Claire Kennedy Design

Learning curves and Body curves

None of us have perfect faces or bodies

If I had my way, each of my girls would see this movie over and over and over.  What makes us so wonderful is that each one of us is unique - bodies, faces, personalities, likes and dislikes - all of these go into making a person an individual.  And NO ONE should tell us differently or even intimate that there is something wrong because we don't match a prototype of what perfection should be.  The only reason this has any "legs" in our society is because it's cheaper and more cost effective to build 3 or 4 sizes in a dress rather than try and fit different arms, busts, shoulders, waists in a lot of different sizes.

To make this point many women entering into the public eye for the first time, make about ever mistake in the book.  And as they mature in their public life, they learn fast.  The most dramatic and excellent example of this was watching Princess Diana mature.

Princess Diana, from a very wealthy and aristocratic family had not had much limelight until she was betrothed to Prince Charles.  She started with her wedding dress.

 

Is there a waist in there someplace?  Well, we all forgave her cause it was her wedding, but good grief - could we have fewer ruffles!!!  Holy Cow, someone needs to give those ruffles some birth control!!!

Next is the pink dress:

 

There is a reason this girl is not smiling - again some ruffle birth control is in order - it's just way too much.

 

Isn't this a beautiful dress...but where is Diana's waist?  Well, the truth is that Diana, as beautiful as she was, did not have a waist - she was straight up and down and wearing frou-frou dresses and ruffles and all this shirring around her waist sure didn't help.

Even though she is totally mature and beautifully confident, this dress still didn't do it for her - even though she wore it for the Sotheby auction of her dresses - it still didn't work - why?  Because more shirring and "stuff" going on around her waist which prevented her from really showing her beautiful shape!  And she had beauty and grace, but it was lost on all those ruffles and shirring.

 

Finally a style, albeit a little affected, that shows her waist or at least lets us think that she has one.  This is a standard illusion that used on a lot of bridal and formal gowns.  It's used for a reason - it works!  This waist line is known as a classic basque waist...there are variations, but this always works.  I've never seen it not work, even with the most thick-waisted client.

 

Here's why this works.  This is an optical illusion....from the shoulders (that are wide) the eye moves in an "X" shape with the cross or thin part of the "X" at the waist and then down to the hem or wide part of the skirt.

The real truth that as many times as Diana tried to wear these frou-frou dresses, they just didn't look good on her.  Her style and shape demanded that she be classic and free from a lot of other stuff that a more voluptuous or hour-glass shape might like.  I call this Diana's "Fairy Princess" stage.  I think she felt like a fairy princess and when she grew out of it so did her clothes.

 

Va-va-va-voom!!!!

 

This was said to be one of her favorite dresses - look at those classic lines - almost architectural - look at the beam on that woman's face?  Is there any doubt that not only does she look beautiful, but she feels beautiful.

Each of us has our own style and our own beauty - just because we're not like Princess Diana (who had some serious flaws to overcome), doesn't mean that we can't overcome our own.  I like to think that our flaws aren't so much flaws as they are something to take a back seat to our assets.  It's our assets we really want to show off -  accentuate the positive!

Of First Ladies, Princesses and other Limelight Divas

It's sort of interesting to watch the transition of ladies (and men go through this too), from private or relatively obscure life to the limelight.  I call the limelight the people we see on a daily basis.

One of the most recent famous transitions was Princess Diana.

Diana was so young when she was thrust into the limelight, and although she had a very good figure - very lean, she was practically waist-less.  She was straight up and down.  Dresses with fluff - particularly sleeves did not work well on Diana.  I call this her "fairy princess" stage, since that's probably what she felt like.
 
These are beautiful clothes, but Diana is lost in them.  She never looked right.

But when she got it right...

She got it right!

Nothing like a drop dead look.  This woman does not have a waist problem.  She learned exactly what looked right on her, and what didn't and didn't vary from that model.

Jackie K didn't seem to have that problem.

