W-F

So, I actually DID shoot most of my work outfits the other week, per my friend Rebecca's request. (I bet you all thought I flaked out!) And actually, I'm kind of glad I was too busy to go through all the shots right away, because now I can assess what I wore with a little more clarity.

Looking through the photos, I was suddenly struck by how simple all the outfits were.

Here's what I wore on Wednesday— all black with a bright skirt. The one little clever thing I did was pick out stockings that have a chevron pattern, which mimics the pleating on the skirt.

This is Thursday's outfit— a simple black dress, but worn with a cute polka dot blouse underneath to add some fun. The stockings also have polka dots on them which are really subtle.

I wore these shoes, which also have little dots on them.

And here's Friday's outfit. This one is as simple as it gets— a white shirt and blue jeans. Notice how I cleverly disguised this by adding apple red heels and a tweed jacket.

I love this jacket, because from far away it looks brown, but when you really look at the fabric you can see tons of colors. I take this to mean I can wear it with any color that is in the tweed— even if it's just a tiny speck, like the red.

Taking photos of my outfits for a whole week was a really fun exercise, although I don't know how some bloggers shoot what they wear every day. All week I was afraid I'd oversleep, and rush out wearing mismatched socks— and then be forced to post photos of them on my blog!

(W-F photos © Littlehouse of Style)

Learning to sew

I've always loved the idea of knowing how to sew. As a kid, I remember being very impressed that my mom had made that "cool" dress I pointed out in an old photo album.

I also remember watching in wonder as my Grandma constructed a tiny black velvet cape, with cranberry-colored lining, for my Samantha doll.

Even further back in my family history, sewing is prevalent. My great-grandfather, Urbano (or "Papanon" as my mom called him), was trained as a tailor in Italy. When he immigrated to the United States, he got a job working at Stackpoles men's store in Hartford, Connecticut. My mom still has a tuxedo he made for my grandfather.

Although I inherited a love of working with my hands from all sides of my family— I've done everything from ceramics to beading— I never really got around to sewing. So, a few months ago, my friend and I signed up for a garment construction class at New York's Fashion Institute.

Now, once a week, I leave work at 6pm and take the train over to FIT for 3 hours of threading needles, cutting fabric, and coaxing a sewing machine into submission. I have to say, sewing is a lot harder than you might think. When I first told my Grandmother about the class, she said, "I hope you have a lot of patience!" She wasn't kidding.

The class's first assignment was a skirt. To prepare, we learned how to sew all kinds of seams. Easy.

Next, we cut our skirt patterns out of oak tag. Armed with an Exacto knife and a ruler, my pattern was beyond precise. Then we cut our fabric. So far, so good . . .

Or so I thought. Despite the fact that I measured everything diligently, when I went to attach my waistband, the circumference of my skirt did not match the length of the waistband. Hmm . . .

See how there are two lines of stitching on the dart? That's because I had to get the skirt circumference to equal 27 inches. I borrowed a 1/2 inch from the darts to make everything match up.

Don't even get me started about the zipper.

Looks like notes for a Physics class, right?

All that note-taking didn't stop my waistband from being wider at one end . . . sigh . . .

Despite all the little mistakes along the way, I'm really enjoying the learning process. It's a lot about attention to detail, and definitely patience— two things it never hurts to have more of. In fact, I've already bought fabric for the next skirt I'm going to make.

I've also gained a deep appreciation for the clothing I already own.

You start to understand what goes into making a beautiful garment— from the pattern-making to the finishing. This Zac Posen skirt is a pencil skirt not unlike the one I made for class; but look at the detailing on the front, the notched waistband, the precision . . . I might never get to the point where I can make something of this quality. But I'll still know exactly why a piece like this makes people stop me in the hall at work and proclaim, "What a great skirt!"

(Sewing class photos © Littlehouse of Style)

I Can't Put My Arms Down!

Anyone who has ever gone through winter in New York City knows that warmth comes first— hence the puffy down coats that infest the city like giant caterpillars. But what about looking stylish? It's a little difficult to look cute when you're wearing a sleeping bag and a boa constrictor-esque scarf...

Back in September, my friend and I passed a shop on Spring Street with the cutest coat in the window. Because one of my favorite places to eat is on that block, I'd walked by that window several times since they put out their Fall/Winter line. Each time, whomever I was with had to listen to me go on about the coat. As it called to me yet again, I decided it couldn't hurt to try it on. (Even though the purpose of the shopping trip was to get shoes for my friend!)

It was perfect. I felt ready to lace up my skates and start stockpiling snowballs. It was warm, well-made, and most importantly, it actually made me excited for New York's impending arctic chill. As the man and woman who were running the store helped me with the fit, I couldn't contain my gushing. I babbled on as if I had just run into my favorite rocker. 

And I'm so glad I didn't contain my excitement, because, as I signed my credit card slip, the man mentioned that he was the designer.

(Photos: © Littlehouse of Style; Coat: JaeYoon Jeong Collection, Bag: Zac Posen, Shoes: Stuart Weitzman, Dress: Diane Von Furstenberg, Fingerless gloves: knit for me by my friend Paige!)