fashion

First Make of the New Year

Blog, Creatives Create, Style & Fashion, What I Sewed

Soooo HNY!! I’m not making any promises other than posting more 😬

That being said let’s just get right into this make.

I’m into the following things HEAVY:

• Animal Print

• Tiered girly dresses

• Lux minimalism

• Brocade

Hence making this dress!!!

It’s the Fibre Mood “Mira” Dress with a bit of a hack to the sleeves (lengthened and a slight ruching at the shoulder).

It took about 3 hours to make and it was definitely worth it.

The minute I started putting this together, without getting cocky I knew this wasn’t going to be a long make. And that’s the trick. Even though it’s not a lot of pieces, you still have to move with excellence. Altogether 6 pieces and the major work is ruching. But I’m sure a ruffler foot could shorten the time as well.

Roar 🐯!

The only thing this little number lacks is pockets. But best believe the next one will have some. I’m not a huge mini dress girl BUT bayyyybeeeee there will be a few of these in my closet. And you can put leggings or tights or jeans on and boom 💥 a tunic.

The spread.

Tho minimalist and lux, this dress has a LOT of volume. If you pick the right material, you can truly make a “do all“ dress.

Happy making!

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Second Time Around – The Little Dress that Could

Blog, Creatives Create, Style & Fashion, What I Sewed

So let me start off by saying I’m OBSESSED with Cynthia Rowley. I do NOT have CR money but her simplistic cuts, luxurious fabrics, her keen sense of when to puff or ruff(le)… my eye is always drawn to her looks. It’s something about the way she makes bolds look like neutrals and everyday wear. I’m sold. But like i said, she is COMPLETELY out of my price range. When i saw this dress i was sick!

It’s sooooooo cute and quirky. But irl I knew I’d need it a bit longer cuz… booty; so then it became me on a hunt for a similar pattern. Simplicity pattern S8909 came through like a trooper.

Y’all… dress A is practically the Cynthia Rowley dress sans the ruffled hem. AND ITS RAGLAN SLEEVE AND I LOVE A RAGLAN SLEEVE. So in my mind I was like BET! So I had some “tester” fabric in my stash I was willing to make this dress with.

😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐

So…

A few things…

    Prints are tricky. In theory they work on paper and swatch and coquis but irl WHOLE OTHER BEAST
    I’m not a huge pastel girl so this was overwhelming
    Construction was simple enough
    If you’re focused; this dress can be completed and finished in 5 hours

And then this happened. Sizing for your shape is real and this is why pattern grading is clutch. The first run this was all bulk and the hem was entirely too long. This was the antithesis of a vibe and extremely discouraging BUT you gotta learn from your mistakes and often try again. So that’s what I did.

  • I shortened the hem AND bottom ruffle.
  • I went for a more easy bold pattern and made sure it was something I’d be more inclined to wear.
  • Created darts in the back for a more complimenting silhouette

This was it! the second try was a hit.

Though different; you can definitely see the influence and I love that!

What are your thoughts? Would you sew 🧵 this? Would you use a bold pattern or keep it simple?

I hope you enjoyed! Happy sewing!!!

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Community is EVERYTHING!

The Jane Re-Worked

Style & Fashion

“Make a t-shirt they say… it’ll be fun they say…”

It was.

This Saturday I had the “pleasure” of this quick sew. The quotes are because I managed to complete this even after two + GRUESOME hours of teaching dance WITH a crazy earache that I found out was a middle ear infection after spending hours at a minute clinic.

Wild. But it goes to show how quick this could be if you’re fully able bodied.

So the deets:

This is the Jane Pattern from Seamwork worked in a large. I could’ve fit a medium I’m sure but I really like loose fitting tees.

I reworked the construction of this after making one per their instructions and feeling highly “meh” about it.

Instead of sewing (I actually used my serger for this project) the sleeve to the bodice in a continuous motion; I opted to attach the sleeves by using the inserting method. It falls better IMO.

