Burda Style Asymmetrical Sweater Dress

     I love asymmetrical designs.  They are the intriguing side of fashion.  A design with asymmetric features entertains the eye.  It optimizes its design lines for a full expression of creativity.  Asymmetrical styles are not something to commonly be seen in ready-to-wear items offered in stores because such clothes require extra fabric, extended construction time, specialized patterns, and a higher level of skill from its maker.  This gives me the opportunity to step up my sewing game and use my wardrobe to show the world what I am capable of creating! 

     I primarily appreciate how asymmetrical designs have an inherent air of individuality, since the majority of pieces are cut once.  Pattern pieces for asymmetrical fashions have a ‘right’ or a ‘wrong’ side to them and they are placed on a single layer of fabric.  However, even the most asymmetrical patterns have at least one piece, often the sleeve, which is doubled and thus repeated exactly.  My previous asymmetrical sewing escapades have only had one unequal part at a time here or there, such as an overlapping panel, one-sided closure, an interesting hemline, or a decoratively draped sash.  For many years, I have been in search of an entirely asymmetric sewing pattern where no piece is repeated.  I finally found my answer when looking through Burda Style patterns.  I am so happy with my project!  It is a great feeling to be able to take such an unexpected and very personalized approach to finding fun dressing for the cold weather.    

THE FACTS:

FABRIC:  a double-faced (reversible) wool blend knit from Mood Fabrics, faced inside the neckline with a 100% cotton broadcloth

PATTERN:  Burda Style #122 dress pattern from June 2021

NOTIONS NEEDED:  All I needed was one 22” long invisible zipper and lots of thread.

TIME TO COMPLETE:  This dress was finished in January 2024 and made in 20 hours.

THE INSIDES:  The fabric, when left raw, comes apart like crazy and so every seam had to be tightly bound with several passes of zig-zag stitching, my way of imitating a serged (overlocked) seam.

TOTAL COST:  The cotton neck facing was scraps on hand from far too long ago to remember, so I am counting them as free.  Between purchasing the zipper and two yards of the sweater knit from Mood, my total comes to about $50.

     Just because I call this dress asymmetrical doesn’t mean it is lacking in symmetry.  I will be using the term asymmetric in my post through its secondary meaning; “having parts or aspects that are not equal or equivalent.”  Every well designed asymmetrical garment needs to also be symmetrical in a different sense of the word so as to have continuous lines and (as the dictionary defines) “correct proportions with exact correspondence.”  This dress is the very characterization of how two seemingly contrary words can end up working so well in tandem.  The swooping panels of the bodice add elegance yet the angular skirt hem is starkly modern.  Both elements work together to meet at every seam in a way that shows intention.  It is an avant-garde design without forgetting to be conscious of the body’s curvaceous need for movement.  This dress presents differently from every angle, making it feel like a wearable interpretation of artistic expression.

     Society seems to continue the ideals that symmetry is beauty in order to counteract the peculiar asymmetry of our bodies.  Thus, I think asymmetrical garments are necessarily a fashion risk, and a balancing act that doesn’t work out for many.  Yet, I hope even those of you who wouldn’t wear something like this can appreciate it.  Somehow this dress manages to pull out all the stops on traditional design and still avoid looking wildly disjointed on me.  This dress is yet another reason why I reach for Burda Style patterns to find the most creative, unique, and challenging modern home sewing offerings in today’s market.  I was proud enough of this dress that I brought it with me to our family ski trip last spring, even wearing it for a visit to downtown Aspen!  Our pictures were taken inside our mountain cottage in Colorado.

     At first, deciding how to interpret the pattern was difficult.  One single solid color was not what I had in mind for this dress from the beginning, yet a floral or print of some sort would create too much busyness for my taste.  The fabulous design lines deserved to be highlighted, and so I decided to color block the dress.  Mood Fabric’s specialty knit section popped into my internet feed at the perfect time, when I was fabric browsing one night and I knew my pattern’s match had been found.  As if it wasn’t enough to go out on a limb with an unusual sewing pattern…I had to add in a fabric I have never used before!  Nevertheless, I wanted to go all out for this design.  An atypical sweater knit keeps it cozy and chic at the same time. 

     To further play with the whole idea of paralleling between symmetry and asymmetry, my fabric is a reversible knit comprised of two composite shades which barely exist on the edges of the color wheel.  The rusty side was used for most of the main body (since I love tones of orange), while the heather brown side went towards the extended neckline-sleeve piece.  The brown underside peeks out from the asymmetric hem, adding a bit of contrast to the bottom.  This lofty wool is equivalent to two separate layers of thin knit being attached together, giving it the “double-faced” term.  One fabric is therefore utilized overall for simplicity’s sake, yet with double the color and warmth!  This asymmetrical dress design needs a fabric with a touch of structure and a bit of stretch in order to work out.  My chosen knit is a perfect blend of those necessary qualities.  The material’s thickness became more prominent when I top stitched the seam allowances down, but I actually like the look of it.  Being able to further highlight some of the design lines was nice.  The learning curve I faced here worked out quite nicely in the end, as you can see.

