I recently read a blog post where the author listed everything she’d sewn that year and then categorized everything as to whether it was something she wore often, sometimes, or never. She literally had a percentage for how many of her makes got used! It was very analytical and also amazing! I’m not sure I keep good enough track of my makes to actually do this but it did get me thinking about what I sew versus what I actually wear. Often, I’m so excited about the completion of a project that I love it and praise it all day long, but after the newness wears off, I never actually pull it out to wear it.
SO I wanted to do a post where I share what my day to day wardrobe looks like and how my handsewn garments fit in. Yes, this is essentially a Me Made May, but in November and without the fun alliteration, but since we’re six months from May, I thought this would be a great time to do a post like this. Also, I hope to do a post a bit later about what have been my favorite makes this year (and if I can remember/have photos maybe I’ll share what didn’t work for me as well). But here’s one week’s worth (plus some loungewear) of what I’m wearing on a regular basis (fair warning: all photos are phone photos, just FYI):
Day 1: Arenite Pants and an old top (like pre-kids) from Eddie Bauer.
In the past, I’ve packed these pants up with my summer clothes, but I’ve still been vibing them and enjoying wearing them with sweaters and long sleeves. They are comfy and chill and I probably wear them once a week. Plus those pockets fit ALL THE THINGS.
Day 2: Union St. Tee (v-neck), Driftless Cardigan, and Free Range Slacks
I’m not always wearing head to ankle handmade (I have to clarify because some ambitious people even make their own shoes!), but sometimes I am! The white tee is one of three Union St. v-necks that I own, all of which get worn pretty often. I’m wild about my Driftless and constantly wanting another (maybe a more neutral one)…or another seven. And I wear my Free Range Slacks regularly but, truthfully, I’m still quite on the fence as to whether I actually like them or not. They add variety to my sparse collection of bottoms, but are still a bit reminiscent of pajama pants. And here I will shamelessly brag about my shoes: I bought them for $20 at Nordstrom Rack Last Chance (it’s in Phoenix so if you’re in that area, have some extra time and love a good deal, go!). They’re Birdies and normally are $120. They are crazy comfy and I love mine 🙂
Day 3: Brunswick Pullover (from Hey June) (unblogged) and leggings.
This is a great and cozy sweater. It’s pretty warm and often I use it for layering instead of on its own. You can’t really see in the photo but it has some really cute details like side button plackets and a zipper pocket on the arm.
Day 4: Neil Diamond tee and Ash Jeans
Of course I had to show off my new Neil Diamond tee (yes, I am adding a link to that, thank you very much) that I have been absolutely loving. Now that I sew, I rarely buy clothes but I’ve been missing graphic tees, so when I found this one online, I snagged it. As for my Ash Jeans, I truly love them, but as I mentioned in the original jeans post, the waistband is tight. My weight (and waist measurement) has fluctuated a bit this year and since the waistband has been uncomfortable since day 1, these pants have spent their fair share of time at the back of the closet. But everything else about this pair is amazing, so they do get a lot of wear when I’m not sporting as much extra padding;) . The fabric is just so soft, if only the waist was a tiny bit more giving!
Day 5: Cielo/Hinterland peplum hack top (unblogged) and leggings
This is a top that I’m still kind of deciding on…but also I think I’ll end up giving it away. It was meant to be a copycat of a ready to wear top that I found on Pinterest. It is cute but I think the proportions aren’t quite right for me. Oh, well.
Day 6: Union St. Tee hack and Ginger Jeans
I just blogged about this top and I really have been loving it. As for the old Ginger Jeans, I wear them at least once a week, and often more. Wearing them has been helpful because it’s given me some ideas about what fit changes I’ll make the next time I make the pattern. But even as imperfect as they are, they are very comfortable and look pretty good (I don’t think others would notice the fit issues that stick out so blatantly to me, but such is the case for probably most things I wear).
Loungewear Bonus: sweater from Target and Hudson Pants
I made these Hudsons about a year ago and they did get put away for the summer but they’re back, baby! And I am loving them! I actually just made another pair each for Ben and I for Christmas and I can’t wait to show you guys! There’s color blocking involved! And somehow I think the fabric I chose this year made the fit better?
Day 7: Orchid Midi Dress
I wish I wasn’t such a glutton for this dress but the truth is that I LOVE this dress! I have many dress options but I find I reach for this probably every other week. It’s just comfortable and makes me feel lovely, so I don’t even care that I wear it more than I should.
Anyhow, that’s a week of what Kim wears 🙂 I will admit that doing this during a colder month was a bit trickier because I haven’t done much sewing on sweaters and long-sleeved shirts, something I ought to focus on changing. As you can see, I definitely sport a mix of both me-mades and ready to wear clothes in my day to day wardrobe, but what I sew makes up a large portion of my wardrobe. Not everything I sew ends up being worn again and again…but a lot of it does!
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