Handmade Wardrobe

How many hours of shopping would it take to find a specific article of clothing that fits well, is a flattering cut for your body type and a flattering color/pattern that you actually like in a pleasing fabric?

Most of the time we must settle on a slightly imperfect item, something is usually off...but what else are we going to do...not wear clothes?

So we buy something that's not quite right and we wear it and feel okay, or wear it and feel bad, or don't actually wear it at all and it just takes up space in our closet.

I always thought my aversion to fashion, to shopping, was because I just wasn't that interested in clothes. But after giving this a lot of thought, I realize that I was tired of being disappointed. And that disappointment slowly transferred to the clothes themselves, and looking at, shopping for and wearing clothes became disappointing too.

But what if it didn't have to be like this? What if everything we owned fit us well and was flattering, if it was made with quality fabrics in the very colors that flatter us the most?

I return to the idea of a handmade wardrobe often, at least once a year when I get fed up with all my clothes wearing out or not fitting well anymore. This year I decided to get serious and scoured Blueprint/Craftsy for help.  I found "Sew to Flatter: Plan Your Best Wardrobe" taught by Nancy Nix-Rice and people, this class was a game changer!

Did you know that all our bodies are 100% fine as-is and it's the clothes' job to make them look even better? It's not our body's job to make our clothes look better.

Nancy talks about your best colors/neutrals for your specific coloring (skin + hair + eyes) as well as intensity of colors, the lightness or darkness of colors, some fitting techniques and types of fabrics.  She also goes over a totally attainable, totally easy plan for a capsule wardrobe where everything mixes and matches and looks great on you.

I'm currently working from home which changes the types of clothes I need/want to wear to work.  I'm in the process of planning my stay at home fall/winter capsule wardrobe and can't wait to share more information here and link tutorials and patterns as I go.  It will be a hybrid of clothing pieces I already own as well as new items that I'll sew over the next few weeks and months.  

I can't believe I'm finally making this dream come true!  It should be a fun adventure.