     I found the sizing to run rather large for this pattern.  Whether my fitting issues were due to the properties of the fabric I do not know.  The wearing ease was far too generous for the dress to fit me as-is.  The waistline was too long and it needed to be raised by yet an inch overall.  Then, the side seams needed to be taken in by about an inch on each side.  I also had to adjust a few things to my personal taste.  After assembling the paper PDF pieces, I changed to skirt to hang longer on me so that the shortest part of the hemline hits just above the knee.  Burda Style had the dress cut to land much shorter, about mid-thigh, but I wasn’t having that.  The rest of the hemline was tapered shorter to keep the longest section from reaching my ankles.  My sleeves were more pattern pieces that I lengthened.  I wanted them to reach my elbow.  For the way the design of this dress is so unique, I was apprehensive at changing the pattern or taking in too much fabric at the seams.  As it turned out, the asymmetrical features (and the plush fabric) rather helped this dress absorb some messy adjustments so they can actually appear to be part of the design.  I had to clean up and pare down all my seams after nailing the fit, but I am glad to find a way to make this dress become everything I had hoped it would turn out to be.

     That fabulous wraparound neckline was the trickiest part of the dress.  It required some hand stitching and woven seam binding to keep it both cleanly finished and stabilized.  I opted not to use interfacing to keep the dress soft.  The sweater knit has enough structure, with a single layer of cotton as the facing, to keep the collar standing upright.  I happily found a cotton, which was an almost exact match to the rust orange color.  This makes for even more color blocking!  The edges of the cotton facing were turned under and then hand stitched down through the ditch of the neckline seam.  Fine finishing techniques make me both proud of my work and happy with my wardrobe.

     Achieving a rolled hem was the bane of finishing the skirt’s raw edges.  It was necessary to catch the profuse amount of raw loops to the cut knit with my thin thread and barely turn them under.  This was the best option that I could figure out and the finished look is quite nice, for all my effort.  Hemming took up just shy of half of the entire amount of time which was spent on this dress.  As was mentioned in “The Facts” above, the raw fabric came apart on itself like wild.  The two layers of knit rolled apart, and then the loops would unravel at the slightest handling.  Some knowledge of knitting or crocheting would have probably helped me because I was brainstorming for an easier, less time consuming, more finished manner of enclosing the cut edges to this knit.  It is called a sweater knit, after all, and we all know (even if this knowledge is only through old kids’ cartoons) how a sweater has the reputation of easily coming undone.  Sewing the hem was my last step before completion and so agonizingly tedious at that stage.  The dress was as good as done in general appearance and I was too excited to wait much longer to wear it (which is always a good sign).

     After all the glowing words and lengthy discussion given to this post’s featured dress, it still amazes me that I am able to share this project.  The design lines of the pattern were the only thing that mesmerized me enough to spur me into sewing this dress in the first place.  The finished garment image on the Burda site was not selling me on the pattern.  However, the raw lines of a design are often the only thing to focus on for many projects.  The finished garment picture was messing with my original ideas when finding a new-to-me fabric had inspired my creativity.  Sometimes there is a blind trust in a creative mental vision that carries me through the most dubious sewing projects I take on.  Here, my success was only fully realized once the dress was completely finished and styled into being an outfit.  Halfway through construction, I will admit to an episode of panic after suspecting this dress may only be an expensive failure.  Yet, I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be a victory.  Now, this pinnacle of asymmetrical goodness will be hard to beat.  My desire for a fully asymmetrical style has been satisfied even better than I had guessed was possible.

Make Some Noise

     Music has certainly been a life force of the last 100 years of history.  Audible art is the heart and soul behind culture and clothing, economics and innovations.  It is a crucible for the deep questions arising out of each decade and seems to either reflect upon or bring a mirror to the issues of the times.  Poetry for our ears is a bigger deal than being for pure entertainment.  Musicians themselves become important members of society and culture with their popularity and contribution to cultivation.  They possess the ability of holding a weighty influence over people who idolize, respect, or even just pay attention to them.

I am wearing an original Patrick Kelly music notes skirt here in front of a local mural that celebrates the accomplishments of black musicians. Next to me are some records of my favorite black 1980s singers – Angela Winbush, Billy Ocean, Vanessa Williams, and Alexander O’Neal.

     Such a subject could not be more appropriate to dive into as February is Black History Month.  Strong, talented black women of music who share their personal struggles through their unique capabilities have become especially important agents of representation within the last 100 years.  From Josephine Baker to Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin, all these ladies have used their melodic talents as powerful statements to help break down the color barriers of their times, promoting racial equity in the most entertaining way possible with their tunes.  Just as with music, fashion can also give voice to the repressed, fuel to the powerless, and bring light to problematic issues of a society.  “Early in my life I had learned that if you want something, you had better make some noise” Malcolm X said in his autobiography.  Now, 60 years after his assassination, these words still ring so true.  “Never, ever be afraid to make some noise” reiterated the esteemed Rep. John Lewis in 2018.  The bold, inventive, and uniquely joyful clothing that black fashion designers offer to the world is yet another way to showcase the sound of an exultant spirit of resistance to suppression and a justified demand to be seen (and subsequently heard).

