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Costumes for your life

I came across this wonderful image in a sewing pamphlet from 1928. I’ve been doing some personal sewing this week, so I’ve been thinking a bit about wardrobe planning.

I love the idea of having set costumes for different types of occasions. I’m sure we all do this to some degree or another, with some idea in our minds of what we have in our closet that’s appropriate for different times and occasions. Well, I don’t know about you, but for me, that doesn’t go much beyond having some fancier dresses for weddings and parties, and some dark rinse jeans for biking and/or casual days. Otherwise, I pretty much wear what I feel like from my closet.

But it seems that this little guide prescribes a formula for dressing for each occasion in a middle class 1920s woman’s life, and that would make it quite easy to figure out what to sew. For example, look at the formula for “general day wear.” It says that “the correct costume is a tailored frock, felt hat, smart substantial oxfords or buckle strap shoes, service weight silk or silk and wool stockings, plain heavy pull on gloves, a coat not too dressy in line fabric and fur trimming.”

Wouldn’t it be easy to put on some variation of those things every day? Now I think we have a lot more options about what to wear, but it would still be wonderful to have a personal uniform that suited your own tastes, wouldn’t it?

I particularly like this outfit for “rough outdoor activities:”

And for lighter sports:

Then there are the dressier occasions:

I think that today, most of us don’t have such a variety of occasions that require different outfits. I doubt many people have separate types of dresses or outfits for church and afternoon parties. There are undoubtedly fewer rules about what’s appropriate now, but I don’t know if that makes it easier or harder to get dressed (or figure out what clothing is useful to sew).

I think the “occasions” in my life would be:

  • Day-to-day wear
  • Loungewear (a big category for me, since I work from home!)
  • Workout clothes (purely functional)
  • Physical activities, such as riding my bike, going camping, etc.
  • Weddings, parties, “going out” and other slightly fancier occasions

Do you guys think this is a useful way of thinking about your wardrobe or deciding what to sew? Do you have a daily “uniform”? And do you sew things in order to “costume” yourself for particular types of occasions? Or do you just make what you like and figure it out later?

Sarai Mitnick

Founder

Sarai started Colette back in 2009. She believes the primary role of a business should be to help people. She loves good books, sewing with wool, her charming cats, working in her garden, and eating salsa.

Comments

Mz. Whitney

May 6, 2010 #

I’ve been dreaming about having a uniform for several years now, and am just getting close to figuring out what that might be. I am so sick of picking a shirt out of my closet, knowing I only have one bra I can wear with it, and that it only goes with two pairs of pants that I own.

I was really inspired by The Uniform Project, and I think I’ll be doing about a million tunic style dresses (short enough to wear over pants) that I can accessorize with different shrugs and cardigans.

And then of course some pretty dresses for special occasions (like Oolong, which I just ordered!)

BVan

May 6, 2010 #

I also have been loving the idea of a personal uniform. I work at an all-girls school where the girls wear uniforms. They hate them and I’ve been mulling over ways to get them to think of a uniform as “liberating” rather than “restricting”.

Sarai

May 6, 2010 #

I’ve heard a lot of people that grew up wearing school uniforms say that it forced kids to be more creative. I can see that, but I have to admit, I would have definitely chafed at that age! Thrift stores and weird clothes were my pasttime.

Chedva

May 6, 2010 #

Awesome pamphlet. I’ve been trying to make myself some sort of a uniform – shift dresses and pencil skirts mostly.

MSR

May 6, 2010 #

I came across the “Get Dress in 5 Minutes” on Eileen Fisher’s Web site; it makes a lot of sense. I am going to try this system next year to see if it makes it easier to know what to buy, sew and knit. I have a tendency to buy too much summer clothing and not enough winter.

Also, I like Mz. Whitney’s idea of tunic style dresses over pants with shrugs and cardigans.

Sarai

May 6, 2010 #

It seems like summer has the most season-specific clothing, which ends up feeling really inappropriate in other months.

Susan

May 6, 2010 #

I definitely have a work uniform: the dress. Mostly knit dresses but some wovens. I do wear the occasional skirt (even though I have tons). My dresses are appropriate for other things, but when I wear them I feel like I’m going to work so I put on something else, usually a skirt. I wear skirts when going about business in town like shopping or banking or visiting my kid’s teacher at school. Sundresses for that in the summer (they aren’t appropriate for work, afterall.) I try to minimize my use of pants as I don’t look as good in them.

