Fiesta time! The classic peasant top

Ahh, the classic peasant top. I'm picturing spanish flamenco dancers, and mexican senoritas, 1940s beach bunnies and Esmerelda, bold and romantic women and over-bronzed lushes on holiday in 1970s Corfu. 

It's a versatile number that can be embroidered, hand painted, trimmed or - my personal favourite - piled high with ruffles like the beautiful Ava Gardner. It also happens to be one of the easiest garments to construct and so it is to be the first of my sewing projects made from a pattern.

1. Spanish Model (1951) 2. Ava Gardner 3. Cyd Charisse (1948) 4.Louella Ballerino (1940s)

With the recent 1970s fashion revival coupled with last years' obsession with the crop top and the "bardot" off-shoulder look I've seen several versions pop up of the particular peasant top I hope to tackle: the off-shoulder ruffle top.  The high street versions - though interesting in cut - are bland in colour which simply won't do. As a summer garment I want some colour on this thing, pom poms, ribbons, frills - you name it.  I want to end up with a top that begs the question: "Is she with the Mariachi band?".

1. New Look 2. ASOS 3. Topshop 4.Topshop

On the reproduction side of things there are some amazing, bright and colourful peasant style tops readily available, my favourites include this gorgeous tropical print crop top from Outer Limitz, This classic red from Vivien of Holloway, the sassy pom pom trim senorita from Tara Starlet and a sultry blue number from the beautiful Suzannemaria - all of which are a great inspiration.

1. Outer Limitz 2. Vivien of Holloway 3 Tara Starlet. 4.Suzannemaria

There are also a vast number of patterns out there, ranging from the 1940s through to modern day.  For budget reasons, I went with a simple 1970s pattern (next post), however, I found plenty of 1940s and 1950s patterns available that better matched my aesthetic and were a good source of inspiration!

1. Simplicity 4678 (1954) 2. Simplicity 2034 (1940s)

These two patterns offer variations on the classic peasant top with plenty of frills, ribbon and ric rac.  I'm an absolute sucker for anything green and love this lime green and red combo (left). The red ribbon trimmed ruffles (right) are so classic and spanish they're just begging to be copied and thrown on with a set of gold hoops and a big red hair flower. I'm also having visions of the sheer sleeved number in a sparkley black and white monochrome for a dressier look.

1. Advance 4576 (1947) 2. Simplicity 1621 (1946) 3. McCall's 4184 (1957)

With the above three patterns I love the idea of making a complete outfit based around the top, and the contrasting lace trim ruffle on the top, and bottom of this first dress version is easily replicable on a skirt with any trim such as white-on-white with broderie anglaise.  The green with green and white stripes is simple, chic and a redheads' best friend.  Finally, I just couldn't leave out this full on senorita ensemble; a girl can but dream of making such massive and fluffy sleeves!

So, with pattern in hand, I'm off to rein in on the ideas (via a first trip to Remnant Kings and Mandors) and to see what I can produce for next week......

El X

Introduction: Can we recreate fabulous?

Year after year I find myself buying the same basic high street clothing and drooling over beautiful vintage pieces often unobtainable either through price or lack of a 26" waist. There are plenty of good reproduction clothing companies out there catering to modern shapes and sizes, but much like the high street sometimes it just isn't my style.  Other times, I could spend an entire spring on the lookout for that perfect mint green dress, or top, or anything at all available in mint green, only to find that it doesn't exist until three years later when it's so on-trend I'm afraid to wear it for fear of disappearing into a sea of minty green.

Over the years I've filled Tumblr blogs, Pinterest boards and the many nooks and crannies of my laptop with looks, garments and ideas so gorgeous and out of reach they were only to be marvelled at.  Items ranging from this beautiful Schiaparelli dress with pierced heart detail (recently sported by Madonna), to the cute structured swimwear of the 1940s-1960s and fitted suits and dresses in cuts and prints rarely seen in modern fashion (unless you can afford Prada).

From top left to bottom right: 1. Schiaparelli Haute Couture 2014, 2. Shiseido Hanatsubaki, April 1960 3. 1940s Street Fashion, 4. Prada Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear

  

Another disaster area in my search for good fitting clothing - modern and vintage - is body shape.  I have a long body, something clearly not that common going by the many pairs of camel toe producing high-waisted trousers and bum skimming dresses I've endured trying on in my time.  Vintage clothing wise, I just haven't got that hourglass figure best suited to filling out a nice pair of capris, or a figure-hugging wiggle dress with a hip-to-waist difference of 8-10".  

1964 Frederick's of Hollywood catalog

From left to right: 1. Ceil Chapman printed gown, late 1940s, 2. Black 1950s dress, 3. 1950s Alfred Shaheen sarong dress.

So, having recently came into an old Toyota sewing machine, I'm beginning this blog as I begin learning to sew in the hope that it motivates and inspires me to improve to the point that I can create unique and beautiful clothing that works for me, for my own personal style and more importantly - that  fits.  Be that high-waisted capris that actually meet my waist or wiggle dresses that don't drown my hips in fabric. 

Can we recreate fabulous? Let's make that a yes, of course we can, and with enough practice, trial-and-error and mountains of stray thread and massacred fabric I hope to share on this blog some of the projects and inspirations that set me on track to a glorious wardrobe.

  El X