancy.


I almost bought a soft, corduroy-like animal print with a short nap, but I wasn't going to pay $8 a yard for it.
 

So three hours later, here's what I actually DID buy:

 

How's that for a scintillating shopping adventure?  I'm sorry, readers; I feel I've let you down somehow.

Oh, btw, if anyone is in the market for a Senger sewing machine, just let me know:


In closing, I ask you, my friends:  Are you a vicarious shopper?  Do you enjoy watching others shop more than (or as much as) shopping yourself?  If so, when do you shop for yourself (if at all)?

Do you find others resenting you for your apparent self-discipline?  Do you refuse to shop publicly but rather prefer the stealth private purchase -- your dirty little secret, like keeping chocolates stashed in your bedside table drawer?

Confess and be healed!  We know you're getting your fabric somewhere.