Outfit of the Day: The Black Crepe Dress

Black Crepe 40s Dress. Black patent belt from Divisoria, ballet wedge shoes from CLN, dark purple tights from my sock drawer.

Just a quick outfit post. I had coffee a couple of days ago with my friend Carla who was leaving for New York the next morning ( I'm gonna miss your face, you crazy strumpet !!!)  and this is what I wore. I couldn't find a single seamed stocking in the magic sock drawer so I opted to wear dark purple tights instead. This is the third outfit of my no-jeans-rehab. I just wish I could get more stuff done sewing-wise, but with a three year old who has a fascination with pins, it's very hard.


In other news, I found this bedsheet in our Canlubang house, buried under our collection of inane looking-towels:

Super soft after a bajillion washes.

I have no idea if it's vintage or not. I do foresee a flowery border shirtdress in my future. Mwahahaha. Perhaps mimicking the dress style of the girl on the extreme right:

BEAUTIFUL. Look at her cute wedges!

Speaking of shoes, I need new ones. I ALWAYS need new ones. So I'm off to find the perfect pair(s). 

Rest in Peace, my Cleopatra. 

I have loved you from the time I saw National Velvet at eight years old.

Outfit of the Day: La Dia De Los Muertos Sunday's Best

Day of the Dead Blouse, me; High-waist pleated skirt, me; shoes by Kenneth Cole; kiss-lock purse by Alfa Delon; Cuban-heeled seamed stockings from Annelyn (heehee!); all my jewelry from my bling-loving mom.

This is what I wore last Sunday (March 20th 2011) to little Zoe's baptism. Remember that yard and a half of Day of the Dead fabric I bought on a whim? I wanted to turn it into a purse in the beginning (I was even able to locate a long lost silver kiss-lock frame just for that purpose!) but decided I would get more use out of this material if I used it for a garment. Fortunately, I had some cream colored cotton scraps available for the collar and the sleeve bands, so I didn't have to buy any more fabric. I finally used the vintage buttons I have been hoarding for the longest time on this thing.

Festive Dead!

The skirt was made out of black crepe with vintage buttons used as fastenings. No zippers here! I wanted box pleats for the skirt because... well, I kinda like box pleats. They look so... academic. And this skirt has terrific twirl, without exposing my ohsosehksay granny panties underneath (I kid... not really) I was also inspired by the high waisted 40's trousers and skirts from the 1940s. Almost everyone is into low-waisted skirts and trousers these days and I'm kinda tired of it. I figured, what the heck right?

Lipstick is MAC's Russian Red, which I am rapidly running out of. Must go to a nearest MAC soon!

The combination of puff sleeves and a high waist may or may not work for some people and it may not even work for me, but I'm just so happy with it. 

The priest is late.

My Cuban-heeled stockings in action.

My pretentious "fashion" blogger pose AKA the priest is REALLY REALLY late, I am very very hungry and these normally comfortable heels are killing me.

The baptism was a chaotic affair. There were about a dozen kids of different ages and sizes that were freaking out from the sheer amount of people, all that waiting for the priest who never showed up (another priest had to take over) and most of all, the heat. I was so glad I was wearing a skirt. At least I was somewhat ventilated. 

Outfit of the Day: The Red Cross Shirtdress

This is what I wore today. The dress is patterned after the "Grey Lady" American Red Cross Uniform of World War 2 in Japanese cotton fabric from Cotton Depot, Glorietta 5. The print is a bunch fans and flowers on a pretty jade background. The wedges are from Salsatrends, a local brand (I believe) and my black leather kiss-lock purse is from Alfa Delon.


I am slowly taking jeans out of my life (except when it's absolutely necessary, like when I have to go to certain dirty areas where wearing a skirt is simply NOT an option) I've always wanted a shirt-dress, but none of the shirt-dresses I've seen in the malls or online really appealed to me. Nothing looked right, there was always a catch. It was either too baggy, too drab, too bright, too thin, too short, too shiny, too scratchy... etc. I didn't want a drab, baggy boyfriend shirt dress, I'm a big girl (circumference-wise anyway. I'm kinda short, height-wise) and a drab, baggy boyfriend shirt dress is not going to do me any favors. So I looked to the past (as I always do) and I came across these pictures from the blog Unsung Sewing Patterns:

Photo from http://www.unsungsewingpatterns.net/

Photo from http://www.unsungsewingpatterns.net/

I was sold. A buttoned belt! Pockets! A flattering Princess style line! Tiny epaulets! Fantastic. My seamstress was also pleased because it was an easy dress to make (as opposed to the more complicated dresses I have her sew for my clients when I'm too busy with other things or too swamped with other projects to sew it myself) I love my seamstress. She does such excellent work. 

