Sherlock Skirt & Purple Ludwig

I find myself in a perpetual search for textures, geometric shapes and combination's of color. The world of fabric is so diverse and the options are never-ending, so the hardest part is identifying the right thing for me within this wide variety. Checkered or plaid fabrics – The ‘tartan’ – come in a great number of colors and checker sizes. Tartans have been used for thousands of years and are mainly associated with Scotland and the Scottish culture. I was looking for a small-checkered fabric with an interesting combination of colors. I found a thin woolen high-quality fabric, imported from the UK, with small fine checkers combining shades of olive, smoky antique pink and cream. The combination sounds peculiar, but the final look is both fine and unique. I designed my own version of a kilt and named the design 'Sherlock'. I put the fabric motif into use, but ignored other motifs such as folds of fabric and the typical buttoning of the authentic kilt.

The main difficulty of working with checkered fabrics is cutting and sewing the fabric. I wanted a perfect seam between the two front parts of the cut, and a nice connection between the front and the back. I designed the pockets to be obliquely sewed to the skirt. Such accuracy can only be obtained with the hands of an excellent seamstress, cutting single items. This observance cannot be achieved in mass production.

I matched this skirt with a soft and gentle purple Crepe de Chine blouse, using the ‘Ludwig’ blouse design shown in previous posts. I just love purple in the winter, such a warm elegant color. The blouse is suitable for any time of day, creating a graceful look at work, impressive and elegant after-hours.

Model Blouse: Purple Ludwig
Model Skirt: Sherlock

SHOP ONLINE

Penny Lane Pants & Point Camel Blouse

I love skirts and dresses, but sometimes pants give me a liberating feeling. I don’t have to think of the smoothness of my legs or look for matching pantyhose, pants are comfortable at work, great for speedy exits and perfect for spending time with the kids. Women started to enjoy this feeling sometime in the 1930’s, when a revolutionary and exciting innovation was added to women’s wardrobe – the pants. Pants became an essential item for work, at home and on vacation. Women wore pants while exercising, going for walks and riding bicycles. Women’s status was changing, and their involvement in various professions and in the business world made them match their clothes to the new situation. The search for comfortable, dynamic and practical clothes caused fashion to create simple items, comfortable and unadorned.

The feminist revolution, the single revolution in history which did not involve bloodshed, was manifested in designing clothes that did not limit the female body, especially after the tightly fastened girdle was out of fashion; women’s clothing became more loose-fitting and made more sense.

I designed tailored pants named 'Penny Lane'. I mixed three features in their design – masculine, feminine and sportive. The tailored shape and the fabric give the pants their masculine touch; a high waist and a close-fitting design add a feminine touch; and the straps along the trouser-legs and in the rear pockets create the sportive look.

The pants are made of Cool Wool, ‘dry’ wool woven from a thin thread giving it lightness, unlike the traditional heavy wool; this fabric can be worn all year long. The location of the belt loops creates a flattering look - when wearing a belt the waist seems higher, although the pants have a concealing cut. The lateral strap creates the illusion of length and motion. The strap is an inch wide and made of thin olive-colored wool. I used the same fabric for the back pocket rims for an uncompromising perfect look.

Many small but significant details in the pants have been meticulously thought of. The pants are buttoned with an inner hook which creates a clean look, and there are no outer buttons that might interfere with the belt; the location of the belt loops with relation to the waist; the pocket lining is made of the same fabric as the side straps. The length of the pants fits a 5 foot 7 figure, but an inch and a half of extra fabric is concealed in the hem, to allow an extension if needed.

I matched the pants with a blouse called 'Point Camel', with a design identical to the previously shown Ludwig blouse. A small and gentle masculine collar, olive-camel cotton fabric with black polka dots. The sleeves’ edges give the blouse a feminine touch – a thin fine rubber strap gathers the fabric and fastens it to the wrist, and the sleeves’ end gently widens below it. The rubber strap also allows you to raise the sleeves in order to shorten them.

Model Blouse: Point Camel

Model Pants: Penny Lane

 SHOP ONLINE

Ludwig Blouse & Pocket Skirt

I created an inspiration collage

I chose fabrics and drew a sketch

And this is the final outcome

A little bit about the clothes

The blouse – 100% cotton, a buttoned blouse with a small masculine collar. Just above the wrist, a thin rubber strap fastens the sleeve to the arm and below it the sleeve opens towards the palm.

The skirt – thick cotton fabric with a gentle texture of small dots, a bit similar to suede or corduroy without the stripes. An “A” shape with a very gentle angle. Two front pockets in different sizes and a small pocket in the back. I added ocher colored stitching to stress the design and the pockets.

  Model Blouse: Ludwig

Model Skirt: Pocket

SHOP ONLINE