(An online search for “Yara Shahidi’s Gucci Gown” yielded some of these images.) The photo of actress Yara Shahidi (of the TV show “black-ish”) caught my attention on a magazine page (InStyle). She is a knockout and pulling off the attention grabbing Gucci gown beautifully. It’s age appropriate for her tender years, and extremely tasteful.… Read More Gucci Shell Gown- How is it Made? I’m Asking…
Balenciaga’s way: In the book Couture Sewing, there’s a section on “stays”, with details on under-bust stays, pleat stays, waistline stays, and even crotch stays (yes, there is such a thing in haute couture). This particular Balenciaga dress, circa 1965 actually uses a stay on each back armhole area in a capped sleeve to control… Read More “Stay”ing the Armhole: Tip From the Haute Couture
……. which I’ve dubbed “eccentric princess of patch pockets”. Claire Shaeffer says in her book that this pocket “suggests spilled liquid”, and I’m filing that factoid under “Awesome Design Inspiration”. Here’s how I went about trying to copy it. As you can see, the final destination of the Schiapparelli pocket is the plaid tunic, Vogue… Read More The Schiaparelli Pocket
All images in this post from the Vogue Runway site. I am so beholden to them. Iris Van Helpern, Haute Couture Fall 2019 If William Shakespeare’s play “Midsummer Night’s Dream” was set in a modern, futuristic backdrop, Titania would wear everything here. Kidding aside, Haute Couture designer Iris Van Helpern has blown my mind with her… Read More Haute Couture Collections Worthy of Titania, Queen of Fairies.
Featured Image from Vogue Runway Every year I wait for the Couture collections to seek out over-the-top and apparently unwearable looks. That said, most haute couture offerings have underlying wearability if you look beyond what’s attention grabbing. Some of them are extremely inspiring for seamstresses like me. And, some designs are ripe for a bit… Read More Annual Event: Picking on the Fall 2019 Haute Couture
Hi friends! Samina here with yet another pocket-intensive post. This here is a sherwani. A sherwani is just a long knee length or longer tailored jacket, a traditional wardrobe item for South Asian men. I also want you to know that this particular sherwani belonged to my husband who wore it to our wedding back… Read More Deep Sherwani Pocket
Yeah, I know; long words in the title is a thing with me. Friends, I love a bit of whimsy in my daily wear and not so daily wear. As someone said, what’s the point of fashion if you can’t have fun with it? Well, I can think of a counterpoint to this, but I’ll… Read More Sartorial Whimsy….
Oscar de la Renta at the MFAH.… Read More Oscar de la Renta at the Museum of Fine Arts: Visual Candy and Which One I Want to Wear.
These thoughts are dedicated to my friends who are obsessed with costume design in old Hollywood movies that were produced before they (my friends) were born. In 1932 my mother was 7 years old, and lived in a faraway land. For her, Joan Crawford, Adrian and the Letty Lynton dress were not a thing. In… Read More Nothing’s New – Chanel Channels “Letty Lynton”
……of this Madeleine Vionnet design, circa 1922. It is 95 years old, and yet so 2017 in it’s modernity, the ombre vibe emanated by the color blocking, and the simple geometric shapes joined in an innovative fashion. Madeleine Vionnet was known as a master of the bias grain. Yet, this outfit hangs on the straight… Read More Can’t Let Go….
Sew Everything Blog 