     Related to this, there is some news that recently came out regarding Beyoncé which has given the fashion world a notable reason to turn heads.  On February 13, she attended a “Destiny’s Child” reunion for Kelly Rowland’s 44th birthday in a “piece of black fashion history” wearing an Autumn/Winter 1987-1988 Patrick Kelly dress.  Patrick Kelly was not only the first American inducted into French Couture Fashion industry, but specifically the first black from the US to do so.  Beyoncé wore a one of his form-fitting knit dresses accented by gold buttons sewn down in the shape of a heart.  Her garment choice has been touted at length through such sources as L’Officiel, W Magazine, Women’s Wear Daily, Harper’s Bazaar, and iFashion Network.  Shiona Turini, her personal stylist, is a long-time Patrick Kelly fan and supposedly acquired this dress for Queen Bey through a Kelly family member.  This garment was called his “money” dress since the buttons look like coins but also because they were a big money making design!  I am beyond thrilled to see Patrick garner a piece of well-deserved recognition during Black History Month through the likes of such an icon for both the music industry as well as black creators everywhere.  No doubt Patrick Kelly would be honored and quite pleased.

     Throughout his life, Patrick was always entertained with music, and that was always intertwined with fashion to him.  As a child growing up in the “Bible Belt” of the Southern American state of Mississippi, praising the Lord with soulful Gospel music was no less a part of Sunday worship than was dressing up in your best clothes to walk down that runway of the church aisle.  When making a life for himself after high school (first in Atlanta, then in New York City), he was always a frequent patron of local clubs or theatres, and often designed and created the costumes for the performers at such establishments.  Once he was able to showcase his creations of the official runways of Paris, France, every show was set boisterous music which amplified not only the voices of black performers he would play, but also the understated themes to his collections.  Patrick collected Josephine Baker memorabilia, listened to Elvis songs, and made clothes for the likes of Madonna, Bette Davis, and even Vanessa Williams during his life.  When he had died of AIDS complications on January 1, 1990, his funeral became a joyous church revival-type celebration with blaring music, just as he had wanted.  He was a designer who spread joy and a spirit of love with his life and clothing, so his fashions are intertwined with one of the ways to uplift and inspire the soul – using music!

I had to include Elvis in my picture!

     All of my enthusiastic chatter relates to my sewing themed blog because I have yet another me-made Patrick Kelly design to present a very relevant music theme.  Sewing my own interpretation of Patrick’s “Music Notes” collection was inevitable for me as an avid fan of both music in general and his designs.  Music has always been a big part of my life, enough that I was even a co-announcer on a small radio station for a time.  Certain songs are integrally tied up with memorable occasions, and the fashions worn by musicians both in real life and in music videos is something I have paid attention to (see this blog post).  The oversized clef, sharp, and dotted notes of both my skirt and my beret hat call to mind the wonderful ways music has affected my life and the many ways it has done so on society.

THE FACTS:

FABRICS:  The skirt uses a 45% linen, 55% cotton blend canvas, custom printed through Spoonflower; the beret hat uses a polyester felt leftover from re-covering this vintage hat (posted here).

PATTERNS:  Vogue “Individualist” pattern #2682, year 1991, for the skirt and a self-drafted pattern for the hat

NOTIONS NEEDED:  one pack of “Flair Originals” decorative buttons by Blumenthal Lansing in the “Music Notes” pack, one invisible zipper, and a flat waistband-style hook and eye

TIME TO COMPLETE:  The hat was drafted and sewn within 3 hours, while the skirt took me about 6 hours in February of 2024.

THE INSIDES:  So clean!  The inner skirt edges are bias bound, while the hat felt does not fray and is left raw.

TOTAL COST:  The fabric cost me $29 for one yard, the hat buttons were about $3, and all other notions and fabrics I am counted on as free since they were on hand.  My total was under $35.

     Amongst the several jobs Patrick Kelly held once he moved to Atlanta in 1974, was the opportunity for him to work in the shadow of his early fashion icon.  He was hired to design window displays for a newly opened Saint Laurent Rive Gauche boutique.  Such a job provided him an opportunity to study the ready-to-wear collections of Paris couturier Yves Saint Laurent.  There, he met YSL’s American marketing director Connie Uzzo, who was to become his long-time friend and business advocate.  I find it in no way coincidental that so many of Patrick’s garments have a call-back to YSL.  The headliner dress for the YSL Fall/Winter 1982 collection, a music note print dress, is eerily similar to the print Patrick chose for his collection in 1989.  In an attempt to dive into their ‘vintage’ archives, this same music print was resurrected again by YSL in 2016 with Hedi Slimane as Creative Director.  The music notes prints of both Patrick Kelly and YSL are artistically laid out and quite elegant with their curving, swirling notes.  My  Spoonflower adaptation is more of a classic print through its straightforward interpretation.  Whatever the version, the theme is the same – to blend fashion with music so as to appreciate it for being more than just notes on a page.

     I find it quite a conundrum to pin down just one year to this skirt (and hat), when there are so many references tied into my version.  The precise Patrick Kelly collection I was tapping into was from his Spring/Summer 1989 “Lisa-Josephine” group, presented in Paris, France in October of 1988 as part of his first show as an official member of French couture through the “Chambre Syndicale”.  In this post (see it here), I blogged about wearing an original “music notes” skirt that I own.  The small music notes print, as seen on my original Patrick Kelly skirt, had larger iterations which were also a part of his same collection.  Such an easy-to-see motif was what I was channeling here.   

