This was my exact "model" pose when I was 5 years old.

My stash included some black silk jersey I bought on Goldhawk Road and had been hoarding for over a year. Silk jersey! What a fabric! It was so slinky, flowing, smooth and lovely, and I’d draped it around and over myself so many times in my bedroom mirror with such satisfying results (goddess! Amazon! homewrecker!), that I was reluctant to cut into it, thereby committing to an actual garment. But the time had come — I needed an oversized black top to fill a wardrobe gap.

This is the first garment I have ever sewn that made up in less than a day. I can definitely see the allure of the serger — it lends itself admirably to quick and dirty sewing. It cranks out seams at a spanking pace, and it allows me to work with knits, which don’t require the desperate precision or hours of fitting I associate with wovens. Little machine, where have you been all my life?

This pattern is designed for a thicker, much less fluid knit than silk jersey (see the Slapdash Sewist‘s stylish rendition), so I modified it to play up the drape of my fabric. I cut the bodice and sleeves 1-2 inches longer than marked for a blousier effect. I also cut the hip yoke longer and ruched it at the side seams with clear elastic, because I need all the extra hip circumference I can get. I omitted the self-fabric belt entirely. The result is a roomy, snug-at-the-hips, incredibly comfortable top that works at the office and pairs nicely with skinny jeans and stilettos to create the capsule wardrobe I call “cocktail-sipping woman-about-town”. Because it’s big, black and billowy, it also puts me faintly in mind of the Dread Pirate Roberts.

My companion here will have the iocaine Bellini.

Hence, “the Revenge top”.

(Because I’m bored of shooting on my bare concrete roof terrace, I’ve elected to start making the most of the perceived glamor of a London lifestyle and photograph my finished garments on location instead. This is cocktail hour at the Royal Exchange.)

Lessons learned:

• Don’t be afraid of the serger. So easy to start on, I’m kicking myself for waiting this long.
• Watch out for permanent creases in jersey. There’s a faint fold line along the back of this top that no amount of pressing will eradicate.
• Believe the folks at Pattern Review. They said this pattern’s kooky neckline facing and construction were difficult to wrangle. And they were right.

Fashion on the Ration update: new jeans!

My jeans situation was dire. All my jeans were secondhand and ill-fitting. I hadn’t bought a new pair since George W. Bush’s first term in office. The affordable jeans I tried on — Gap, Levi’s, H&M — were only so-so in fit, which felt like a waste of coupons. So, annual pay bonus in hand, I decided for the first time in my life to try on some non-affordable jeans. You know… just to see.

What a revelation. The jeans pictured are 7 for All Mankind from Liberty. They cost about 2.5 times what I’ve been prepared to pay for jeans in the past — O wicked, decadent, sinful Susannah! — but I do not feel ripped off or guilty, because they are the first pair of jeans I’ve ever actually, unqualifiedly loved. They are made for grown-ups, with a high waist and room for actual thigh muscles. They function like body armor for my self-esteem. And, for what it’s worth, they are made in the USA. They’ve also jailbroken the rhinestone Poste Mistress stilettos I bought two years ago and have only worn twice since then. Hurray for throwing money at the problem!

Coupons spent: 5

Coupons left: 36

Various readers have offered various tips to help me look smart on the ration. Melissa of Fehr Trade documented everything she wore for a month in order to see what garments she really ended up reaching for every morning. Other readers have suggested trying-on expeditions to the shops to discover what suits me. (This works great, although it requires serious discipline.) And several people suggested reading Dariaux’s Guide to Elegance, which, although dated in places, has many invaluable tips, such as not underestimating the importance of accessories, calculating the true cost of a garment by considering how often you wear it and using color intelligently to maximize wardrobe possibilities.

I have yet to catalogue my wardrobe, but a cautious color scheme for the season seems to have presented itself: navy, white and red. Is that staid? I’m thinking it doesn’t have to be.

They’re not necessarily my favorite colors, but personal choice is restricted by what’s available, and the question of fabric selection aside, UK high-street color palettes are particularly dire this year. (Royal blue and coral? Seriously?)

So. Purchases made for spring:

• Cherry-red 1940s heels from Fraulein Marlene on Etsy. Pros: These fit beautifully, go with much of my vintage and modern wardrobe and fill the gap labeled “reasonably comfortable high-heeled summer shoe”. Cons: They cut my feet up eventually if I don’t wear stockings and dye my stockings red if I do. Verdict: Not perfect, but what women’s shoe is? Worth the points. Coupons spent: 5.

• Navy blue cotton pique from Fashion Fabrics Club. I’m using this to make up the 1940s Bestway dress I’m entering in the Pattern Review vintage sewing contest. But whoa! I didn’t realize before I purchased that the pattern yardage given on the envelope was for fabric only 36″ or so wide, while the fabric on the website was 60″ wide… meaning that I way overbought. Pros: Now I have enough to make a blouse, too. Cons: I’m not sure that’s what I wanted. Verdict: There’s no point crying over cut yardage. Coupons spent: 9.

Coupons spent: 14

Coupons left: 47

Considerations:

• I have a vision for this dress. I want to make the central panel in cream and the side panels in green, kind of like this. I am prepared to buy a white or cream fabric and dye it to suit.
• This is an English summer we’re talking about, so keeping cool in the dress will be less of an issue than keeping warm.
• A washable fabric would be nice.
• The bodice has to ruche, but the skirt has to pleat.
• I am not that stressed about using a period-accurate fabric.

Suggestions?