Outfit Idea #17. Paisley Pattern Pencil Skirt.

Can u repeat that 3 times really fast?

If you are stuck in an office during these lovely summer days my heart goes out to you. But I also have a solution: you can show your coworkers that you still remember that it's summer by wearing your office staple - a pencil skirt - in a fun paisley pattern.

I made this skirt from McCall's Pattern 5817. I was tired of old black and grey pencil skirts and decided to play a bit with colour. I found this fabric on a scraps table in a Home Decor section of Fabricland. Thus, I am proud to admit that the entire projects did not cost me more than maybe $5. 

I love this skirt because the fit is so perfect. The unusual fabric choice adds interest to this understated style. Plus the two vents in the back let you move freely while still looking sharp.

Wear it with a white crisp shirt, wedge or flat shoes and accessorize it with a bold necklace. Swapping the necklace for an animal print scarf is a fun way to combine prints. 

Who said that office fashion is boring? In the summer it simply cannot be!

Mayan Textiles at the Textile Museum

Last week, I finally made my way to the Textile Museum to take a look at the collection of the Mayan textiles from Guatemala. And I cannot help sharing with you what I saw. 

If colour and pattern were language - which I think they definitely are - this compilation of Mayan embroidery designs would sum up my impressions of the exhibit. It speaks for itself. It makes me happy! My happy muscles start twitching and my happy antennae start vibrating. Do you get that?

[The Maya believed that clothing could transform a person and a person could transform the garment and is expressed through it, so naturally clothing was of great cultural significance. ]

 The traje is also more durable, and a woman may wear it for many years, weaving a new one to recognize major life transitions or when resources permit. It makes me sad that we no longer spend as much time on a garment as women traditionally used to. Perhaps that is the reason fashion has become disposable, the less you pay for it, the less relation you have to it, the fewer times you will wear it and the less attachment you have to it. Eventually, it ends up in the donation bin...

Outfit Idea #16. Aqua Pleated Mini Skirt.

Hello dears,

Here is a creation I completed a little while ago. I am sure you have seen this gorgeous aqua colour trending in the stores near you. I mostly saw it on maxi skirts and dresses. So I decided to put my own twist on it. The fact that I only had about 1.5 yards of it forced me to be creative and reinterpret it in mini. I used a Simplicity Pattern 2413 as a base.

I styled the skirt with contrast-coloured shoes (a present from the designer I modeled for at Redefining Design 2013) and an aqua coral-shaped necklace (which my honey bought for me in NY). A nude clutch is a nice finishing touch which can hold all my party essentials.

I think the colour and the silhouette are perfect for summer night partying! Can't wait to take this number out!