There has been so much happening this week! #SlowFashionOctober is into its second week of prompts, I am working diligently on my mother's wedding outfit, and now the #SewFrosting challenge has presented itself- I almost want to explode with excitement!
Before I dive into this post fully, I wanted to chat a bit about the #SewFrosting challenge that is being hosted by Closet Case Patterns & True Bias. It is a new challenge that has literally taken over my entire Instagram feed! The general idea is to get sewists in the community sewing more frosting-like pieces, such as garments that are more special but potentially worn a bit less. This seems to have caused a small amount of discomfort among sewists who are a part of the slow fashion movement. It's been an interesting conversation to see unfold online and I think that it's a conversation we needed to have.
Personally, I feel as if a lot of my wardrobe was already comprised of what most other sewists would consider frosting. I mean, it is brimming with color and patterns and a lot of fun fabrics! And I was turning my sights on to sewing more "cake" right before this challenge was presented. I've been saying a lot recently that I really do need more foundation pieces in my wardrobe if my frosting-like pieces are going to get worn more than once.
So, I myself was a bit torn when the #SewFrosting challenge was announced. Then I watched Heather's story on IG, and I just loved how she put everything in to perspective as far as what even constitutes frosting and how this challenge can really play hand-in-hand with the slow fashion movement. Frosting to one person may seem like cake to another and it really is down to each of us what we believe to be the frosting of our own cakes! And who says you have to even go all out with the frosting?! My buddy Anne of @Silkenstitches summed it up perfectly when she said that if she joined the challenge, she might do something more along the lines of a "cake pop with a dollop of frosting." I mean, how beautifully put is that?
As for me, I will be using this challenge to sew something really special for my wardrobe. Perhaps it won't get as much use as my more utilitarian pieces, but it will mean a lot to me and I will help take it through the years of my life. I hope to incorporate a lot of slow sewing techniques and play with textures and colors, which I absolutely LOVE but never allot enough time to pursue in my daily sewing.
Ugh, what a dream this Valentino Dress is!
Texture + Color = Brittani Heaven
Who said frosting couldn't be undergarments?
Now, on to the main part of this post! I wanted to share with you all some of the treasures I found this week while cleaning out my closet (I can never write or say that line without thinking of Eminem).
Week 2: What's in my Closet?
It's important for me to note that I have a few different closets. They aren't physical spaces that are housing individual articles of clothing, though some do reside in various parts of my home. The closets that I have can be broken down as follows:
My Daily Wardrobe: These are the items I actually wear out and about and encompass tops, bottoms, and dresses. I keep my yearly wardrobe hanging on a small wooden rack that my mother built for me when I used to sell garments at local craft fairs. Now it takes up a small corner in our bedroom and I am able to fit everything I wear throughout the year on it, with exception to undergarments, tights, and PJs. Those are all housed in the bottom drawer of our dresser.
My Vintage Collection: These are garments I have collected throughout the years for various purposes. Sometimes I had purchased a 1950's dress to wear but found that my rib cage was a bit too big (this happened often) to breathe in the dress, let alone eat while wearing it. Othertimes I snagged a few vintage pieces to attempt to redesign them to actually fit into my wardrobe, but never actually go around to redesigning them. And yet (more often) I was outright given pieces from friends wardrobes that no longer suited their needs. These items reside in our actual closet that I don't use as a closet.
Untitled Thoughts Collection: These garments are the small remainder of what Untitled Thoughts used to be: A sustainable clothing business. After selling off the majority of the items at our last hoorah at Coco + Mischa in Atlanta, I have a handful of items sitting in the same closet as my vintage collection waiting to be donated or gifted to friends.
To-Sell Wardrobe: These garments are ones that I absolutely LOVE but no longer suit my lifestyle, body, or closet. I have kept these in a small corner of our walk-in closet with the idea that I will eventually list them for sale online at a place like ThreadUp or Poshmark.
To-Donate Wardrobe: These are items that I was either given or that I no longer feel fit into my wardrobe, but they are also not "high end" enough to try to resell. I have piles of these lining my garage in various containers waiting to be given to local shelters.
I am constantly re-evaluating each of these "closets" and purging items as I see fit. My current wardrobe is pretty close to being a wardrobe that can grow with me through the years. Though I do remove items here and there that I have created that I should have thought a bit more about before creating.
So, this week I focused my efforts on finally bringing my vintage, to-sell, and to-donate closets down and out. What I wasn't expecting was to find so many great pieces that I would then add BACK into my daily wardrobe!
By far my favorite find were these vintage, high-waisted pants. Never have I gotten so many compliments on one outfit!
I may be a vegetarian, but I will wear leather if it is vintage or ethically produced (i.e. a by-product of an industry). These leather gloves have the most beautiful, intricate stitching. We found them in a bag that was brought to Coco + Mischa and I had to bring them back home with me!
These two dresses I have been coveting for a few years now. The yellow I purchased during an anniversary trip to NYC and the second I purchased when I lived in NY but was visiting GA (how ironic). Neither fits my rib cage very well, but I just can't bring myself to part with either. I have big plans on making these into skirts for myself as the waist of each fits perfectly.
I've gone back and forth throughout the years on whether or not I actually enjoy wearing heels. I much prefer to comfort of a sensible pair of oxfords or flats. However, there have been times where I wanted to spice up an outfit and had nothing to spice it with as I am also not a big wearer of jewelry. So I decided to hang on to these two pairs of shoes for the time being. The leopard print shoes I purchased for 25 cents at a thrift shop in SC and the red ones were gifted to me by Arlen's aunt. I just love their bold color and delicate straps!
I wound up bringing a TON of items over to the lovely ladies at Coco + Mischa. They took a good deal off my hands, and now all I need to do is pop over to a local women's shelter to donate the final garments from my other piles. I personally like bringing gently used garments to women's shelters before dropping them off at a thrift shop because I know that the clothing will be put to good use, especially in the winter months. Donating warm garments is best when given to those who need it most urgently.