Tilly

May 6, 2010 #

Tweed knickers are a must for every occasion, surely?

Sarai

May 6, 2010 #

Ha! I wish I could rock the tweed knickers.

Mary

May 6, 2010 #

Clever little pamphlet! I have recently retired, and have adjusted my own wardrobe. I divide my wardrobe in the same way as you Sarai:
1. daily errand/at home clothes (woven and stretch pants, fashionable tees, knit tops, unlined jackets)
2. work clothes for gardening and barn work (jeans and old tees, sweatshirts)
3. going out clothes (skirts, casual dresses, slacks, blouses like my new Sencha blouse!)
4. riding, yoga, hiking clothes (all specialty items with very little overlap with the categories above. I move tees and knit tops into these categories when they are too old for public use)

I don’t have a large closet and I really don’t have a lot of clothes. I make about 80% of my wardrobe, now that I am retired. I have a uniform or silhouette–>fitted slacks and knit tops with 3/4 sleeves–which comprise about 75% of my wardrobe. Skirts are usually A line, and dresses/woven tops/jackets are usually princess seamed. Categories #1 and #4 are basic and I sew what works for me there. Category #2 is a no sew zone-why would I want to make WORK clothes? I even buy work jeans at thrift stores. Category #3 is where I play with my sewing by adding details and trying out new styles. This year I am making a lot more tunics for summer in both wovens and knits. Interesting question and comments :-)

Sarai

May 6, 2010 #

It’s interesting that we divide our wardrobe in similar ways. I forgot about gardening! But that’s basically just the rattiest things I can find in my drawers. :)

I agree, sewing the “going out” things are the most fun. I often sew daywear and later realize it’s slightly too fancy for my work-at-home lifestyle, but oh well.

Emily

May 6, 2010 #

I love this! I have been whittling down to figure out my personal style uniform for a few years now. Here’s what I’ve got so far:
Summer: dresses (varying degrees of formality and sassiness for different occasions), cardigans for cool offices/days, sandals. I find I only do skirts and tees/tanks for the most casual saturday type days.
Winter: Warm, longer skirts with layers depending on the weather, tall sturdy but cute boots. I have a whole system for tights wearing that varies on the outside temp: 60’s I do fishnets and light weights, 50’s I’ll do a combo of fishnets and opaques, 40’s double layer of opaques or single layer of sweater tights + knee high socks, 30’s and under add another layer of sweater tights and/or socks until warm. :) Luckily, I live in DC so it doesn’t tend to get THAT cold. Even when visiting friends in Chicago I can usually get away with a double layer of tights + socks & boots. Still comfy and warm and vastly more sassy than a pair of jeans.
Of course, I have jeans for things like hiking and horseback riding and such and other clothes that are kind of one function only (work out clothes for working out, swim wear for swimming and beach/pool side, rain boots for rainy days, etc) but on most days, I’m out and about the city and at work and it’s perfectly comfortable.
I’ve noticed that I get a lot more bang for my buck this way – I don’t have to have a lot of clothes of any one type – I have a total of maybe 15 skirts, 25 or so dresses and then a single shelf of tees & sweaters but I get compliments almost everyday and never feel like I have nothing to wear because I’ve curated my wardrobe to my lifestyle.
Uniforms are awesome!

Sarai

May 7, 2010 #

This is awesome, and I especially like your legwear system! That makes so much sense.

This is really inspiring me to do a closet purge, that’s for sure.

Rebecca

May 7, 2010 #

Oh I really love that pamphlet and how I wish I required clothes for on shipboard and a special motoring outfit. I have recently taken to wearing aprons a lot, a sort of home uniform I suppose. In my defence, I have some very nice aprons.

Fourth Daughter

May 8, 2010 #

I know what you mean, Rebecca… how romantic to have a whole wardrobe of clothes for a sea voyage! But knowing me I’d be sick all over them…
So interesting how times have changed, I do feel it would have been easier to know what to wear when there were such specific guidelines, but I enjoy not having to be the same person every day. The converse side of that is a wardrobe full of clothes and never anything to wear, but I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs, so I see my clothes habit (all bought at op shops anyway and then reconfigured if necessary! eg http://stylewilderness.blogspot.com/2010/04/indian-summer.html) as my one vice.
When we were cleaning out my grandmother’s belongings we found a knitting pattern book from about 100 years ago… this post has reminded me I should put up some scans of it – there are knitted CORSETS!