From the moment she stepped out for the inauguration, she got it.  She knew what looked good in public and on TV and what didn't.  She kept her style simple, elegant and usually one or two colored.  No prints or busy patterns.  Course she had a designer dressing her, but she still was totally elegant.

Hillary had a learning curve too. From this

to this

The same person, but she's framed her face with this beautiful neckline.  You actually see Hillary and not some dowdy person and you're anxious not only to see her, but to listen to what she has to say, which is the big lesson to learn when you're in the public eye.  Hillary also learned how to cut her hair so it's short and manageable.  I can't imagine looking "picture perfect" everyday, but when you're in the public eye, it's a must.

Laura Bush had her own learning curve.

This is the first and only mistake I saw Laura Bush make.  I happen to know her personal designer Michael Faircloth and saw this fabric up close.  It was beautiful, and Micheal did a masterful job with the suit.  The color was perfect and yet it was a miss.  This plaid was way too big and it looked terrible on TV when these ladies came out for their photo op.

But just a few weeks later

Laura got the message

She wore a very simple blue coat with a contrasting black collar - Also by Michael and he did a masterful job of getting her ready for her "closeups" in record time.

Laura was not a trend-setter, but that's OK.  She learned how to look good for the camera and learned what would work and what wouldn't.

I think it will be very interesting to watch Michele Obama.  Even though this is not in her current limelight - it's the same principle as she is mostly on TV and in print.

And I have no doubt that this dress looked gorgeous on her when she tried it on.  However, loud and large prints and designs, just don't carry off well on TV. 

It looks like she's learned already with the solid-colored dress.  See how much better this looks?! It will be fun to see what Michele will be wearing for the inauguration and how she will be dressing day to day as First Ladies often represent a current stylish trend and I imagine a new young first lady will certainly make her mark.

I think I digress....

OK - I started that last post about color for a reason, and I got sidetracked.

I know that is odd, but there it is.

I had found this gorgeous Burda pattern that burning a hole in my pattern drawer. 

Isn't this the cutest thing...reminds me of Jackie O and her style.  I promise I won't digress - I've already done that enough with Jackie here. 

But this is a great style.  Jackie had an uncanny ability to adjust to the fashion of the limelight.  That's also another blog (coming up about first ladies and ladies thrust into the public eye very fast!)

But back to color:  Part of what is fascinating about color is that my closet is geared toward my look.  I will divert from it a little, but when I do, I'm very careful about it.  Most of the time I stay with the same colors that work for me.  This is not at all boring.  I look so good in the colors that it works, and that's so much better than trying to figure out what's wrong with the white or blue suit and why it doesn't look as good as the brown or olive suit and it's the same design!  Now I know.
 
But when I do divert, I try and keep it interesting and at best overloaded with a good color.  Olive is great for me and olive and purple are beautiful together.  From a distance this fabric has a green/yellow cast, but up close it is actually this green & purple herringbone.

This particular design (this Jackie take-off) works with a strong, fabric with a lot of body.  Since my herringbone was a little on the light side, I had to back it.  This is almost a guaranteed success when I use silk organza, which I always keep on hand for this.  But this was about the only difficulty or question about making this up.  Can you believe this is the same fabric as above?!!

So the next thing were the buttons!

What luck

I had been to a flea market and ran across a box of buttons for $25.  I actually bought it for the hand-cut pearl buttons in the box, and two of them were worth the $25.  But upon digging further I found some other gems in there....one was this Nouveaute card from France....what could be better than some vintage buttons on a Jackie jacket!

And after playing with it for a while, I have this whole other way to wear the collar.

Now the next thing is a wonderful skirt.  I bought a gorgeous paisley to go with this and need to let this cook:

I'm thinking something long - maybe with some godets inserted, and a slit or leg showing....something long, but I want something swinging too - something with a "high sashay factor"!!!

Have I talked about color?....

OK - if I have - then read this again.  You'll need it.  I promise.

