Lessons Learned from a Wardrobe Contest

I learned a lot, this past summer, from the wardrobe contest hosted by PR. Not only did my sewing skills improve and I discovered the joy of hand sewing, but I also learned a lot about how clothes fit on my body and discovered how to put together a coordinating wardrobe. I now consider my wardrobe when (thrift) shopping for clothes, and even if I love a garment, if it doesn't fit just right or is a complete tangent from the rest of my clothes, I'll put it back for some other lucky thrifter to find.

Well, I'm leaving today to attend a geology conference in Denver this weekend, and I was concerned about my wardrobe. I want to make a good impression, and despite this summers sewing activities, I actually have very little appropriate clothes, especially for this time of the year. So off to Value Village I went.

Actually, I really went there to find a scale, but came home with 1 pair of wool trousers, 4 tops (3 of which are shown above), a colourful casual scarf (not shown above), and 2 pairs of dress shoes. I'm very happy with my finds, because combined with a few pieces I already owned (the black trousers, denim pencil skirt, black & white top, and two scarves), the whole mini wardrobe has a cohesive, professional look.

Oh, I know there's some problems. I'm not a fan of the all black combo, but with a scarf it's not so bad. That burgundy shirt may not be all that flattering on me because there's no waist definition at all, but it's a flowy, comfortable shirt, and I actually think it look fine on me. Sort of breaks one of my garment rules (waist definition), but maybe the lesson is that none of these rules are set in stone.

Even though only one piece of clothing in this wardrobe is self-stitched, the rules and techniques used to build this conference wardrobe was entirely learned from the wardrobe contest. Every piece mixes and matches, and a couple accessories can completely change the look. And best of all, I actually look my age instead of like an over-grown teenager in hoodie and jeans!

And of course, one can't forget the shoes.

(Sadly, the brown pair will not be coming on this trip, since they so don't go with anything else. Although they'd look fine with the jeans I'm bringing for any down time, checking out the city. Hmm...)

Anyways, thank you all for your awesome support! I wish you all the best of luck, both in your sewing and, you know, those other parts of life that gets in the way of sewing. Take care, everyone, and happy sewing.