     The actual faux-wrap skirt design I am using was part of a later Patrick Kelly collection from 1989, even if the Vogue pattern has a date of 1991.  Back in 1987, Patrick Kelly signed an exclusive contract with a new financial backer, Warnaco, so he could finally have steady fabric supplies, offer ready-to-wear in high-end stores outside of Paris, and produce all the custom accessories of his dreams.  Patrick Kelly’s first Warnaco funded collection was in 1988 and the company needed two highly successful years of business to make money off of their contract deal.  However, Patrick Kelly died on the first day of 1990, and so Warnaco continued certain productions of his brand after his death to garner the sales they needed to turn a profit by the end of 1990.  I am guessing that the licensing with Vogue Patterns (which began in 1988) was continued into 1991 to fulfill an existing deal for five individual pattern offerings, but also continue an extra flow of income.  Whether it was fundamentally corporate greed or a desire to spread his name, I am glad this Patrick Kelly design was released.  It is a versatile set of multiple separates, one of which I have sewn already (see the shorts posted here), and offers styles that were recycled by Patrick into several creative versions.  I do intend on coming back to this pattern again in the future to make the suit coat included.

     From wearing original Patrick Kelly clothing and making his Vogue releases before now, I knew this mini skirt would need a great fit to work for me.  When his clothing is made of material with no stretch (such as this cotton-linen canvas), I have to size up.  Thus, extra time was needed before diving into sewing to retrace the pattern onto medical paper and tweak every detail.  Otherwise, his garment proportions are not roomy enough for full hips or a broader booty.  Not only did I size up and add extra curve over my hips, but added a full booty adjustment, too.  I even shortened the hem to better match the length seen on runway model images.  This now is my best fitting Patrick Kelly design as well as my favorite mini skirt yet.  I would have never thought a short wrap-style skirt could be so fuss-free, but the front flap really does stay modest and overlaps only enough to be decent yet still fun.  I did not line the skirt since the linen blend canvas fabric is soft and pleasing on its own with an intriguing texture.  A flash of white from the wrong (unprinted) side of the fabric only helps shows off how my skirt has a mock wrap!  

     My beret is like adding a cherry to the top of my outfit.  Patrick Kelly always gave his clothes the gamut of themed gloves, hats, jewelry and shoes to match since.  Doing so cemented his desired collection themes and reminded him of the way he saw the ladies at church during his childhood dressing “to the nines” on Sundays.  I do love a fully accessorized outfit, after all.  One particular picture of the model Diane DeWitt shows a red beret hat while she models a set from the music notes collection.  The applied music note buttons on the hat attracted me to the idea of drafting an accessory to tie the outfit together.  My local fabric store had decorative charms that matched well enough, but a true Patrick Kelly item would have had oversized, custom made buttons with his name stamped across them.  Two notes charms on the front brim can be seen above my forehead, while the other three are on top of the crown so as to be seen from behind.  It is amazing how one small yet easy accessory project really ties the whole outfit together. 

     I want leave a few final remarks before my post’s conclusion.  My blouse is the only garment which is not me-made.  It is a ‘vintage’ 80s piece from my childhood and unbelievably, it actually fits me!  I am glad I held onto it for all these years, after all.  Also, as a sewing tip, I used the circle skirt calculator site when drafting my hat to figure out how much space to open up for my head.  The calculator also figured out how much length I needed to cut for the inner band.  This was an easy way to take some of the math out of drafting a simple beret!  Finally, all of the pictures for this post which are inside shots have been to have been taken at our neighborhood’s music store, The Record Exchange.  This shop is not only in a historic 1960s building, but it is an exceptional experience to visit, as well as the best place to find obscure, unusual, and unique music records in all formats.  

     Patrick Kelly saw himself not just as a designer but as an entertainer, someone who delights others with a display of talent.  In his case, his shows were on fashion runways.  The delights of his wildly wonderful clothes (with their accompanying music) turned every presentation of his clothes into an enjoyable performance that still taught viewers subtle lessons.  Patrick Kelly had said he thought of himself as a version of Josephine Baker, who likewise found a level of success, freedom, and recognition in France which could not be found by displaying their personal expression in America. 

     Ironically, this all hits home for me because Josephine Baker born and raised in my town of St. Louis.  One of her amazing performance dresses, worn in 1973, can be seen in our local Missouri History museum (at left).  Nevertheless, she did not have a happy childhood here and couldn’t wait to leave.  Her home was sadly torn down for a highway in the 1960s.  However, Josephine Baker is proudly not the only famous black woman musician to come from St. Louis – we can also claim Tina Turner, Angela Winbush (from the duo Rene & Angela), and even the currently popular hip-hop artist SZA.  Knowing that some of the biggest black women icons of music history came from my city is an honor, and a significant legacy that I would like to acknowledge with my own music notes set.  To be able to interpret something tied to my hometown pride for Black History Month through the likes of Patrick Kelly makes this simple little set of a mini skirt and beret hat very special to me.  I hope my post has inspired you to further explore some of the ways music and fashion merge.  Most importantly, please find a way to “make some good noise” today!

Red Hot

     My 2025 Valentine’s Day outfit may immediately seem to be in a customary color combination for the holiday, yet it is anything but boring or conventional.  This dress is both sweet and spicy in an earthy but bold red just like the little cinnamon candies my title alludes to.  I’m turning up the heat for this post with a little something which looks just as good coming, as it does when I am going!

