So, I know it's supposedly a very British thing to talk and/or moan about the weather. But - I really wish it would be less wintery! I can't wait to get into some moderately more summery items. Anyway, this is what I've been wearing the past 5 days:
Day 11 - Re-styled Laura Ashley dress, worn with sad face due to the rain
Day 12 - Denim Crescent skirt
Day 13 - Saturday Afternoon Skirt, worn in a French Sailor style (Ahoy there, garcon!)
Day 14 - Nice Surprise blouse
Day 15 - Favourite jumper worn with vintage scarf. Not sure if I like the scarf worn this way - I'm experimenting as I have a few lovely scarves and I want to wear them more.
We're now half way through May and already I can see the inevitable wardrobe gaps. I definitely need more tops and a couple of plain work skirts, but I'm really noticing that my high street wardrobe is really starting to look tired and old.
As I haven't bought much new from the high street for about a year and a half, I wear the same things over and over, and now everything is looking a little worn. The patterned top from Day 12? I think it dates to 2005. The black skirt from Day 14 - I've had that since 1999. Seriously. That's OLD in high street terms isn't it? It's from Oasis and I've even dyed it black from its original grey colour after it picked up some weird discoloured marks. Even though I have a nicer black skirt I always wear this one more. It's such a great basic plus it has pockets.
I don't really want to replace things with new high street stuff, but there are some things (notably jersey t-shirts) that I don't know when I'll get round to replacing. Should I bite the bullet and buy a few new things? Try to prioritise some basic items in my sewing plan?
Have you been phasing out the high street in your wardrobe too or do you, like me, have some old favourites hanging on in there?
K x
Love the little sad face. Did you get a haircut? It looks great.
ReplyDeleteI'm not entirely sure what 'high street' is- but I'm guessing it's something to do with high end retail fashion? Anyway, there are a few wardrobe items that I will always buy rather than sew- anything knitted as I can't knit; t-shirts and other garments in knit fabric; pants (at least until I get better at sewing them); jackets/ coats (ditto).
Ah, I forgot that 'high street' is a particularly British term! It just means general clothes shopping, from the cheapest to the most expensive of ready to wear clothing. So ALL clothes shopping, more or less!
Deletenice haircut - I like the bangs :)
ReplyDeleteI realised that some of my high street wardrobe is YEARS old too! I think it's worth buying the odd item. I know it's going to be a long while before I'm confident enough to sew trousers/jeans/shorts, so I don't feel too bad about buying them. Also things like t-shirts (but I do want to learn how to sew knits so that I can make my own).
I love your me-made outfits :)
Thank you! Yes, sewing knits/jersey is a big one for me too, as I've tried once but didn't get on very well with it.
DeleteI'm loving your haircut! And your outfits! Like Shivani stated, I'm not confident enough to sew a lot of the staples: jeans, trousers and so on. So I don't feel bad buying those. But I would definitely consider learning to make them just so I can get a better fit. So yeah...maybe you should prioritize the basic items in your sewing plan?
ReplyDeleteThanks Melizza! Think I need to have a good look at making a few basics.
DeleteFirstly - love the haircut, it really suits you. Secondly - totally hearing you on the weather. I mean come on, it's May, and we had SNOW in Edinburgh yesterday!!
ReplyDeleteI buy some things from the high street. Some are quality/classics and I've had them for yonks (a shift dress I bought in c.2003 for example) and others are more faddy or lesser quality (tshirts etc). I'm trying not to be too hard on myself regarding buying something that I could sew; because sometimes I just don't have the time to sew something.
As an aside, 'the High Street' is such a British term that I had never heard it before moving over here... be blowed if I now can't remember what we say back home...
Thank you and you're right, you can't have the time to sew absolutely everything.
DeleteI have given up buying clothes retail (5 months and counting). And I am fine with that most of the time, but sometimes I just want something "new" that I really can't be bothered making - a plain black cardigan is the prime example. How boring would that be to knit? So for now I am making do without one... but I do wonder if it would be better just to buy one from a shop, as it would allow me to wear so many me-mades in comfort in this FLIPPING AWFUL WEATHER!
ReplyDeleteI hear you, I really need a black cardi too!
DeleteHere here about the weather - I am SO over it already! ;/
ReplyDeleteI'm the same with my high st wardrobe - other than a few basic cardigans, I really haven't bought anything new for ages and it really is starting to show!
