Break out the Brocade

Whether this 2020 lockdown has you living in a small a selection of day pyjamas and night pyjamas, or you actually manage a Formal Friday every now and then, one thing’s for sure: These are the strangest of sartorial times.

Don’t despair. Somewhere between the all the unusual activities that we now find ourselves tasked with, there may be an opportunity to tackle one or two previously neglected projects.

Like decluttering your wardrobe. Putting those good but no-longer-worn items aside to be donated, and throwing the no-so-good ones out. And, planning a few pieces that will work for you once life returns to some sort of “normal”.

One versatile piece to have in reserve is an elegant cocktail skirt. Style it with anything from a silk cami, to a chiffon blouse, to a white shirt, or even a cardigan.

Here are some gorgeous brocade skirts currently available online:

Brocade skirts available from Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta, Rochas, and Brock Collection. Available on the Design House's own website, or MyTheresa, or Net-a-Porter.

I recently made myself this skirt using my SureFit Designs Skirt Blueprint, and some techniques that I learned some time back from Suzy Furrer's MyBluprint class (The Skirt Sloper), for making a slimmed down pegged pencil skirt with an angled, lapped slit at the back.

If you’d like to make your own skirt, perfectly fitted to your own measurements, you can sign up to one of these:

The Skirt Block Mini Class from Alexandra Morgan of In-House Patterns (free for the month of May 2020), or, if you already have a skirt block that fits you, the Princess Patchwork Skirt Design & Sew-along from Glenda Sparling of SureFit Designs, or, Suzy Furrer's MyBluprint class.

Stay home and stay safe!

Until next time,

Caroline