Tag Archive for "floral" - I Still Love You by Melissa Esplin

Posts Tagged ‘floral’

Sewing: The Feminist Bathing Suit

June 23rd, 2015

4 Comments

When I tell people that I like to sew my own swimming suits, I tend to get the same reaction of awe and I-could-never-do-anything-like-that self-doubt. Sewing a swimsuit isn’t that hard. Shopping for one is hard.

Let me put this in perspective. How many women out there go to the store, pick out the first suit they like, try it on, love it and go home? And if you’re reading this and you do that, you’re either pre-pubescent or a freaking unicorn. Because that doesn’t exist.

Every woman I talk to spends at least the double-digits in hours either searching for, trying on, buying/returning a swimsuit. It’s a laborious task finding the swimsuit of the season. It is!

I’m thin. My BMI is in the “you need to gain weight” range. It always has been. So many think it might be easy for me to find a suit I just love. It’s not. I always end the swimsuit excursion feeling emotionally bankrupt, thinking: My boobs are too small, my torso is too long and my body is too pasty.

Why? Why on earth put myself through that kind of torture? WHY?!?!?

You know what? I have an amazing body. WE ALL HAVE AMAZING BODIES. It’s just that 99% of the time our bodies don’t fit the block created by one manufacturer or another. And is that bad? NO.

So I’m not going to waste another minute feeling upset that my body doesn’t fit a man-made proportion, or spend a second on the things I could do to enhance or change my god-given proportions. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve thought about it. It’s just not for me. Not right now.

Now I spend that half-day obsessing over muslins and sketches. I huddle over my sewing machines finishing every detail as best as I can. I’ve drafted my own sewing pattern through lots of trial and error (version 1.0 here), so now I have a pattern for swim bottoms that fits me perfectly. I can adjust that pattern to the style I’m going for. Drafting a top takes more time, but it’s worth it.

At the end of the experience, I have a swimsuit I’ve made. A swimsuit I’m proud of. A swimsuit that fits me.

Some may think that sewing is so antiquated. I’ll tell you there’s nothing more empowering than that sewing machine. If you’re on the fence about sewing a swimsuit this year, get off the fence and start making one right now. It’ll be the best investment in you you’ll make this summer.

Outfit details:

floral knit: L.A. Fabric District
scuba knit: Fabric.com
necklace: H&M
shoes: Forever 21
bracelet: THP shop

I drafted each pattern from scratch. I would consider starting at Burdastyle, if you download their patterns make sure that patterns have seam allowance before you cut them out. :)

If sewing isn’t for you, check out my swimwear inspiration board.

All images by Sam Pierson

Style: Tribal + Floral

October 17th, 2012

4 Comments

It’s been a while since I’ve done a style post. I miss these because they motivate me to get dressed in the morning, even when I have no place to go.

I’ve been digging mixing tribal with florral. Besides the fact they’re both all the rage these days, I love the juxtaposition of masculine and feminine so to speak.

This outfit isn’t outright tribal, but the western themes and the statement necklace make my mind go there.

Outfit details:

earrings: thrifted
necklace: handmade
cardigan: thrifted
top: thrifted (last weekend!)
belt: thrifted (last weekend!)
skirt: handmade at Sewing Summit
shoes: thrifted

(I’m pretty sure this outfit falls in the under $20 category.)

Can we make this combo a meme together? Hashtag your tribal and floral outfits on instagram using #tribalandfloral. I will be.

Stuck in the Mud

July 11th, 2012

8 Comments

I’m having a terrible time getting my studios in order. I’m so completely excited that I will have two (!!) upstairs rooms dedicated to all of the creativity that I love. Sometimes I feel a bit guilty relegating the children to the basement for my desire for space and natural light, but on the other hand, the kids get almost the entire basement dedicated to their toys where they can do whatever they want. Heck, I’ve even thought about dedicating an entire wall to their doodling.

I have a bit of painting in the computer room and a whole lot of organizing in the craft/sewing room. I’ve been organizing here and there as I can, but seeing all of my supplies is getting me more anxious than ever to start working on projects.

I picked up these beautiful fabrics at Britex in San Francisco while I was there for the art.com launch. They were my super splurge at over $20 a yard each. Still I felt like I held back. There was more fabric there than I could shake a stick at. My favorite bolt had to have been a pretty vintage-inspired silk jersey that was dreamy to the touch. It was $110 a yard. We’re in hard-core budget mode, so I consider the above yardage alone a real splurge.

The striped fabric is a rayon with a lot of stretch and structure. I’m thinking it would make a beautiful nautically-themed structured dress. One with pretty pleats and a tulip skirt. The floral fabric is a cotton jersey that’s incredibly lightweight with awesome drape and great opacity. It would make for a fantastic pleated maxi in my opinion.

Have you ever splurged like crazy on fabric, just because you liked the way it felt? I don’t have any set projects with these, but I bought a yard and a quarter of both, so I should have enough for most of the projects I’m brewing. How do you shop for fabric? By need or inspiration?