Patrick Kelly winter 1989-1990 collection

     I need colorful and fun fashions to help get me through our cold and dreary winter months with my sanity intact.  Valentine’s Day gives me a certain motivation with a specific objective when it comes to sewing such colorful fashions.  I have many reasons to sport a bold red.  Mostly, I enjoy working on redeeming it as a color, which I rarely had in my wardrobe as a child.  Yet, in the fallout from Christmastime, I am thrilled to celebrate anything and pull out my red fashions again, but especially so for the holiday of love and sweetness.  What better person to turn to for inspiration to add more red to my closet for Valentine’s Day than the great Patrick Kelly, an American born designer who expressed the various aspects of love with so many of his designs? 

     Ever since undertaking my first button-bonanza project (posted here), the honestly humble but intoxicatingly joyful Patrick Kelly has been my muse for keeping my sewing efforts meaningful and fun.  He has helping me enjoy the 1980s like I never thought I could and get through the doldrums of life lately.  This dress is actually on the cusp of the next decade being from 1990, yet it still stays true to the wildly creative and unexpected elements often found in high end designs from 40 years ago.  The particular inspiration which I drew from here was a Patrick Kelly dress from his winter 1989-1990 collection.  This may be a ‘vintage’ style now, but it can still hold its own today and helps me feel the power, the confidence, and the passion behind wearing a great style in a shade of red!

THE FACTS:

FABRIC:  100% cotton quilting fabric

PATTERN:  Vogue #7918 from 1990

NOTIONS NEEDED:  Lots of thread, one zipper and some buttons

TIME TO COMPLETE:  This dress was finished in December 2024 in about 30 hours.

THE INSIDES:  My seams are covered by full body lining inside.

TOTAL COST:  The exterior printed cotton has been in my stash for as long as memory, so I am counting it as free by now.  The interior lining cotton was as good as free, too; picked up with a big bag of material for a few dollars.  All my thread and zipper came from my stash, so are counted as free.  My only cost was buying the vintage buttons from “The Vintage Button Store” on Etsy at $10 for a dozen.  

     There is an underlying origin story to all the features of my dress.  First of all, to be so similar to Patrick Kelly’s 1989 dress, the 1990 Vogue pattern I used has me impressed with how on trend it was with the (then) current Parisian fashion.  Figure flattering “princess seaming” became a bigger deal with mainstream 1990s fashion further into the decade, so this dress shows the delay to the trickle-down effect of the runway’s influence on low-cost clothing.  The cut out sultry back detail is straight out of the 1930s, being a feature seen on many evening gowns of the time, especially French ones.  I love how remarkable an older vintage feature looks when it gets mixed up with other stylistic elements from completely different decades!  The sleeves are generous, sloped down the shoulder, and cut as one with the upper bodice in a “dolman” style.  Originally for cultural or military clothes, dolman sleeves emerged in vintage fashion during the 1930s but reached its peak popularity through the 1940s and 50s, only to return with a force in the 80s and 90s. 

      The ‘fake bolero look’ is a feature that the 1980s borrowed from the 1940s, when such a design was a means to be thrifty but smart and create the guise of complexity with little scraps (see this version I posted here).  The faux bolero look seems to be in its third 40 year incarnation because I have been seeing similar features on tops and dresses of today.  To come full circle, this formerly dressy fashion detail is now often seen on athletic gear!  My dress is a glorious mix-up of many influences that impeccably come together into one harmonious creation. 

     When considering the pattern, I was at first afraid that all these features would not only be too much, but also force me to use a solid color to keep the dress from being too busy.  There are enough red clothes in my closet, with several being in a solid color (such as this dress or this blouse), to deter me from sewing more.  Thus, I chose a wonderful tone-on-tone red print from on hand in my stash, hoping to stay in one color family to play it safe yet also not fully commit to a solid fabric.  The print reminded me of the geometric paneling to the dress’ design lines.  Yet, the print is also abstract enough, and small enough, to not overwhelm the overall dress.  For this project, I won at my calculated gamble.   

     The designer Patrick Kelly was the one of the masters of his time at balancing a creative interpretation of both societal culture and strong colors, so of course my dress, being inspired by one of his creations, needed to follow suit. On my printed cotton, there are circles, half circles, quarter circles and more connected by a few blocks and “pie slices” in between.  The print strongly reminds me of the immensely popular video games of the 1980s, “Pac-Man” and “Ms. Pac-Man”.  When the ghosts capture or even touch either Pac-Man, the character disintegrates into deteriorating pie sections just like the print on my dress!  The print’s background is a bright orange-toned red, the shade I always avoid for the way it clashes with my olive skin tone.  However, the print itself has cinnamon undertones that calms down the orange nicely, and gives the overall dress a shade of red that is closer to a classic red from a distance or through the camera’s lens.  In person, the different tones in my fabric make it ultimately change color depending on my setting (indoors versus outdoors), and I appreciate the way a simple printed cotton can suddenly become quite deluxe.  I am glad to finally be enjoying this fabric from out the depths of my long-hoarded stash.

     The contrast mock bolero, to keep up the “faux” ruse, is made out of a twill weave cotton.  The linear texture is a nice contrast with my quilting cotton while still complimenting the geometric theme to the print.  A twill suiting has a firm softness similar to the quilting cotton I was working with, courtesy of a tighter weave.  The tight twill weave is good for giving support to the rest of the dress as well as providing structure to the dolman sleeve shape.    

