A bit ago, a story came up on my Instagram account from Leanne of @thiswiththis. It showed Leanne in a pair of wide legged pants in either navy or black with a large floral print, a white cardigan, and a white top:
I took one look at this outfit and thought it'd be exactly the kind of thing I'd wear. So, I did what any sewist would do. No, I didn't buy new fabric--although I was tempted. Instead I went shopping in my stash. I didn't have anything like the navy or black trouser fabric, but I did have something reminiscent but with a red background and abstract white flowers (although maybe they're butterflies, bows, or windmills!). I thought this fabric would be perfect for my interpretation of the Instagram outfit, so I set to work.
The fabric was purchased at Mood 10-15 years ago! It is an Oscar De La Renta stretch woven, mostly cotton with a little bit of spandex. I'd call it a midweight with some texture. I thought it would be a little too heavy for a dress, but not heavy enough for straight pants, so that's why I hadn't made it up.
For these pants, I used a fairly recent go-to: the wide-legged, cropped Pietra Pants from Closet Core Patterns. These whipped up easily as I had just made them, blogged here. I made these just as before, including hand-sewing the hem.
For the cardigan, I had made the Helen's Closet Blackwood Cardigan last year, in a textured, white double knit from Mill End Fabrics. Such a versatile piece! I knew this would be perfect for my dupe.
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| Blackwood Cardigan, Pietra Pants, & Simplicity 8601 |
So, now all that was left was to make a shell/tank to complete the outfit. Yes, I have white sleeveless tops in my wardrobe, but, frankly, they're getting a little worse for wear. Time to make a new one! For this, I opted for
Butterick 6848 which I have made a half dozen times. Here's a photo of me last year, wearing one that I made outof bamboo jersey:
For the sleeveless version, I have drafted a one-piece facing (front and back pieces), which I interfaced. It is applied using the
burrito method which creates such a nice, clean finish. I also hem it by hand as I like the hem finish to match the neck/arm finish.
I didn't have any more of the textured, white knit that I had used for the cardigan, but on a recent trip to Mill End, I had seen another bolt. Why didn't I buy it then? Aargh! When I went back at a later date to buy it, the bolt was nowhere to be seen. Oh well. I figured I had some white cotton jersey in my stash, and that would be fine--except when I checked the jersey, it was slightly yellower than the cardigan. And that wouldn't do! But as luck would have it, I needed some buttons for a different project, so I went back to Mill End. While I was there, I took another spin down the white knit aisle. The original textured knit wasn't there, but I found a lightweight solid white ponte with same bright white color. I snapped up two yards, thinking I'd make this current top, and then eventually make a second top from the same pattern.
I like the outfit, but I should've worn my prosthetic (which I have because of my mastectomy) to even out the top over my bust. Oh well! I was comfortable, and wore the outfit to a 4th of July cocktail party. Just pretend the top fits better over my chest, which it does when I'm wearing the right undergarments! The pants are super comfy, and the cardigan goes with sooooo many pieces in my wardrobe.
So, my dupe isn't an exact duplicate, but my outfit was definitely inspired by the Instagram post. I'm really pleased with it, and if will get plenty of wear!
I'm putting together another inspiration outfit. I recently saw Queen Mary of Denmark in a dress (I think) and jacket combo that I'd like to duplicate for my daughter. I'm just in the planning stages right now.
I hope you are doing well and getting some time to sew.
Happy sewing ~ Peggy
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