Using real live models!

So for the project I'm working on right now I'm using a fit model, which is waaay different than using a dress form! I've been trying to draft a basic block based on measurements taken from the model (the lovely Miss Jenny) and am having issues with the fit. I think that the bodice is OK, and have yet to fit the skirt, but they don't fit together. I guess I'll find out when I fit the skirt which piece is working.

If these drafts don't work, then I may have to drape right on the model (I know, Mrs. O. That's what you told me...) but I am not quite sure how to go about it. Should she be in a body suit or something? I would imagine that it is easiest if I mark her bust, waist and hips like a dress form. If anyone has any suggestions please feel free to comment on this blog.

Next step, after perfecting the block, would be to start manipulating that block to draft a historical pattern. I'm confident in the skirt, that's just a long flared skirt (maybe gored) with added fullness in the back. The bodice is going to be the difficult part. I'm thinking that I may have to further the block in to a torso block and then to a jacket block. It seems like that would be the easiest way to get the right fit of the bodice.

I'll scan in my design sketch next posting so you get the idea of where I'm going.

New Subject

Hi everyone. I know that when I originally started this blog (and I know that I have been very bad about keeping it up) that I was talking about plus size women's clothing and all the issues surrounding it. At this point in my education and life focus I have decided to change direction with more focus on costume. I am starting to build a costume for the show The Importance of Being Earnest as I designed the show for a class project last semester. So I will be talking more about period costume, and probably more specifically about my progress in the construction of this particular piece and tricks of the trade I will be learning this semester.

I am excited to make something for an actual body! This will be a challenge as I haven't done this before, but I am really looking forward to it!! My lovely model, Miss Jenny Luna, has graciously let me use and abuse her for my own benefit! Thanks, gorgeous!

Well, that's all for now. I have some draping to do!

Ah History....

So, I just love vintage clothes and historical pieces! I am taking a historical reproduction class right now and am so excited to to make this piece! Its a Victorian bodice reproduction, and there are so many styles I want to make! If you are looking for a good reproduction patterns go to trulyvictorian.com. They have great stuff that is really authentic! Here are a couple of bodices I'm trying to decide between:

I really want to do the coat, but I'm not sure what I want to do! I think I'm leaning toward the "Dinner Jacket" (deep neckline, kind of long tail on the bottom row in the left). I like the neckline and could really make it nice with some beautiful trims. Finally! A project that isn't a stupid size 8! I can actually wear this!!!

I also love this era because I love corsets! I don't mind my hips being so big when I put one on because it is a really curvy hourglass shape. Super sexy! There are a lot of misnomers about corsets, too. They can become bad for your body if abused or used or made incorrectly. They can help shape your waist (I'm not saying make you look like a circus freak but, help shape that hourglass a little), and help after giving birth to help your stomach muscles return to where they are supposed to be, among other things. You ahve to use them correctly to avoid injury though. A good resource for all corset questions would be Farthingales in Santa Monica. The owner/operator Linda Sparks is super knowledgeable (in fact, she is the corset expert in North America!) and has been in the corset business forever! Look for her book and go visit the shop. They have ready made pieces and can do custom work, or help you find supplies to make your own!

This is Cathy. She holds the record for the smallest waist, currently, with a 15" waist. That is the same size as a CD. The smallest recorded was Ethel Granger at 13" pictured at right.

Pictures from www.australia-bodybuilding.com/15inchwaist.htm, http://www.retroxotique.com/photos/Amateur/EthelGranger/EGp2.html, and trulyvictorian.com.

Jeans Fiber Content

Has this happened to anyone else: You spend hours upon hours trying on jeans to find one that is just perfect (and by that I mean a pair that you don't feel like a stuffed sausage in...ugh), finally find that one pair, buy them, take them home and wear them the next day only to figure out that the fiber content is made up of entirely too much spandex in the fiber content so they stretch out so much its like they are an extra size bigger and they fall down to where it is super unflattering (like your belly hangs out) and you spend the rest of the day/night trying to keep from exposing yourself in public? I hate it! So I did some research (which really means I baught some jeans with less spandex in the mix than last time and found a mix that works for me)>

My faavorite jeans I have right now are Gloria Vanderbilt I got at Ross Dress For Less for like $15. Super find! The waist is a little high, but that's better than a little low if you ask me. They have 2% spandex in the fiber content. The last pair of jeans I loved so much I wore them out in 6 months are Levi's 512 Perfectly Slimming Jeans. They also have 2% spandex. I know that it varies with size on what you need for your comfort. For me (a size 16) 2% is the best blend. I would be wary of anything with any more than that. Also, when you get them home, do what you do with new shoes. Break them in. That way you don't find yourself out somewhere with plumber's crack, or worse, with your pants around your ankles (unless...)! Give me feedback on your experiences and what you have found for other sizes.