Pictures taken using my Blackberry camera phone. It was already late afternoon and the light was just mehhh. Better pictures coming soon!

A Sneak Peek!

A couple of days ago, my Uncle presented me with a large Louis Vuitton suitcase FULL of dresses he got at an estate sale. He deals with Antiques and Paintings and I was telling him on his last visit that I would love to get my hands on vintage dresses so I could study their construction, their fabric and their fit. He told me that the next time he goes to an estate sale, he was going to snag a couple of things for me. 


True to his word, he brought me this:

I had NO idea that it was going to be this AWESOME.

This baby is old. 

The suitcase alone had me jumping up and down with glee. The contents were just as fantastic. All sorts of dresses and gowns from the 1940's to the 1980's. I haven't photographed them all and I will as soon as I get them from the cleaners. Of all the gorgeous and questionable dress from that magical suitcase, this is the dress I am most excited about: an original Ben Farrales. Mang Ben is a legend in Philippine Fashion. I have no idea what decade this dress is from, I'm guessing the 1960's? It's like I'm holding a piece of history. It looks even better in real life. 

 In other news, sewing for myself has come to a complete stop due to work (sewing for others, that is) The cream Simplicity dress still on my worktable as well as the 1940's swing dress and what seems to be a bajillion more unfinished garments. Some projects are victims of startitis and some are fated to wait their turn while I finish and pay attention to more important things like Connor, family and friends, clients, the house and other things (in that order). Sigh. I shall get to it soon enough so I can give up wearing pants already!

Finally! Some progress (on sewing in general, that is)

I decided to put the 1940's Swing Dress in the back burner for the time being, seeing that I have absolutely nothing in my stash to make it with. I figured if I was going to make something worthwhile, I am going to get material for it that I will actually enjoy (like Crepe, which I don't have enough of. I do have Crepe De Chine, but that's not the Crepe that I need at all)

So I shifted my attention to Simplicity 2549. It seems simple to do and I have enough leftover Duchess satin from an earlier project, so I want to give it a try. I'm doing view A without the bow and the gathered sleeves. I'm using the sleeves in the Views C and D.

All the cut pieces, ready for edging and sewing and whatever else I want to do with it. I traced the pattern on tracing paper so I won't have to destroy my carefully printed and rubber cemented e-pattern together (it took me FOREVER). I'm not doing a muslin right now because I feel like living dangerously today. We'll see what the future holds.


In other news, most of my time is taken up by this handsome boy:

And I don't mind it one bit. The older he gets, the more I see his personality and his quirks. He is a delightful person to be with. He has such a great sense of humor and his energy is boundless. I certainly have my hands full. 

Need to focus.

It's been more than a week (or feels like it) since I taped the 1940's swing dress pattern and all I need to do is cut the muslin. I have been busy with clients and other things and my workpile is mocking me.

YOU WILL BE MINE, RED SWING DRESS!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Yeah I know, this picture is not of the swing dress, but it's similar. Photoshoot peg, anyone? Mwahahahaha.

1940's Swing Dress (Part 1) =FABRIC!

I just finished taping together all 45 sheets of Sense and Sensibility's 1940's Swing Dress Pattern. It wasn't very hard, just a little tedious. I also had to be a little more careful so each page lined up. 

And now that stuff I'm excited about: FABRIC! Some of these are in my stash and some I bought recently. For once in my life, I went to my favorite fabric store and I knew just what I wanted. There was no waffling, or dilly-dallying or internal debate. I knew I wanted wildcat prints and I was determined to get it. I kinda felt like Cruella, with her obsession for Dalmatian fur. I have been compared to her several times in my life, but that's another journal entry.

My newest acquisition.

This is leftover from the S&M looking dress I designed for a fabric store a couple of months ago.

The picture does not do it justice at all. This fabric looks and feels so yummy.

 Difficult to photograph red Crepe and its lining of red Geena.

