Hi friends! It is Me Made May this month in the sewing community. It’s a very loose challenge where you set sewing goals for yourself and/or try to wear ‘me made’ clothes every day of the month.
I will admit right off the bat that I have about 15 tabs open on my phone for fabric and patterns that I cannot make a decision on. I’m someone who likes have at least a little bit of direction and a plan when I’m buying patterns and fabric, and I seriously can’t figure out what the heck I’m doing lately. One of the goals I’ve set for myself is to re-evaluate my closet and make a better plan for things I want to make next.
So, this blog post may be helpful to you, or it may just be helpful for me as I write out my thought process and about things that I’m noticing in my wardrobe.
Over the weekend, I was trying to figure out where to start. I thought that I would just find some color palettes on Pinterest and see which ones go with the colors that I wear. Then it dawned on me that it would probably loads easier if I organized my closet by color. (Side note, my husband randomly organizes his shirts by color sometimes, but I don’t).
(For reference, shirts are on the left, dresses are on the right. I also have about 6 other long sleeved shirts/sweaters that are folded on a shelf, but not pictured. Their colors fit right in with the clothes shown though.)
You might be surprised to know that I have NEVER organized my shirts by color. I have organized my dresses by color, but I think that’s because I have more colorful dresses, and it’s a little more straightforward. I know I didn’t get the shirts perfectly ordered, but they’re a heck of a lot better than they were — and it was giving me a headache. Haha.
One thing that I noticed right away was that my shirts are not lacking in the grey department. I also have lot of black, but I wouldn’t be mad if I had a 1 or 2 more because I really love wearing black. Another thing I’m seeing is that I’m not afraid to drape myself in bright, beautiful florals and colorful dresses — but when it comes to shirts, I tend to stay a little bit more muted and dark. Those are my take-aways so far at a least.
The next thing I did was to take these pictures and then I used the Adobe Kuler app and tried to nail down the colors that make up the majority of my closet (at least the shirts – and not counting white, gray, and black). After that, I went to Pinterest to see if I could find similar color combinations. What I found really funny and interesting, is that my ‘home/interior design’ board already had a few color palettes that matched my wardrobe. (*light bulb moment*) Have you ever noticed that some people who have really good clothing style, tend to match their home — and vice versa?
This is the part where I’ve gotten a bit stuck, and I’m trying to figure out my next steps. I have noticed a few colors that I don’t have in my wardrobe, and I think they would serve as good base items, like pants and jackets that would match everything — and that’s what I’m trying to figure out. I haven’t made very many pants or jackets, so I’m having a hard time knowing how they will end up going with the clothes that I already have.
It was so easy making dresses and skirts when I lived in California (warm) because all you have to have is a basic colored shirt and some cute shoes. Once pants and jackets get added to the mix, I get very lost and confused.
One person’s style and mission that I really like is Meg from Sew Liberated. She is such a beautiful person, and I love her outlook on creating and having a closet full of clothes that you love and wear. She has a course called The Mindful Wardrobe Project that I’m feeling very interested in, and I’ve signed up for the waitlist.
I have a few other people on Instagram who I really love their style and might try paying closer attention to the pieces and colors they have that they wear often and pair well with a lot of things. Sometimes I feel like people who match things together really well have a very limited color palette (i.e. all neutral colors). I really like having some color in my wardrobe, but I also really like having neutral colors, so I’m trying to figure out the best way to mesh them. Other than that, I don’t really have any other action steps, but I’ll try to share once I do!
I hope this has helped you in some way. If you have any tips or resources, I’m all ears, so please let me know in the comments.
Happy sewing and creating, friends!
Hi Tori. Thanks for this interesting post. I’ll share what I have found helpful so far. I do not yet have a fully memade wardrobe. Working on it. My tip: I only wear black or navy pants. That keeps things very simple. But I love color so that’s my tops. Jackets are more challenging. Neutral is best but I get it wrong sometimes. Please keep sharing your journey.
Hi Barb! I am totally there with you — I only have black and blue jeans too. Jackets are definitely where I’m getting a bit indecisive. I’m also experimenting with making a couple of elastic waisted woven pants in other neutral colors, but it’s making things more complicated. I guess I won’t know until I try, but I just know how much time and effort goes into each thing, and I want to be able to wear them a lot. Thank you so much for sharing, Barb!
I keep my pants all neutrals, and then my shirts can be as colorful as they want. Maybe boring, but works for me. Sometimes I have a pair of navy or olive pants, which I find more difficult because they don’t go with every single shirt the way a good gray or tan usually does. But olive pants look so lovely with the pastel colors I like to wear, so I’ve been wearing my olive pants more often lately.
This was such helpful information! The only “real” pants I have right now are jeans which are blue and black, and I’ve had a hard time breaking from that. I’m working on some light oatmeal Free Range Slacks at the moment and I was feeling a little apprehensive about them. This makes me feel better though! I’ll have to see how olive and gray look next to the tops I have too. Thank you!!
Hi Tori! I have followed your blog on and off for a couple years. I’ve always loved your style and what you choose to make. I love neutrals for how versatile they are, but color adds interest and beauty. It seems like you’ve got a nice balance. It’s fun trying to figure out how to pare my wardrobe down to a few basics I can wear with anything. I don’t have a pattern recommendation, but if you can find a pair of black pants that can be dressed up or down, that’s a great wardrobe staple. Thanks for inspiring me to start sewing for myself again!
Hi Elasha! I completely agree! Neutrals are so nice, but I just can’t eliminate color from my wardrobe. I really am trying to find a balance, so it makes me happy to hear you say that!
I’ve mostly worn jeans or sweats my whole life, so it’s really challenging me to try other types of trousers. I just finished making the Free Range Slacks in an oatmeal color and I would LOVE a black pair, so that is a fantastic idea! It seems like a great pattern to dress up or down. I’m so glad you’ve stuck around, and that I could help inspire you to start sewing again too! XO
Hello Tori,
I have just read blog your blog for the first time, and enjoyed it immensely.
As a very recent arrival to the world of sewing blogs and all the wonderful inspiring sharing on Instagram I am curious to find sewers who have garments, colours and styles which catch my eye. I love colour and pattern, but in solid ‘styles’, not flouncy or frilled. So looking at your shirts and dresses the colour draws me in.
I often find I am looking for key pieces which I can wear with all the colour and pattern I already have. I am trying to make more bottoms, currently sewing both the Palisade pants and the Free range slacks. I notice my fabrics, of which I have a small stash, tend to be quite neutral in palette. But on Instagram there are a lot of solid colours in linen pants. Maybe it is about matching the colour saturation of the top and bottom half. In quilting one technique is to photograph then view in B&W, and the saturation really shows.
So, thank you for listening to my comments, and thank you for sparking a thought process I had not considered. Now I look forward to reading back through your blog posts.
Nga mihi
Claire
Hi Claire!
Thank you so much for your kind comment and ideas! I’ve never heard of viewing it in b&w first and didn’t know that quilters did that, so thank you for sharing! That is so clever. I love the Free Range Slacks, and the Palisade pants are a nice pattern too.
I am so glad you enjoyed this post and hope that you are able to find other posts that are helpful for you too! xo