Love the outfits though - and great hairdo!
Thank you, and good to know I'm not the only one whose wardrobe is looking a little thin!
DeleteHmm I think if you're wanting new clothing from the high street I'd head to M&S, they're the only place I really trust the quality of the clothing these days. Or just hit up the charity shop, it's not unusual to find fairly recent high street cast offs in some of them! Love your restyle LA dress, so pretty! (clearly you have the hang of thrifting already!) :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, charity shops may be the way forward. I was thinking M&S, but wasn't sure if quality wise they were about the same as all high street retailers these days
DeleteOh, I am terrible with this. I have more than one pair of wool pants for work where the lining is literally disintegrating - but I am determined to replace them with handmade pants. I have said this for over a year. I also want to sew a winter coat, but mine is in such poor shape that I don't know if it will make it another winter - and I doubt I will be sewing a coat anytime soon. My plan is to push off buying new things and try to replace with handmade, but if I get desperate there is no sense in making myself miserable over having nothing to wear.
ReplyDeleteI know - sometimes when you know you need to make something, you want to sew anything but!
DeleteYou know, I can't really nag my RTW clothing since most of it is thrifted - which means I have NO IDEA it's age! Haha! But I feel ya - I have a hard time dumping off stuff when it gets too worn out (you should see some of my white tshirts - they are just, well, disgusting haha). And as far as sewing staples, I'm definitely not opposed to it, but there has to be a really good reason for it. Like a really bright coat that doesn't suck (anything in my budget here is sooo cheaply made), or a tshirt in fun knits that you can't find in the store, or a nice work dress in wool with silk lining. But as far as sewing some like basic white tshirts? Naw, that's what the thrift store is for :)
ReplyDeleteYep, I'm going to have to start paying more attention to thirfted/charity shop stuff, so I can get some good bargains.
DeleteI am completely in the same boat. And even some of the stuff I've made in the last two years is looking shabby...some of it wasn't with the best material! I really need to update my basic cardigans, but I can't face doing an entire sweater of jersey on tiny needles!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean - think I'm going to have to see which of my me-mades I can fix up, even though I hate mending A LOT :-)
DeleteI don't see any reason why you can't do a little shopping if you need to, either new or second-hand. And there's certainly no reason to feel bad about it. There are some things I will just never sew. I mean, I don't sew that much anyway, but even if I sewed all the time, I probably would never sew basic t-shirts. Gag. Yet I need them, I wear them under cardis when I go to work, and when I'm feeling lazy. And like Lladybird, I have some pretty grimy ones at this point and could stand some refreshing. lol
ReplyDeleteI've been enjoying following along with your MMM outfits. Maybe someday I'll have created enough to participate myself. :)
Hi Tasha, you're right, I shouldn't feel bad about it. It just feels weird after not buying any new clothes for so long!
DeleteGreat outfits Kerry, they all show that you've got your own style.
ReplyDeleteI've looked at some of the other comments & it's interesting the responses to your question! I haven't bought anything for nearly 18 months now also & there are only a couple of things I wear that are not made by me....& the things that I have bought languish as they are generally passed over in favour of my me mades. The few RTW that I do wear almost certainly will need to be replicated by me when they look to scruffy...
As for basics, it's a tricky one. My grey Renfrew is arguably my least exciting make this year, but turns out to be something I wear alot. And it took a couple of hours to make ....
I have the same problem. I haven't bought much clothing since I started sewing. Somehow I think I shouldn't buy what I could make. But I am fogetting that I don't know (yet at least) how to make a lot of things. With MMM I've noticed that my jeans are really getting old (the same 3 pairs were in heavy roation in another me made challenge a year and a half ago). At least when I buy something, I've thought about it for some time and know exactly what I am looking for (finally giving in to the fact, that I won't learn how to make jeans in the next couple of months for ex).
ReplyDeleteLove your Saturday afternoon skirt Kerry, especially with the contrasting little heart pocket. And I'm very inspired that you drafted it and made it in an afternoon. I've not yet attempted drafting a skirt block but I'm close. My wardrobe is too thin to support a Me Made Event. For sure I have made quite a lot of stuff now but what I have made is either not suitable for work or I have put on a few pounds and it no longer fits.... the latter being the bigger issue!!! I also have issues with buying new stuff. I just want to make everything I wear but I fear time on my hands is pretty slim on the ground too!
ReplyDelete