Me-Made May 2020, Part 1

I've done Me-Made May for several years now, although I think last year I didn't document it at all.  No particular reason--I think my school drop off schedule in the morning just didn't allow for any picture taking and it seemed like too much of a hassle in an already overburdened month.  But I enjoy seeing other people's photos during this month, and what comes out of it in terms of my own sartorial thinking and making plans, so I decided to do it again this year.  (Being on lockdown has actually helped because I have two willing photographers in the house to help.  Some days I've just used a tripod and timer, though).  I've done all my sharing on Instagram, but since my account there is private, I thought I would do a couple of summary posts here with the photos and a few thoughts. 

May 1-6

The first week was mostly a bunch of favorites--my corduroy skirts, my marigold linen skirt, my Rent/Tess shawl.  The oregano cord skirt (May 6, bottom right) fits ever so much better since I did a lazy alteration on it in March and I've been wearing it regularly since.  I did pull my red Brussels linen skirt out of the bin to wear again (May 2, top middle), and it is...fine.  I think maybe a shorter hem and a narrower waistband might help me like it better, but it is okay for now.  I like it with the stripey top, so that's something.  The burgundy twill skirt is from the fall and had gone into the donation pile because it doesn't fit me quite right and the material sticks to itself more than I would like, even with a slip under it.  It is better without tights, though.  I can't quite decide whether to take it in or not. 

May 7-12

I was eager to wear my newly finished Doocot (top right), but the weather didn't really cooperate until May 9, and then I was happy to wear a wool sweater all day!  The Doocot went surprisingly well with my yellow Chinook scarf, which is a shade of yellow I struggle to pair with things, even though I like the scarf a lot.  I love the pairing with that dress, too.  I also realized that the mint sweater (top left) doesn't look that great on me.

May 13-18

I did some outfit experiments during these days, and came up with a couple new things and I think I like them!  The top left outfit was a new combo, and not my usual silhouette, but I felt really great in that outfit.  I also dug an old Washi dress out of my fabric bin where I had planned to cut it down for one of the girls and paired with a recently thrifted sweater and I like the combo very much.  That dress always went really well with my Spruce Carbeth too, but it is way too warm for that sweater right now.  The green linen skirt on the bottom left has undergone further alterations since the photo, but I have yet to test drive them.  I also made a small alteration to the marigold linen skirt to fit the back elastics better.

I've read a few things from some makers lately about whether it is better to dress to flatter (a word some curvy sewists find offensive because they've been told all their lives that they "can't" or "shouldn't" wear such-and-such, or have been excluded from fashion all together by a thin-obsessed industry) or to wear what you like/feels comfortable, regardless of whether it fits a conventional idea of figure flattery?  I'm not sure the two things are mutually exclusive.  

It is a tricky question, however, because anyone who does not fit our particular cultural visual ideal of tall, straight-figured, relatively flat-chested, and very thin can find certain styles that appeal don't look the way they are "supposed" to look.  There are lots of styles that I like the looks of (the loose culotte style pants that have been floating around the last couple seasons are a good example) but look really unflattering on my figure for one reason or another.  I tend to feel yuck in stuff that doesn't flatter in a conventional way, and so tend to gravitate toward stylings that work best for my proportions.  (I did make a pair of Rose pants to try out the pattern, but the fit was so badly off, I couldn't even make myself revisit the pattern to try again.  My experience fitting pants to my proportions is always maximum frustrating, and I never get something I really like in the end, so I give up easily.)

On the other hand, I do get sick of having to tuck in my shirts and sweaters all the time for maximum flattery (and feel good about what I see in the mirror).  The outfit on May 13 was born of my desire to not have something tucked in, and also to have an easy-fitted waist, something I can only get with my Everyday skirts.  It turned out flattering, but normally it wouldn't have been because almost every ready-to-wear sweater or shirt is cut too long for my proportions and looks weirdly big on me or emphasizes my lumpy bits.  So I tuck most things in to get around that.

Which leads me to my perennial warm-weather quandary.  What in the world am I wearing this summer?  My preferred silhouette these days is a knit stripey shirt with 3/4 or long sleeves, tucked into a fitted straight skirt that ends at or just above the knee (i.e. May 18, on the bottom right).  I can't seem to fit a skirt in a warm-weather fabric that meets that requirement, and while my Everyday skirts are good and swishy, I can't seem to find a length or volume that is just right.  And tucking in shirts in hot humid weather is not always my idea of a good time. 

Cropped woven tops that end at the waist like the Ashton with some kind of capped sleeve like the Washi sleeve cap are a good thought, but I really prefer t-shirt type tops in the heat.  (I don't mind bare shoulders, but I burn extremely easily and so try to keep my arms at least semi-covered in the summer, but I have to strike a balance between hot flashes and skin cancer avoidance).

I did thrift a few basic t-shirts that are the right length for me to wear untucked, so perhaps it will be okay.  I made an Everyday skirt out of some clay-colored linen this past weekend and it is a smidge too big and slightly too long, so I'll need to fix that before I wear it out, but I was looking to make something tried and true since I haven't really sewn anything for myself for months.  (Just endless sock darning and lazy skirt alterations). 

But the current cooler weather means I can put those thoughts on the back burner at least for a little while yet, and be glad.