Skinny Jeans = EEEEWWWWW!

I have something to say about skinny jeans. No one looks good in them unless their legs are rail thin! Plus size ladies - stop wearing those hideous jeans! And those jean leggings (jeggings, I think), are the worst possible thing ever! They make your hips look huge and accent your booty in a baaaaaad way!! THey make us look like grapes with legs. *shudder* Knock it off already!! Stop making us look bad!

Also, low-rise pants are horrible for anyone over a 10 or 12! Hello! Muffin top! Why doesn't anyone wear pants that fit anymore?! UGH! Seriously! Don't you look in a mirror? Don't you want to not look like a fat girl trying to be skinnier than you are? Embrace your body! It is beautiful as it is! If you just dress it right you can be just as sexy as any size 2! Again, seriously!!! Wake up ladies!

Optical Illusions

The more I look, the more I'm seeing that there are so many other women out there that are looking for better clothes!! It makes me so happy to see that women are no longer afraid to demand what they need! People like Bethe Ditto (American singer-songwriter) are trying to make more fashionable or trendy clothes that fit plus size females! I'll be honest, Mis Ditto's line is way too 80's for me (I didn't like the 80's the first time around...ugh), but I really like that she is making clothes for someone her size that wants that look, since it is so on the front of fashion right now (unfortunately...). I have also discovered more blogs and sites such as PlusSizeFashionWeek.com that have some clothes that really work! Of course not all of them are beutiful. It is hard to make plus size clothing because a design may work for a size 14 0r 16, but not wo well for a 24 or 26. It also depends on the overall shape of the body. Hour glass, pear (that's me...), cylinder, and round shapes all have different needs. It is therefore up to us ladies to figure out our shape and how to dress it in a way that makes us look as sexy and beautiful as we are! Here are some simple tips I'll post some links you can go to to figure out what shape you are and what you can do to flatter that shape. Also, if you don't already, watch TLC's What Not to Wear! I have gotten some really great make up tricks as well as tips on dressing right for my body. I keep telling my friends they should nominate me so I can really find great, quality pieces that will make me look my best! (Not to mention spending $5000 in NYC would be a dream come true!!)

Here are some basic tips for each shape type:

Cylindar - style lines can give illusion of hour glass. Use seam lines, patterns and belts to accent your waist and make it look smaller.

Pear - widen shoulder line with extended shoulders, shoulder pads, and boat necks. Slender hips with seam lines with darker colors toward the outside and lighter colors in the middle. No leggings!

Round - widen out hemline with mermaid and A-line skirts, shoulders with v-line or slimming neckline.

Hour glass - accentuate shape without bulking up! Flaunt that figure!

Here are a few links to give you more info:

http://www.dressmenow.com/shape.htm
http://mechelepellebon.com/blog/2009/01/03/flatter-your-figure-how-to-dress-for-your-shape/
http://www.curvycounselor.com/dress-for-your-body-shape.html

Please post any additional links that you might find that are helpful! Also let me know if there are topics you want to talk about!

(Images from http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2007/03/15/do_you_pursue_an_hourglass_figure.php?page=2 and edited by me)

A Fresh Look at Plus Size Fashion!

In this blog, I will be looking at fashion for women with curves! As a curvy girl myself, I have a hard time finding clothes that not only fit well, but are fashion forward and beautiful! Everything has these horrible huge, old-lady prints, too much of the same gross bright colors (not updated colors that are actually in season), things made in that horrible stretchy, clingy fabric that was really popular at Wet Seal in the early 1990s (you know the stuff - it shows every flaw...*shudder*), or jeans with too much spandex in the fiber mix (because the base size is too small) which makes the jeans stretch out and fall off 15 minutes! I will be addressing these problems and trying to help those of us who are real women find something that doesn't look like my grandmother wore, well, ever! (Exceptions would be great vintage inspired stuff - that is a given.) I'd like to find better prints, better fit, and better style!!! I also will be addressing the fact that, statistically speaking. the majority of women in the US are overweight, which means that a garment made for a size 8 (industry standard) will not fit most women!!

I look forward to finding some places where full figured women can find clothes that make them feel good about themselves and as beautiful as they are!