This is a great chart - notice the reds at the top going from light to dark, but that they are all on the cool side of the color wheel?  That's the first thing to know about colors in your wardrobe - cool or warm

 

The secret here is to look at your skin/eye/hair color and then determine what colors look best on you.  If you have an eye for this sort of thing, you can do it yourself.  But no worries - if you don't - there are lots of sites that can help you out....here's one of my favorites.

Why is this important?

Take a look at this gal - OK her facial expression is different, but honestly, she really does look better with that apricot scarf than the pink one. 

We've all seen a picture of my closet:

From this it's pretty obvious (by all those greens & tomato-reds & creams) that my skin and hair & eyes are all on the warm side of the color palette.  If I tried to wear beautiful sky blue, royal blue, cherry red, wine, navy blue, white - I look terrible.  This is exactly what color coordinating your wardrobe (and your closet) can do for you. 

So why bring this up? While I was in Charleston last weekend, I happened upon these darling shops of independent designers.....most of them were young and just plain fresh and young.  I was so impressed.  I walked into one shop LulaKate, and immediately went through their inventory, and spied this sweater -

Of course it was green, so it was a natural for my closet....the price was excellent, and I loved the style - so it's MINE now!!!!  I love the whole idea of it, and am thinking about how to do something in woven fabric to show off the lines and darts - a puzzle on the board!!! (The board - oh yeah - my board - you've never seen it before.)

Well, don't let this scare you....this is a very organized and methodical system....and it's very technical so for the faint-at-heart and uninitiated, this doesn't look like much - but it's my brain!!!!....well part of it anyway.

I digress....and don't know how that happened.

So I'm in this darling shop in Charleston, and got this darling sweater, and see some other ideas they have for jackets, and decide I need to do some experimenting.  I love Burda patterns And they have a new pattern up that looks like a lot of fun.  So I'm dying to try this little gem.

So I go to my fabric closet
 
I know - I don't want to hear any comments!!!  But I pick out a nice tweedy thing to do this jacket in.

And here's why I started with color

The fabric on the left is purple and green - one of my fav combinations, but purple is NOT my color, so I have to be very careful with it.  However I have lots of green.  (Note to self:  consider renaming my home "Greenhaven" - you know most mansions in England have names....why shouldn't mine!!!)  So while I'm thinking I want to do this jacket, I'm thinking maybe I should also think about what's going to go with it.  No worries - the jacket has green, so it will go with lots of stuff.  There is one side that has more green than the other so that will be the side I make up.

Stay tuned, as I finish this little experiment!!!  (Maybe making that promise here, will help me get this out faster than normal - whatever that is!)

Craftsmanship and Design

Finally!  Someone has spoken what we all really know....

...that design and craftsmanship are no where to be found in ready-to-wear. Here's the article in the new Wall Street Journal Magazine. (Which also led to an another interesting site here - where you can look up really fine garments by wonderful designers.)

You have to understand design, designers and how design all started.  In the beginning, (no, not that beginning), people didn't have machines - they sewed by hand.  And because they sewed by hand, things were made to fit one person - the person paying and wearing the garment.  Move forward in the time machine, and you come to the beginning of designers like Worth and Coco Channel, and you begin to have "names" in haute couture.

Then suddenly you begin to have sewing machines that can make clothing a lot faster - they you have faster machines, so that clothing can be made cheaper and in greater quantities. Enter Ready-to-Wear (or as the French say:  Prêt-à-Porter which means literally ready to take or go).

Adding to this, the post WWII American women were really discovering fashion on a much larger scale. 
Soon the minute fashion came out on the runway it was "knocked off ".  Today that runway includes the red carpet during the awards season in Hollywood.  No sooner than Nicole Kidman, Sharon Stone or any other major starlet runs the red carpet in a gown, and it's copied the next day.

Today, most of the clothing that American women buy today is Ready-to-Wear:  GAP, American Eagle, Target, even more expensive stores: Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue;  all of them have mostly Ready-to-Wear on their racks - very little couture or custom made.  The reason - cost.  It is easier to sell a lesser well-made garment that will last for a short time than it is to sell a costlier garment that will last far longer - even though the later is the greater bargain.

