Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a complete fashionista, spending hours each day scouring the shops for the newest and hottest fashion trends.
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No, not even I believe that. I won’t lie, I’m the kinda guy who has found the clothes that suit him – jeans, boots, sweater, roller derby t-shirt, wristband – and will probably wear subtle variations of those outfits til the day I die.
So this book review comes with a certain amount of bewilderment. That said, I made my own shirt a couple of years ago and utterly support the idea of making your own clothes, so Rosie Martin‘s new book, DIY Couture: Create Your Own Fashion Collection, is bang on.
“The DIY Couture collection is made up of 10 stylish, easy to make pieces of clothing that can endlessly be reinvented in different fabrics, textures and colours. With simple, visual instructions and no complicated patterns, DIY Couture will appeal to anyone interested in creating their own clothes, even if they have little or no sewing experience.”
It’s a smart idea. There are ten different types of clothes, including the Goddess dress and the skater skirt (essential items in my closet) and then these ten items are created in eight different collections. So you end up with a myriad of combinations and plenty of inspiration about how to make the designs work for you. Which is pretty groovy.
The patterns are nicely laid out with clear instructions and As you make your way through the book I think you’d end up with a strong skill set and the confidence to modify the patterns to suit. All in all, I think this is a pretty clever way of engaging people in making their own clothes as well as amping up their wardrobes without having to pay designer prices. Nice one Rosie!