Collar / crew neck construction

So I saw the logic in how and why they make their collar look like a long flag that you cut on the fold but I like the “formula” way better because I personally think it lays better. But let’s be honest. If you’re using a serger it’s gonna lay just fine.

This knit fabric was incredibly tricky, I still ended up taking about 6/8 of an inch off of each side. I’m going to take that L and say it was me and not the pattern tho. But even with that trim and the 1/2 inch seam allowance you use with serging it, it’s still quite blousy so there’s that.

Now my bother did say the following “Jaikeyl; don’t go making mad white tees, Hanes already cornered the market” and I DO agree. BUT if you see a cute knit or cotton print that you can’t resist OR you always wished your tee sleeves went to your elbow *cough cough easy pattern hack* this is for sure something to keep in your sewist arsenal.

Fashion Catfish

Blog, Style & Fashion

So Hi! 👋🏽

Happy extended summer as I don’t fully recognize fall…😒

Here’s my anecdote about how I came to make this super dope jumper:

When I attended FIT, a few of my teachers commented on my ability to see a garment or a picture of a garment and be able to draw a rough pattern by sight. One teacher said “you have a wonderful counterfeiters eye!” Color me offended. And I mean UPSET. It greatly impacted my scrutiny on myself on whether I was “copying” or “creating” when it came to anything. It took me a second to realize that being influenced by what you see doesn’t make you a copier and that everything is a variation on the basic precepts of pattern design.

Fast forward to the here and now and fast fashion has become an opportunity for fashion scamming. With the intro of all of these “online only” fashion boutiques fashion catfishing is ever increasing. What do I mean? You see a picture of a thing and it’s poppin. You shell your cash out wait weeks only to get it and it look like “who did it and ran?”

I got got one time but I was a lucky one. I got my money back; however more and more people aren’t getting their money back and it is a helpless feeling.

Now, I’d seen a jumper online that I absolutely LOVED. But it was from a Chinese manufacturer that had TERRIBLE reviews

Like HOW CUTE IS THIS?!?!

Its all comfy and chill…

And I KNOW I could freak it in the fall but the company oshoplive.com has some heinous reviews and I don’t have $40 to waste plus the designer in me was like “Jai… look at the construction; this is a simple sew…” it felt like a Biggie lyric “took home ready to die, listened, studied it!” These are extra long gathered baggy pants with suspenders…

And here is where inspiration vs. copying steps in…

I’m not here for buttons and I truly wanted a simple sew so I made it a onesie rather than a button up. I had some GREAT Indian Batik fabric from JoAnn’s

Cotton & crisp. And two types of blue… what’s not to love?

I actually made it longer than the original I saw (the shoes I’m wearing – ASOS – are 6 inch platforms) because I wanted a maxi dress meets pants feel.

The “suspenders” are snap buttons because I said what I said… I wanted a quick sew.

I trimmed the top with ribbon that I’d had for almost 20 years!!! (That’s another story but I could SMELL MJ Trimmings on it when I ironed it ♥️)

This outfit gave me ethereal meets functional meets funky meets black girl magic! And this is no shot to the one I saw but side by side I’d pick my inspired version any day. And MAKING something leaves little room for you to be disappointed because you have the ability to keep going until you love it.

So all in all this is the story of how fashion catfishing inspired me to make this super dope jumper. I will be making a limited amount to be sold at the end of the month! Elastic top instead of ribbon to give a better one size feel. How would you make this fellow freestyle seamstresses?!?!

Community is Everything! Let’s build!

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Gentlemen Prefer Brunettes – Adventures in Sewing

Blog, Style & Fashion

I love being inspired by the size and style of the women in the 50’s (more realistic, less cosmetically altered) and the artistry of couture from the 1930’s – 1950’s.

Beauty was the whole package and not just a “shape”. It was what the woman wore and how she carried herself. That was my inspiration for this dress.

I’m not exceptionally small, I’m not curvy at all; but as Lisa Stansfield belted “I’m all woman” and 💯 % luxurious.