Here's the point of this article in the  Wall Street Journal Magazine, that not only is custom made clothing almost a lost art, it's a way cheaper way of shopping and gathering a wardrobe. 

This is the clothing I design which is exclusively for my clients.  When they come to me and are set back by the price, I ask them, "You can have a dress for $200 that you can wear once, maybe 3 times and that's it.  Or you can have a dress that costs $2000 and wear it for 20 years?".... (which is way more than 3 times) - which is about $100/year for a dress that has style, feels good, looks good and is something that you know will always work in your wardrobe and personal style. It's ridiculously cheaper, but you have to look past the initial moment of the sale - you have to look down the road a little, and most American Women see the garment, that's what they want and they are off saying, I don't have time to shop - just something quick and I'm off. 

Most of we designers who do custom work, have learned to live in the world of Ready-to-Wear mania, and realize that a few will understand, but most won't.  Designers like Geoffrey Beene, Pauline Trigère, even some contemporary ones like Vera Wang, Amasale and Reem Acra all understood the importance of custom design. 

When I do my dresses for my girls and they are fitted by me, something magical happens.  No matter what size or shape, they all blossom.  They feel comfortable;  the dress is going to stay where is supposed to;  they can move as well as they need; and they are most of all gorgeous in their gowns.  Roland Mouret did a great deed in speaking his mind in this article

50's fashion from the V & A in London

After WWII, when women wore simple, very conservative and excrutiatingly sensible clothing to support the "war effort", designers went nuts. They used tons of fabric and had a blast with feminity.   Lauren Bacall didn't hurt!  She brought "The Look" to a new height when during her movie with Humphrey Bogart she perfected the fashion trend.  Granted it was a trend, which I'm not high on, but a classic one that had a lot of great style and endurance. The design on the left is Dior's with Humphrey & Bacall (in her traditional "The Look" form) on the right.

The V & A (Victoria & Albert Museum in London), put on a fabulous exhibit, almost exclusively European, of some of the more well-known designers who elevated fashion again after the long war in Europe.

With books like Balenciaga, Dior by Dior and The Little Dictionary of Fashion, obviously something no well-dressed lady of the time could do without, the era is once again in vogue.   During this time, designers were dictators.  You wouldn't dream of venturing out your front door without the appropriate accessory, jewelry, and garment for that particular occasion.  And although they were the last word in fashion, most of them had a great responsibility not to abuse or joke about their vocation and turned out magnificently made and well thought-out garments.  All that changed in the 60's & 70's, but during  the 50's the designers ran the show!

I never made the exhibit, not for want of going, more for the lack of time and finances, but you can visit the V & A shop online and peruse through some of the gems from the exhibit.  During this period, I was first introduced to fashion.  I remember my wonderful glam aunts being as impeccably dressed as they were fun and gay to be with.  What fun to have all these ladies as mentors.  One is still alive and her son has immortalized her here.  She cut a wide path in her day, and even today still has the elegance of her time.

A letter to Ruthie

OK - it's not a letter - it's an email - don't be so picky!!!  But this was such a passionate subject with me, I decided to put it in my blog!

My cousin runs a very spirited and fascinating blog and, this letter (OK email) shows up in comments as to why Ruthie (the daughter of one of my cousin's frequent commenters) wants to view "Project Runway", even though it may not be the best TV out there.  Below is her letter, and below that is my response to Ruthie.(Pardon me, Ruthie, but I paraphrased a little.)

The TV program that I wish to watch is, "Project Runway". It is the person behind the designs that I want to understand. What motivates individual to design clothing that appear to be, uncomfortable, hard to maintain, immodest, and in the case of the average human being unflattering? Why is it that there is not   a glut of clothing that makes the wearer feel good when it is worn?