     I faced the entire contrast section with a second layer of the same black cotton twill for a fine finish.  However, I left out the interfacing for which the pattern instructed.  Interfacing the entire neckline of the mock bolero front was no longer needed with such a stable material.  Patterns are meant to work for the maker’s ideas and not against them.  If you know the characteristics of fabrics, you can estimate what will or will not work in a given design and accommodate properly without any unpleasant surprises.  Going with a completely different fiber finish worked out well here.  The rich toned true black color is a boon which a quilting cotton could not provide and helps this dress be every bit as bold as it needed to be.  Fully lining the entire main body of the dress in a cotton broadcloth brought the printed exterior cotton up to a combined heavier weight to match the twill, all the while adding a fun pop of bright color from the underside.

Even the soles of my shoes are red!!!

     The skirt’s quadruple angled slits are another novelty feature to this dress which was not highlighted earlier.  They were originally supposed to be folded pleats, as per the pattern.  However, I just could not wrap my head around their actual construction and didn’t like how bulky the folds were looking on my dress before hemming.  I cut all four pleats open and altered their finishing methods to match.  The cheeky flashes of leg add yet one more element of hotness to the overall dress.  This way I have full leg movement, too, which is something most appreciated from a practical standpoint.  I do like the pleats more than the back or neckline details, since I see them the most (when I look down at myself) and appreciate the time and attention to detail they demanded from me.  My sewing skills have felt sub-par lately, and being able to do these tricky slits, in conjunction with the overall dress details, really left me feeling a bit more like myself and proud of what I was able to achieve.

     Combining all of these various features with the three fabrics rendered this dress a very exhausting project to complete both successfully and cleanly.  The general fit of the dress was very good and spot on, especially the curved princess seams, the shoulder-to-waistline proportions, and the accuracy of the measurement chart.  Nevertheless, the cut-out back bodice was an absolute beast to perfect, disappointing the accuracy found elsewhere on the dress.  The open sides gaped very badly, leaving the back of the dress lower than the front.  To top it off, my mannequin (which is my body measurements) was weirdly making the dress look 100% better than on my body, so could not fall back on my dummy body to help me fix any issues off of my body.  Adjusting a garment between the shoulder blades is nearly impossible to do while it is on oneself.  I grew frazzled from all the successive try-ons and take offs which were needed to figure out how to save the unique back detailing.  I ended up picking up the back panels, bringing in the cut-outs, and making the back bolero sit higher on my shoulders (all of which were arduous to do and even harder to explain).  

     The back is still not perfect but as good as I can make it.  I need to wear strapless lingerie with this, so it is not a super practical design…but has it ever been promised that fashion would be practical?  I did bring this dress down to a sensible level by choosing a knee length and cotton fabrics, since I am the ultimate designer here.  Nevertheless, the flair, exuberance, class, and novelty of anything derived from the ingenuity of the designer Patrick Kelly is all preserved in the design despite my lower-end project decisions.  I treated the cotton as if it was a silk, took my time, and it all paid off.  This dress is a mood in itself, and I need feel a certain high-bar of confidence to wear this without feeling overpowered…or else the garment itself will bring a boost of charisma for me.  I take this as a good sign.

     Last but not least, let me highlight the handmade jewelry which was made to match!  I used one lonely button to close up the back neckline.  All the rest of the buttons went towards some very Patrick Kelly inspired accessories.  He owed the beginnings of his design career, as well as his trademark look, to his creativity with cast-off buttons.  Patrick Kelly turned buttons into almost anything to supplement his collections – earrings, bracelets, brooches, shoe clips, hats, and more.  I would be remiss to not use the rest of my button set here!  I glued post backs on the underside of two buttons, and used jewelry rings to connect a second dangle button to have drop earrings.  The last seven buttons were connected by jewelry rings, backed with felt (for comfort against my skin), and finished off with a closure to end up with a matching bracelet.  I am so thrilled the have jewelry so curated to match.

     This button jewelry set helps my outfit feel “couture” at a basic level.  It is no less handcrafted, innovative, or meticulous in execution for its simplicity.  My buttons are from the 1980s, with a border reminiscent of chains (ahem, a Chanel reference) just as Patrick Kelly often preferred for his button inspired jewelry.  I want to think this up-cycle is more appropriately matching with my dress than many other buttons I could have chosen.  By utilizing the humble button for items that are a normally luxury purchase (such as jewelry), Patrick Kelly was showing that all women should be able to feel beautiful and no one or nothing – no matter how humble – should be deprived of an opportunity to shine.  He was showing how his financial means or station in life did not restrain his desire to create beauty and spread happiness.  Where there is a will, there can be a way, and buttons were Patrick Kelly’s outlet for proving this point.  I want to give him credit through my paltry efforts to imitate him. 

     Sharing my Valentine’s Day post makes me very happy, so pardon my energy if such a specific theme is not your thing.  I do believe it is important to celebrate the day in a meaningful way, for those who can.  This holiday can be an opportunity to help spread joy and find it in return.  The holiday can be an occasion for the good the world needs, and it doesn’t take money to share a word, a smile, or an act of kindness.  Those who are lonely or hurting need to feel a spark of humanity reach out and help them, heal them, or give them hope.  I like to think of Valentine’s Day as an extension of the Christmas season – an opportunity to show a special consideration for others, all the while finding ways to dress for the appropriate joy I wish to spread.  February’s sentimental holiday lets me feel that inner warmth, when the weather here certainly does not offer much surrounding consolation.  I hope seeing my bold and crazy dress and reading of my creative adventures can bestow a bright spot on your Valentine’s Day.

