Love my stripes

Nonchalant Sweet Clothes
ISBN978-4-579-11300-2
Style C
Striped Helmut Lang fabric found at Mill End

When I first saw this new Japanese Pattern book (blogged here) I knew I had to make this striped shirt. I was totally giddy when I found a very similar striped knit at Mill End. I got even more excited when I realized it was a Helmut Lang remnant. Unfortunately I made the mistake probably every seamster makes in life: I didn’t wash the fabric. It is a synthetic blend (which I usually avoid) and so I thought it wouldn’t shrink. Even though I washed it in cold water, it shrunk more then probably 10%. The other downfall this fabric unfortunately has: it’s not high summer appropriate. Once finished (and it needs a lot of handstitching to be so neat) I put it on immediately. And rode my bike in the summer heat to pick up L. Needless to say, I got heated and I started to smell. Not the nicest combination. The pictures above are post-washing (and after having taken a shower, trust me) Still doesn’t look too bad. And when worn tucked into high waisted skirts, it looks quite hot.

I have to tell you the story about the skirt on the right. We bought it more then 7 years ago in London at Selfridges when we were preparing for our wedding. It’s a Vivienne Westwood and Andy really pushed me to get it. But I felt so alien in it – was just a bit too sophisticated for me at that time that I didn’t wear it for our formal wedding.

I made a long silk skirt and wore this embroidered dragon shirt to our official wedding.

I think I feel mature and ready enough to start wearing the pencil skirt now. I obviously still have the dragon shirt, but there is no way that I fit in it these days. But I love it and it will stay with me for ever.