Realizing the perfect dress will never replace my mom's warm hugs.  I still wonder, why in all the crazy designs out there, why isn't someone creating clothing that feels like a hug when you wear it. A pair of   jeans, that make you smile to have them on. Shouldn't clothing be designed so   that it makes the dumpiest of woman feel better about herself? I want to know what goes into the creative process and if it is all about style, or if the   designer sees the process as a blending of clothing for the body and a boost   for the soul. I like GAP clothing, it makes me feel good when I wear it. But, I'm tall, slender and have long long legs. What about the girls in my class who don't fit the model used for GAP clothing, for whom the shirts fall in   unflattering creases, whose thighs are long and straight but who have curvy body parts, what can they wear to feel good about themselves?

Isn't feeling good about yourself, one step in feeling closer to your creator? So shouldn't design be seen as a mission?  

Ruthie

Dear Ruthie,

A very insightful letter.  What makes it more insightful, is that I will bet you're not the only one who has had these thoughts - a lot of customers have had the exact same thoughts.

Being in the fashion industry for almost 30 years, I approach this from a somewhat independent and renegade view (compared to the normal fashionista).  To understand where we are today, you have to do a little history. 

Art is one of those funny things that runs on perception and on what the critics say.  Every once in a while something will bust through and make it in spite of the critics; for example, when the Met Opera in NYC put on a production of The Magic Flute by Mozart by Julie Taymor, who had recently done The Lion King on Broadway, it was panned by the critics.

Wow - isn't this creative!
It was a smattering of costumes & puppets - very creative and very innovative.  The opera was so successful that it survived in spite of the critics, and today the opera has been modified to a shorter length, done in English and every holiday season is put on especially for kids as a fabulous opera-intro for kids with very positive results. 
As an opera purist, and fan, I love this particular production of the Magic Flute.  It's so creative!

The point is that most art forms, visual, performing, and design are run by the critics, mostly because the rest of us don't have the time or energy to look at all the works to ascertain for ourselves if this or that artists is valid or worth buying or supporting.

In the fashion industry, the editors of the major fashion magazines (Vogue, Bazaar, Elle, W, etc.) are the critics of the fashion art form. So what happens?....editors of fashion magazines begin to have more and more power over what the fashion industry turns out.  A perfect example of the fairytale "The Emperor's New Clothes," which every aspiring, or current fashion designer should read and know by heart, lest they be the fool in the fairy tale!

To the defense of fashion magazine editors, they see everything, to the point, that they are so desperate for "something new" to sell their magazines, that sometimes fall for the new, not really thinking whether or not it's viable, or (heaven forbid we even think of this) pretty, let's not talk about comfortable or pleasing to view.

OK, so fashion editors are looking for something new. We're bouncing between new/old, pretty/ugly, androgyny/feminine, demure/nude. Why aren't there prettier designs out there?....why aren't there more designers who want to do something that's pleasing to view as well as comfortable to wear?  There are - they are just some of the old masters left who did not sell their soul to the devil to make the "trend du jour" or other fad to make their name well known.
OHMIGOSH!!!  Look at these pretty things.  I love this guy - Valentino consistently does beautiful pretty clothing year after year, and doesn't have to make ugly clothes.  People come to Valentino because they know they are going to look pretty and feel pretty.

Now to understand "why" these designers design this way - the answer to me is the age old question - to follow your own path - or that path that has been ascribed to you.  This is when we get into Cyndi's territory.  I think it takes a very strong, deep and enduring faith to withstand the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, (from Hamlet's "To Be or Not To Be" soliloquy).  Wow - how did we get from fashion to faith?  I think this transcends fashion.  It pertains to all areas of life, but if fashion is your vocation, then particularly to that as well.  To follow your own path, when you know it is right for you, takes a lot of courage and strength.  You must be able to hear criticism and determine if it is valuable or not.  You must be able to hear that own voice in yourself.  You must be able to stick to that voice to the point of obsession - much as Job stuck to his guns even though everyone was telling him he must have done something wrong to have incurred so much wrath from God and that was the cause of all his problems.  As a matter of fact, Job (the book in the Old Testament) is a pretty good example of why a lot of designers give up their dreams to follow someone else's only to find themselves in a horrible life of drudge.  No wonder grunge looked nice - compared to drudge, anything would look nice!  OK, that's a joke, but not really.