And while I was browsing in my favorite fabric store (with wildcat fabric in one hand, already cut) I spotted this:

Dia De Los Muertos cotton!

This fabric is going to be a nice, fat bottomed kiss-lock purse one day. Or I could use round bamboo handles, time will tell. I can even use the patched scraps of wildcat print fabric to line it, who knows?

So now I'm torn. Which fabric am I going to use for this Swing Dress? Which wildcat print? Or if the wildcat print is not 40's enough or would not work at all, and I should just stick to the red crepe? Or should I get an entirely different fabric altogether? Decisions, decisions! 

*is excited*

My faux leather dress is being featured as the Member Project of the Week in Burdastyle!!!!

On My Want List: LEOPARD!

Fabric from Golden Silks

I am so crazy about leopard right now. I have been for months and months and never got off my ass to get some leopard print fabric. It all started when I was doing a collection for my Illustration 3 class last July(?) that was based on Bettie Page fetish pictures. Who could forget that wonderfully incandescent woman with the bangs in the leopard swimsuit and the housecoat? I could not, for sure. I vowed to have at least ONE article of clothing, made by myself, in that beautiful pattern  someday (like, tomorrow)

My sister Nuni and I have been talking about making the ULTIMATE leopard sewing project and we agreed that it was the jacket that Nana Oosaki wore during an impromptu performance on their dining table (and also in a flashback involving a cake and a stolen kiss) in the based from a manga movie Nana (2005) Can you imagine what a nightmare sewing that faux fur and lining it will be? HA! I shall prevail! But first, we have to get the fabric. We found a tiny little shop that sells it in one of our favorite haunts. Last we checked, faux fur like that was selling at about USD6.00 a yard.

Jacket for sale at Refuse To Be Usual on Ebay.

I even found a video of her singing with the jacket on! WHEEE! (It's starts at about 1:45)

ETA: I found this on Love.Design.Life and thought it was perfect:

Her Majesty's Airship Apoidea

The Invitation

The Inspiration and Creation
Last July, our Advanced Draping class were asked to participate in an exhibit called "Pumapapel" at the Yuchengco Museum. We were each asked to make a dress made entirely out of paper. I wasted no time harassing my family and friends for newspapers, magazines and anything else they had laying around the house for me to use for my paper dress.

I had the idea of putting a story behind my design. I imagined the future as the Victorians imagined it (this time was also the height of my Steampunk obsession, by the way) With that in mind I thought, why not air travel? They would have loved that if the Victorians had it. They could fly from colony to colony. Then it hit me. BEES!

Victorian Hallowen Costume

Bees in an airship, flying from colony to colony.

So what would a futuristic Victorian flight attendant wear? She needed to be pleasant, corseted  and wearing a shortened skirt. And she needed a bustle, arguably the most distinctive look of Victorian fashion.

The only sketch that I took a picture of. I had no idea where my camera or scanner went at the time.

After consulting with Miss Ish (my History of Costumes and Advanced Draping teacher) and Sir Dan (my Illustration teacher and advisor) I started work on the Bee Flight Attendant costume.

I decided to go with this kind of bustle instead of the fabric cascade from the earlier sketch. to make it look more bee-like. 

Work In Progress - Back View

Work In Progress - Back Quarter View

Work In Progress - Front View

Work In Progress - Side View

I used newspaper (carefully torn out so only the text was used to give the corset a nice tweedy grey), craft paper that I use in school to draft my sewing patterns and Burgundy colored leather finish paper that I was lucky enough to find in a dinky little shop somewhere in Binondo. 

The Finished Product

Photos by Fold C of The Kabog.

Photo by Fold

Photo by Fold.

The Bustle. Photo by Fold.

Corset detail. Photo by Fold.

The Advanced Draping Class Paper Dress Collection

The Writeup

"Fly around the Empire in style in Her Majesty's Airship Apoidea, the latest in navigable aerostats. Tea and cake will be served by our sweet and ever gracious Honey Bees while you lounge and take in the landscape thousands of meters below. Now with non-stop flights from colony to colony."

Opening Night

Me and my paper doll. I'm wearing an old black dress and a bolero I knit from yarn of unknown origin and fiber content. 

Left to Right: Ela, Paloma, Geoff, Lyra and Trisha. Picture by Miss Ish

The tiny feature in Philippine Town and Country Magazine