“Jungle January” Explores Kenzo’s “Jungle Jap”

     My blog would not be complete without continuing the long standing theme of “Jungle January” for the first month of every year.  This year, my new obsession for redeeming turtlenecks happened to coincide with my new found appreciation for the designer Kenzō Takada. 

     To go from sewing two modern turtlenecks to trying out a vintage one was a natural progression for me.  Taking the next step to sew a full dress version of a turtleneck was exciting for me and fun to add to my wardrobe.  Early in 2024, while planning my wardrobe for an upcoming ski trip to Colorado, I dove into my stash’s second official 1970s era Kenzō design, acquired through Butterick’s “Young Designer” line of sewing patterns.  This not only was a great way to prepare for my summer 2024 project of crafting a Kenzō couture tunic (posted here), but it helped me explore the controversial “Jungle Jap” label that gained Kenzō fame.

My Grandmother’s cat brooch is up to mischief on my vest!!

     To take on such inspiration as mentioned above along with my long-standing love for re-fashioning, fondness for fun accessorizing, and my weakness for animal prints set this project up to be a winning combination.  A little skirt I used to enjoy but have not worn in years became just the thing for a quick and useful project to whittle down my unused clothing count and add more pizazz to my closet.  This vest turns my turtleneck dress into a set that shows how I approach my winter wardrobe…with an element of chic boldness and a sense of style not hindered by the cold, but only the reaches of my imagination.     

THE FACTS:

FABRIC:  A Tencel Lyocell Sweater Ribbing from Lyrical Fabrics on Etsy was used for the turtleneck dress and a stretch cotton Merona (Target) brand skirt was used for the vest, and it came lined in a polyester satin.

PATTERN:  Butterick #6794, by Kenzo, year 1972, a vintage original pattern from my personal stash, and a Burda Style #104 “Reversible Waistcoat” pattern from April 2017 magazine.

Burda Style #104

NOTIONS NEEDED:  lots of thread

TIME TO COMPLETE:  The dress and the vest were finished in about 10 hours for each and both were sewn in January 2024.

THE INSIDES:  The rib knit doesn’t fray and so the edges – even the hems – are left raw for a beautifully loose and soft finish that is still clean.  The vest is fully lined so all raw edges are covered.

TOTAL COST:  As the vest comes from a skirt that was a thrift shop find (bought for a few dollars) about 15 years ago, I am counting it as free by now.  The dress’ fabric was my only expense – about $40 for a yard and a half.

     The “Jungle Jap” label was Kenzō’s preliminary name to fame starting in 1970.  “I wanted to blend the two things I loved – the jungle and Japan (his home country),” said Kenzō explaining the brand name to the press.  He painted the walls of his tiny boutique in Paris with his own version of the lush and vibrant Rousseau painting from 1910, The Dream.  “Jungle Jap” was a success in Europe and took off quickly until the pejorative connotations behind his label hit a sour note with the American market.  In 1976, he switched the name of his brand to be self-titled.  “‘Kenzo’ wasn’t considered a Japanese brand. It was a European brand made by a Japanese designer” says Fukushima Sunao, the curator of the Tokyo Opera Art Gallery in Japan, which recently hosted an exhibit on his life story.  Such a perception of himself became the source for his eclectic, global worldview on fashion.  However, the many ‘firsts’ in fashion which he achieved in the name of his Japanese heritage, only add to his acclaimed seat as one of the great designers in couture history.

     The pattern I used, being from 1972, is firmly in Kenzō’s “Jungle Jap” era, and thus I find it so interesting that the brand was left off of the Butterick envelope.  The cover highlights his name only, unlike the Betsey Johnson “Young Designer” pattern (which I posted here) from 1972 which does advertise for her “Alley Cat” line.  Perhaps the missing nod to “Jungle Jap” is a detail which shows how the American market very selectively appreciated what Kenzō had to offer.  I wonder if Butterick made the choice to ignore his chosen brand title in order to continue selling his designs or was this a licensing decision made on Kenzo’s end?  My particular pattern is even more curious in light of the fact that the three preceding pattern numbers, also Kenzō designs, all carry a sneaky connotation to his brand label by adding “J.A.P” on their covers (see them here on the Wiki Pattern Archive).  It is odd that only a handful carry the full provenance when Kenzō offered almost 50 different pattern offerings in total through Butterick.  He was very generous and prolific at sharing his styles with home seamstresses!

     The tissue pieces needed no alteration for this dress to fit me. I only added about twelve inches of length to extend the hem and bring the design beyond being a top.  The fact that I was using a knit fabric further helped the pattern work for me even though it was technically a size too small for my measurements according to the pattern’s chart.  I knew, however, that Kenzō preferred loose fitting garments.  After understanding the designer’s approach to his fashion offerings, and measuring the tissue pattern to find finished garment sizing, I suspected the pattern ran a bit roomy. 

I was correct!  Butterick’s “Young Designer” line again shows itself to be consistently true to a featured creator’s sizing preferences, setting these patterns up to be a truly authentic reproduction (which I discuss in this post).  A snug form fit is necessary when using a rib knit, and so I kept to the smaller size of the pattern to end up with a dress that fits me perfectly. 