I'm not hugely popular, nor will I be able to ask "designer" prices for my designs.  That's not to say that I wouldn't enjoy that sort of notoriety or success - I would.  I just won't design clothes that don't look pretty. And this is not to say that one follows the other - IOW, if I don't design within the prescribed "trends du jour", then I will never make it and if I do, I will definitely make it.  Needless to say, neither one of those are really true. That sort of designing (prescribed by trends or fads) can't compete with the joy I experience seeing a bride in a beautiful dress that's PRETTY, becoming, and pleasing to view (for the bride & the guests).  I've even been known to do an all-nighter or two to meet a deadline. They are fun, although can't do them all the time! 

Here's the next challenge - you could start a trend of your own - Beautiful, comfortable, flattering clothes that are made for the "normal" figure.  After you ask yourself the question "why?", then next is to answer it - and that means making your own way to answer that question.  I agree with you - fashion can be a mission, if you stay close to your dreams and don't get sidetracked.   

OK so as to watching Project Runway.  I'll probably step on some toes here, but here goes.  I think it's OK to watch the show, but there are a lot of things to understand while watching it.  There is the concept that you have to have a lifestyle that is on the edge or at the very least experimental or different, to be a valid artist.  That just isn't so and it's important to know that.  There are a lot of adult (and some juvenile) dramatics going on - - partly for the drama of the TV series, partly for other reasons.  It's important to be able to identify real design from fads and trends.  The only way to tell that is to watch it with someone you respect, like your mom - maybe an older adult who you respect.  The thing is that there's going to be so much thrown at you at once (which is what the creators of the TV show want, so that people will want to watch it again - visual bombardment as opposed visual boredom is what the networks consider.)  You will also need someone to whom you can ask questions....why did that guy say that?.....why does that gal think that's a good design?....what's going through his/her mind when they think that's pretty?....why did he/she win and that good design lose?  And believe me that happens more often than we know.  I'll be honest with you, I haven't seen anything on the show that would really rock my socks, but please remember I've been in the business a long time - from the shoulder pads of Joan Crawford, to the should pads of Thierry Mugler - from the hip huggers of the 70's to the low-rise of the 2000's!  I've seen a lot of stuff, and very little from the grunge period and it's descendants, has been original or creative.  That's not to say there has been no creativity, there has - it's just harder to find.  Trends and fads are cyclical - unless it's classic.
This dress was designed in 1960!  I would wear it today in a minute - that's classic, but it has great design too.

Now I don't mean to make this sound that all designs and designers since Yves St. Laurent haven't been worth their salt, it's to say that there's not much that I really like.  But there wasn't much I really liked in the 70's either. We naturally go through an ebb and flow in fashion but that doesn't mean it has to be without good style, line and cut.  I've done a series of blogs on these: like style in the cut of a garment (part 1, part 2, & part 3), incorporating a look that is pleasing to wear and to view, and just some general musings on design.

This is sort of a red button with me as I resent some one editor or dictator designer telling me that my shape is "not me" or that a design is "in" or "out" - and if I don't subscribe and tout the latest "thing" then I'm "out of fashion"?  Excuse me, but that isn't going to sit well with me.  I might have taken off on an editor and probably never would have been published.  So be sure and take that into account when you're making your decision about who and what is valid and who and what isn't.

Good luck on your quest!

 

.

I have nothing to wear!!! (aka Closet 12-step Program)

Knowing how to put together a garment is undoubtedly freeing and empowering, but it's real hard to make it work for you without knowing some organizational basics like keeping your closet from becoming a source of Young Frankenstein's nightmares.

This may be a "work in progress" - meaning there will be updates.  But I wanted to start with the basic method I use to organize my clients' wardrobes that has made their closets so functional for them.

