Wardrobe Architect Responce

Hi Everyone

Today, I want to talk about something called Wardrobe Architect. This is an experiment which started in 2014 by Collete (the sewing pattern team). The Collete team talk about having a goal of ‘reviving the art of sewing’. I love this idea. Collete have been producing sewing patterns in both booklet and PDF form since 2009 and the Wardrobe Architect initiative has been going since 2014. It’s an amazing experiment for developing a ‘pared down’ and very personal collection of clothing, reflecting how better decisions can be made about what to buy and make in terms of fashion and personal choices. To read from the beginning, start here.

I’ve been reading about all this for some time and am hugely inspired and attracted to the idea of Wardrobe Architect. I’ve not really done very much about it (practically) but momentum is building and I’m starting to think about how to start. My own personal wardrobe is chaotic and unmanageable - literally, I don’t have enough space to keep all my clothes. Like most people, I probably use a very small proportion of them. I would like to be in a position to have a core selection of clothes which I like and which suit me. I’d also like to start to fill gaps or develop new styles by making my own clothing. 

The Collete blog has lots of exercises to try and work out what personal style is and how to interpret a range of information which allows this idea of personal choices to develop. Defining a core style with specific shapes and silhouettes, colours etc is central to the idea.

There are also lots of resources, downloadable sheets for instance which give a practical direction, to move through planning a personal Wardrobe. However, I have a wonderful resource of my own, a birthday gift from a lovely friend - from last year. This is a notebook from Merchant Mills- ready and waiting for my take on Wardrobe Architect. At the moment, I’m using my workbook for filing sewing ideas but I want to make it central to my own Wardrobe Architect response.

                   

I’ve dabbled over the last few years with the Collete Wardrobe Architect process but I’m going to start again, from the beginning and use my Merchant Mills book to record progress. I want this little project to become a pleasure and work towards getting my sewing on track. I have aspirations to make a pair of jeans and a coat this year (by November 2018) - hopefully these two items, amongst others will form part of my core Wardrobe.

Thanks for calling in today.