Dare to Wear

When I started sewing again in August 2011, I vowed to wear my clothes in public. I’ve been true to my word with two exceptions – here and here. While a job well done should be reason enough to do one’s best, knowing that others will see (and judge) my clothes is one of the incentives to get it right.

Hubby and I spent the weekend in Charleston, SC, where my daughter and her fiancé were honored with a party hosted by friends of the groom’s parents. I packed a Me-Made suitcase and hoped for the best.

Clockwise from the top left:

1. The ruffled Cynthia Rowley top, now in year 3 works for nearly any warm weather occasion, and it was perfect for Friday evening cocktails on the terrace with the girls.
2. Saturday evening at a luau. I reworked portions of this dress. Though the criss-crossed straps didn’t work out, I successfully moved the straps to the center front and achieved a similar look to the pattern cover. I also added boning to the front seams to provide additional shaping.
3. I couldn’t resist wearing my new Pucci dress to Trattoria Lucca, our favorite Italian restaurant! (The humid windy weather did a number on my hair ;) )
4. Father’s Day brunch at the Rutledge Cab Company in my new yellow maxi.
5. The Ribbon Skirt’s Charleston debut made me proud :) From a Saturday morning shopping trip to a casual lunch with Katie’s future in-laws, it generated compliments at every juncture. A boutique owner even asked me if I would design clothes for her store! I declined the flattering request, but it’s moments like these that underscore the virtues of sewing clothes.

I believe wearing the clothes we sew is a wonderful exercise in building self-confidence on many levels.

• In social settings wearing Me-Made-Clothes can bring about almost celebrity status.
• Shopping in precision-fitting Me-Made-Clothes will quickly remind you that RTW rarely fits without costly alterations. I tried on lots of clothes along side my daughter this weekend. The gorgeous clothes tested my willpower on the hangers, but lost their appeal in the dressing room.
• It’s just downright empowering to have Me-Made-Clothes mistaken for designer apparel.

So now I’m curious. Do you wear your Me-Made-Clothes? With pride?