Yikes!!!  Is this the closet of a green-lovin' redhead or what!!!! Oh wait I see a spec of red in there (albeit tomato)!!!!!

1. We all live by color - some colors are good on us and some are bad.  Find out what your color is and stick with it.  I've seen a white suit on a beautiful red head, and it clashes like crazy - a natural oatmeal looks terrible on a peaches-n-cream raven-haired beauty.  But put that white suit on that  raven hair, and natural oatmeal on that red-head, and they shine.  Colors do mater.
2. What is your life style - and this will change with your life.  You're that single, sassy lass who's never w/o a dress for a date,  then before you know it, suddenly you're running carpool and that LBD (little black dress) doesn't seem to fit your bod, much less your carpool extravaganzas.  Where are you now?.....are you single and like to be social?....are you single and like to be discriminating?....are you a mommie running carpool?.....are you getting the kids ready for college?.....are your kids' friends getting married and the wedding invites are running out the mailbox?.....are you empty nesters traveling?.....have you found that wonderful "retirement" home next to a beach?  See, even if you are the same person through all of these stages of life, each stage has a completely different wardrobe need.
3. What side of the casual/formal scale do you tilt?  Every one of us has a casual and formal mood, but do you tend to be more casual?....is your work more casual?....or formal?  These answer will help you figure out what's best for your wardrobe.
4. Something just as basic as how do you like to dress?....do you like to toy around with your clothes and create different ensembles with the same separates?....do you like to put on the suit and charge out the door?  This can also help you figure out what's going to work in your closet and what doesn't.

OK - not quite like the MMPI test, but almost!!!!  You should have a pretty good idea about what sort of life you lead, your colors, and what you need to work in your closet.

Cleaning out your closet

This isn't as hard as you think.  I know.  I can hear the collective groan right now.  This will take about 3 hours, and put on some peppy music, and you'll work right through it. 

1. Make up your mind what organization or thrift shop is going to get your goodies.  I use Goodwill, cause they don't call me endlessly, and because they really do use most of their money and donations to do good for others, but whoever - Jr. League Thrift Shop - the local reseller down the street - find out what they require (usually cleaning and on hangers) and get set up to make a donation which they will adore!!!
2. You're going to start with 4 categories:
   1. Absolutely no way this is going back into the closet - Goner
   2. This was my aunt's most favorite - Think About It (TIA)
   3. Out of season, but works in my wardrobe - Seasonal Storage
   4. In season, I love it, it works - Keeper
3. Now time to start.  Don't get too sidetracked, and make these stacks as you go along.  If you're not sure about whether you can give something up?.....will I use it again?.....it's one of my most favorites and I had the greatest time in it 20 years ago?.....then put it in the TAI (Think About It) stack....deal with that later.  The Goners go to the thrift shop or donations.  The Seasonal Storage goes out of your closet temporarily, and voilá - look at the space you have in your closet.
4. Next.  Go through and look for holes - no, not moth holes (although you can do that too), but do you need a white blouse?.....do you need a black pair of slacks?.....do you need a classic navy skirt (you better not be a red head looking for that navy skirt unless you have a neutral on top - remember colors)?  Check out what you might need to fill in, and this is your "want list".  Now you're prepared to really do some serious sewing and some serious wardrobe management.
5. TAI  - This can be a multi-purpose stack.  You can keep some of these things or you can do away with them.  The bottom line.  If you don't wear these in a year, you probably don't need them and they probably don't fit in your lifestyle.  I don't care how many pounds you loose and how many good times you had in that LBD from your college years, it isn't going to work for you now.  An updated and age-appropriate (which is an entirely other blog), will be much more functional for you.

OK, we all have those moments when we're in the fabric district of NYC when we instantly have this puppy-love infatuation with a piece of fabric....a dress....a style....whatever!!!  Actually, I'm pretty much OK with this.  But here's the bottom line.....if you walk away and are still thinking about it or do you see something better in the next shop?  Is it still on your mind weeks later?  Guess what - that ain't infatuation...that's true love!!!!  What I usually do is write down the info and number - merchants can do phone/internet orders as well as in person.