     In my experience, the “Young Designer” vintage Butterick patterns seem to be catered to petite or teenage sizing, which works well for my petite frame.  If I am working with a woven, non-stretch material I may still have to adjust the proportions, nevertheless.  Here, however, I was working with a knit in a dress that has no defined waist or hip line.  This helped me use the pattern as it was yet again without needing modifications.  You see, this short-lived vintage pattern line from Butterick is not primarily about whether the featured designer is young (Kenzō was 32 in 1972) but that he or she creates an aura of youthfulness with their brand to be the current popular style for many minors.  It is all about the styling here which makes this design look more adult than juvenile on me, but this also goes to show how versatile a turtleneck can be for all ages across the decades.

     My turtleneck dress may not be a crazy floral or combination of prints as many of his “Jungle Jap” clothes are.  Nevertheless, it is a saturated tone such as Kenzō would prefer, glowing blue in a color that is as unique as the material itself.  The seller’s summary from the listing for my fabric is a good description of all the lovely qualities for which I adore wearing this fabric. “Made in the US using closed-loop Tencel Lyocell, our Sweater Ribbing has a very fluid drape characteristic of members of the rayon family.  Luxuriously soft to the touch, it has a sweater-like feel and look, but is not as structured and thick as cotton sweaters of the same weight.  Use this fabric to make garments that are both form fitting and have movement: think of a knit dress with a fitted bodice and an A-line skirt.  The fabric will drape against your body in an effortless and elegant way.  At 11 oz/sq yard, it is a heavyweight knit to keep you comfy yet warm in the cold months ahead.”

Kenzō insisted on using fabrics that had high quality, comfy softness, and lots of draping capabilities, as is seen in the way his “Jungle Jap” clothes seem ‘broken in’ on models in old runway images.  This wonderful fabric fits that bill perfectly and the dress I made of it immediately feels like an old favorite piece to wear.

     However, Kenzō widely used cotton for his designs and my turtleneck dress, when worn alone, was rather plain.  I added a little extra flair to my ensemble by changing up the style of a cute little cotton print skirt on hand.  I have been wanting an excuse to sew this design ever since the vest caught my eye in my Burda Style magazine as part of the matching ensemble to this denim skirt (which is posted here).  The pattern pieces for the vest were just small enough to fit on my refashion item, as long as I folded out the center back box pleat between the shoulders.  If that back box pleat was all that was sacrificed for the skirt to turn into a vest, then I was fine with that compromise to the design. 

I cut the pieces out of the skirt as one with the attached lining underneath so as to make efficient use of both time and material.  I had no plans on actually making this vest reversible so I merely finished off the arm edges with bias tape inside.  The outer edges are professionally turned inside the lining since those areas are visible when worn.  I love the extended front shoulder seams and the great fit.  It stays in place on the body and has the tailoring which reminds me of a vintage bolero (such as this one that I made years back). 

     The vest has already seen more use in this incarnation than it ever did as a skirt!  To prove to you how versatile this vest really is for me, I’ll show that I not only wore it with my sweater dress for our trip, but also used it on our hike down to a beautiful Colorado creek.  I paired it with a store bought turtleneck and my brown wool refashioned skirt (posted here).  Even a little lightweight vest like this is my friend when I need layers that help me balance the changing temperatures of a mountain region.  I became warm from hiking but was sheltered from the wind down by the creek and so a vest was precisely what I needed to keep from either overheating or getting a chill.  Yet, I could still look cute for visiting with friends out at a restaurant later that day.  A vest is a great little piece which can tie an outfit together with minimum fuss.  A vest is definitely another item, like a turtleneck, that I remember being popular when I a kid, and yet I never enjoyed them as much I do now.  The way I am wearing these garments today redeems them anew in my mind, which is quite rewarding.

     In old interviews, Kenzō had said things along the line of making high-end fashion accessible, relevant, fun, and affordable enough to be enjoyed by more than just a limited few people.  Designer sewing patterns, whether they be vintage or contemporary, certainly give all of those benefits!  The best handmade clothes are the ones you reach for when it’s time to do anything from big plans to everyday activities, and to have sewn my own designer clothes to work for me like this is exhilarating.  No doubt Kenzō would love to hear that I have brought his fashion into the special and the everyday parts of my life by using his patterns.  By the time I am writing this post I have also sewn the cute jumper which is part of the same pattern from which my turtleneck came from.  I can’t wait to show you how I interpreted Kenzō’s jumper into rugged overalls!

     This post’s outfit is a very eclectic way to understand Kenzō.  The dress reminds me of the way he loved a basic chunky collared turtleneck.  So many pictures of him throughout the time period of his ‘’Jungle Jap” line show Kenzō in a turtleneck, even if under a dress shirt.  When he arrived in Paris he found it cold and dreary compared to Japan, so a turtleneck became his personal look.  I might not appear be channeling his brand too strongly here, even though the pattern does come from one of his official Butterick releases.  Turtleneck dresses and tops in solid colors are hiding as a layering piece under most of his brand’s more colorful garments.  However, I am trying to imitate Kenzō’s individual style. 

     The animal print vest is the extra honorary nod in this set to strongly refer to his old brand’s original name, the one that gave him the inspiration for his designs.  This is my first vest to be a product of a refashion!  Paired with my first turtleneck dress, it makes for a new and interesting way for me to approach a designer outfit.  I have turned a top pattern into a dress and a skirt into a waistcoat (as Burda calls the vest)!  My fashion sense may be backwards or at least unexpected, but it works for me.  Who knows what I will come up with for next year’s “Jungle January”?