Making a Muslin. And Plan B.

Readers, I fear I am trying your patience.  We've been talking about cranberry corduroy for, what, a week now?  Why does it feel like a month?   I long to move on to new colors and new fabrics, don't you?  But such are my present wardrobe exigencies that I simply must deal with the corduroy at hand.

Yesterday, not ten minutes after saying I would not be making a muslin of my jacket, I decided to do that very thing.  It took so little time (one hour, two?) and yielded a lot of worthwhile information.

Also, how cute is that plaid sheet?  I can't tell if it screams Burberry or Johnny Carson.  This is the one-sleeve version:



And this is the two-sleeve version:





As tired as I am of writing about corduroy, I am even more tired of thinking about my muslin and what tweaks I might make to my jacket.   (BTW, there are small shoulder pads in the muslin.)

There are so many variables, so many different opinions about how high armholes should be, how much ease a jacket should have (and what activities you should be able to perform comfortably while wearing it), about how flat the back should look with the jacket buttoned in front -- that it has my head spinning.

Which is why I have decided to walk away from my project for (most of) the day.  And which is why I hastily drew up a cursory "Plan B" -- what I will wear to my dreaded event you know where if the jacket is not completed.  Because friends, I'm not sure I can -- or want to --- rush through this sewing project.  I slept nearly twelve (!) hours last night and I'm still tired.

On a related note, yesterday I laundered my corduroy pants and they came out great.  I am ready to hem.

Here are some alternate outfits for Saturday and I could really use your global wisdom.  I know this might be a bit much for Auckland, but I think it can work for here.  Here are the pants, with the blue blazer and my treadled Western shirt.  The shirt will be ironed; the belt will be straight.



Here are the shoes, btw.  I bought these about three years ago at a consignment shop nearby at the urging of a friend.  Trust me when I say they are the only Gucci-branded item I have ever owned.



I've hardly worn them as they're extremely thin-soled and not terribly comfortable, but I think they fit the occasion and the outfit.  What color socks?  (I'm generally or blue or black person and I never wear shoes without socks.)

I also have this American Indian ring I've always liked though rings tend to give me contact dermatitis.



I don't want to wear a tie with the Western shirt but how about a little psychedelic neckerchief.  Is this too Thurston Howell III --  or Charles Nelson Reilly?





Also, what do you think of the pants without the belt?  A black belt does tend to cut a short man in half so.



Anything else missing?  Flagrant fashion/etiquette violations?  Please don't say pocket square.  I love them on others but not me.

I hope you don't feel too terribly let down about the possibility of the jacket not being completed by Saturday.  I think if I wear my own pants and shirt but the RTW jacket, that will be enough from the home-sewn department, don't you?  I can throw in a pair of my own boxers too.

You've been so patient with me on this project, readers, and I appreciate it.  I've been so preoccupied with myself that I've forgotten to ask about your own projects.  I know what some of you have been up to but how about the rest? 

And speaking of rest, I'm going to refill my smiley-face coffee mug, read some blogs, and not think about corduroy.

Have a great day, everyone!