I know this is a lot of info in a short space - I'll probably do lots of editing here,  but these are effective methods I've used to cull out the most packed and useless closets I've done.  They really work, and it takes usually 3 hours. If you keep up with this and go through your closet seasonally, it takes about an hour - 2 hours a year and what do you get?

• You know in a flash what you need in your closet and what you don't - no more buying that 4th pair of black pants.
• Every item you have in your closet works for you
• Your closet is "hiding" anything any more, you can find stuff - finally!
• You actually do save time and a lot of stress.  You know what you need, you get it - you know what you have and don't need.  No more over-crowding.

Basically your life is a lot simpler, you'll loose weight, and you grow richer - OK, the weight and richer thing are probably exaggerated, but the simpler part is NOT!!!!

Good luck, and post your stories here - would love to hear some great horror episodes  - - "OHMIGOSH - I didn't know that thing was in here!!!."  It's also fun to hear the kids comments "Mother - you didn't actually where THAT  (while pointing to your beloved LBD) did you?"

Mentors

We all need mentors.  My first one was Edith Head - who wouldn't love her.  She had this impeccable style that wasn't over-bearing, yet completely identifiable!  She didn't out shine her clients, but you knew who she was instantly.  The little icon I use on my site and on my blog is the take off of Edith - Edna from The Incredibles!  She's so much fun in the movie....dahlink!

OK - back to mentors - after Edith was Erma - my teacher.  She had gone from shoulder pads of Joan Crawford to the shoulder pads of Thierry Mugler (who could wear those should pads better than Alexis!)

I was like a sponge and soaked up all I could with Erma and she was a great teacher.  She let me go at the speed I could and it seemed sometimes like I was going at lightening speed.  I would take the cover of W Magazine to her and discuss how I was going to cut this or that line and draw this or that style and how I was going to accomplish techniques and then take the dress back to her in 2 weeks and she would critique it.  I usually got a very good grade.  She used to tell me that basically her school was practicing and practicing - sort of what I learned in music class...."Practice, practice, practice....play, then practice, practice, practice...play, etc.!"  Made sense, and I suppose it was that it was so much fun to figure out one puzzle after another that I couldn't get stumped - no matter how difficult I made the next project.  I really didn't have a need for all these clothes, I just kept making them cause I could.  And it was the freedom to know I could do anything I wanted.  My only limitation now on clothing was fabric, and if I could find fabric, then I could make it.  That is still my main problem with my clients and me - fabric.

But finally it's time I turn around and do the giving so this fall I will start teaching.  I'm really looking forward to it and especially if I can have a student or two who will really take off with the art. (BTW, my tools have never looked this neat, and will never again - this was a special "art" picture!)  I'll start teaching at the local Bernina store where I have purchased all my machines this fall.  Berninas are wonderful machines, and the local store does a fine job in setting up classes.  They are starting to get requests for clothing construction as is the local fabric shop.  We're lucky here to have a good fabric shop.

I'm going to try and include some of the highlights of these upcoming classes here!  I'm really excited about this.  I want to pass this on in a way that will make more people excited and empowered to sew.  It's never been drudgery to me, and always been exciting and freeing....so here we go!

The Seven Magic parts of design

YSL, Yves St. Laurent, when asked what was the most important facet of his designing, explained about the 7 parts of a woman's body:

1. shoulders/neck/portrait area
2. bust
3. waist
4. hips
5. legs
6. back
7. silhouette

He said that if a designer showed too many of these parts, the client would look like a tart, cheapened.  If on the other hand, too few were showing, the client would look like a bag lady.  After designing for all sorts of sizes, lifestyles and body types, it's one of the simplest and easiest rules to follow, and never fails. 

The only other rule I like to follow is fit and classic ease measurements, but that's another email.