My inspiration came from this burdastyle pattern.

IMG_6241

I’m not a fan of Starburst darting, especially darting like this that pulls to the middle. I have a straight figure and regular sized bust so this would create no real accentuating of anything. At best, this would only highlight my pooch ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But the simplicity of the cut and the godet train drew me in and I said “self… you can make something like this!” So I pulled out my basic bodice and straight skirt slopers and got to work .

The result was this super dope delicate mermaid flare at the bottom and a wild dope train.

stairwellGatsby standing

This cut (mermaid/ fit & flare) created curves where non exist! Lol and the obi belt that i made to “snatch” my waist; I ended up using as a shawl because I’m really going to learn to appreciate my shape this year!

The godet train gave me my full, entire, whole life.

This fabric was my favorite. I’d been holding this for over a year waiting for the perfect reason to bust this out and use it. It was very Gatsby – Art Deco. Rich gold, pale gold & black – and the design of the fabric was just aesthetically pleasing to me, it stood out, it was rich looking but not gaudy.

It made me feel VERY luxurious. And sometimes a lady just needs to feel that old Hollywood luxury (minus sexism and bigotry)

I ended up having a BLAST at our church banquet and the dressed proved that I could eat AND dance in it. It was a great night and a great (Gatsby of a) dress!

Dress: “The Gatsby” – The Style Cooperative – price upon request

Coat – H&M – gifted but you can get something similar here

Accessories – cuff – gifted

What inspires you?

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How To Go Overboard with Florals

Blog, Style & Fashion

Don’t you just hate when you hate something so much you end up loving it? Well… maybe not hate it, but when the industry is inundated with it… you just want to sort of fall back from it?Judging you...

That’s lowkey how I felt about florals; until I went through my closet to minimize my wardrobe, and realized I’ve had a lifelong love affair with florals.

Just seeing people clamor over florals made me want to do something different. My only option? Don’t play it safe.

The key to going overboard is uniformity. The blouse and trousers are both H&M. Buying both patterns at the same shop takes the guess work out of wondering will it match. Retail stores profit on making shopping easier so prints are often made to compliment one another. In this case, the exact same print.

This is a great play on a “traditional” black & white look. It’s as if your outfit is almost the accessory… almost…

The shoes were NOTHING like the pattern of the blouse & trousers, but it just worked. The color palette was slightly sharper, defined, and brighter. Not to mention the Oriental floral design of the bootie added compliment and contrast to the Victorian floral design of the outfit.

Booties were from Justfab and I got them during that insane Black Friday/ cyber Monday/ they havin’ sales all dag on month deal.

When I put this outfit together it just felt “right”. On my ever evolving style journey it’s comforting to know that simplicity and grandeur still have their place. And there are still fun ways to pull off bold looks without looking insane… at least in my opinion 😏.

How are you making it through the floral trend? Comment below!! Per usual, all pieces were (WELL) under $50!

Spend wisely!

Jumpers that work for Summer and Fall

Blog, Style & Fashion

Every day should be brunch attire.  Comfy, chic, flattering. I told my friend “I’m going for part PJ’s, part beast in these streets.”  And as I continue to curate my line to bring you some great style choices this jumper has now been added to the roster.

“Jump Man” Jumper

I made this jumpsuit to be a bright piece to be worn from summer into fall. This particular print is a dope very nostalgic very 90’s African print that I picked up from 116th in Harlem.


The rolled hem, kimono sleeve, and wrap front make this a style ease option for the busty and non busty alike.


Spot the donut. #jdilla


This ain’t ya mothers jumper either. This is definitely backside friendly without being too tight or too loose. Baby Bear.


Pair with a denim jacket and loafers in the fall, or a trench and combat boots for a more “breakfast club” vibe.

How would you rock this? What pattern would you want to see? Want to be first on the list of  this release?! As always:  thefashionunder50@gmail.com

Stay dope! Support your local artists! Let’s build.