Ponchos for Men -- YEA or NAY?

Readers, I have never been a fan of the poncho.

I remember ponchos as a 70's fad.  They looked a lot like the patterns below, which, along with Nehru jackets, were about as counterculture as the Big 4 pattern companies ever got.  Naturally, given the times, many of these poncho patterns were unisex.  In those days, if you really loved each other, you wore the same clothes.





 



Today, ponchos are generally made for rain protection or to stay warm at the stadium: one step up from a Snuggie, but only just.

Is that a poncho in your pouch or are you just glad to see me?

But wait -- are you sitting down?

I ask, because it seems that designers are pushing ponchos (and their near-identical cousins, the cape and sofa throw shawl) as fashion once again.

Why now, I wonder.  Why at all?













Readers, I ask you: are ponchos to be avoided, or are these fabric hogs something you want to see on the man you love -- or even on yourself?  Would you ever sew one? 

Are ponchos, ultimately, yet another example of fashion that works only for people who -- let's be real here -- would look good in a tablecloth.  (And in a poncho, they basically do.)

Ponchos for men -- YEA or NAY?

Things I Don't Get, Vol. 15 -- Lycra in Woven Fabrics

Readers, have you noticed how many woven fabrics today have Lycra in them?

Now, I totally understand why people would want a little stretch in their clothes, but if you really want a tight fit, isn't that what knit fabrics are for?

I've been working on a straight skirt for my client Susan and the fabric I bought -- how I wish I hadn't -- is a stretch cotton pants-weight cotton.  It's perfectly nice looking and a very attractive pale purple.  But the stretch factor is making it surprisingly challenging to work with.  So much so that I'm going to try to find a non-stretch substitute in a similar color tomorrow. 

Darts in particular don't seem to press well when there's Lycra in a fabric (see top pic).  The stretchiness makes the end of the darts more visible.  The stretch also calls attention to one's lumps and bumps (if one has any and who doesn't?).  Also, since my muslin had absolutely no stretch, it's hard for me to evaluate what difference the Lycra will make in the final fit.



Maybe I'm being too much of a perfectionist (my mother thinks so), but it seems to me that if your clothes are well-fitted, you shouldn't need Lycra in the weave.  I do get the need for Lycra in knits, mind you.  My swimsuits have Lycra, since the material needs to move with my body and not drag in the water.

Coincidentally, I popped into Chic Fabrics on 39th Street only yesterday and, in their remnant bin, found a very similar heavy cotton sateen (with a bit of Lycra) in more of an orchid -- a very wide yard for just $1.  For a buck I'll deal with Lycra.  I think for tight-fitting pants, this moderately stretchy fabric might work, and shouldn't every middle-aged man own a pair of tight-fitting pink pants?

Pants courtesy of Steven Alan

The final issue I have with Lycra is that over time it breaks down, leaving a garment feeling baggier than it would have if it hadn't had Lycra in the first place.  Has that ever happened to you?

I'm starting to wonder if Lycra in woven fabrics isn't simply to make it easier for manufacturers to fit a wider range of body types with the same size garment than they otherwise could.

What's your take, readers?   Do you seek out Lycra in the woven fabrics you sew with?   Does it really make your clothing fit better or just cling uncomfortably on hot summer days?

Jump in!

Daisy Kingdom Little Girl Dress Patterns -- YEA or NAY?

Friends, let me preface this post by saying that I would never say anything intentionally to offend.

But can we talk about Simplicity's long-lived Daisy Kingdom pattern line for girls?  I'm sorry, but to me, these patterns look like a cross between Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? and the ugliest 80's bridesmaid dresses ever.  Freakish.



























(Zillions more can be found here.)

Do little girls actually go for these dresses? (The pantaloon patterns are worse.)

The mind reels and the teeth ache.

I don't get the Daisy Kingdom aesthetic at all.  I mean, I've always enjoyed Shirley Temple and Margaret O'Brien dolled up in ruffles, but Daisy Kingdom: what am I missing?





Is there a children's book series or movie that could explain it all?  Where did this thing come from (and how do we get rid of it)?

Okay, readers, enough ranting.  Do you or don't you dig the Daisy Kingdom look?  If you don't, does a daughter, sister, or grandmother you know love it?  Were you ever dressed this way???

Daisy Kingdom little girl dress patterns -- YEA or NAY?

Wednesday Adams -- timelessly elegant.

The Western (or Cowboy) Shirt -- YEA or NAY?

Readers, it didn't dawn on me till I was halfway through the chambray shirt I'm making that it's really a modified cowboy shirt.



In the United States, cowboy (also known as Western or frontier) shirts have been popular for decades, especially in the Southwest.  Although not nearly as ubiquitous as blue jeans, cowboy shirts can be worn far from the rodeo without feeling like you're playing dress-up.

Or can they?

Cowboy shirts became popular men's garments in the 1930's, I believe, with the rise of movie cowboys and Western-themed films.  During the 1940's, singing cowboys like Roy Rogers and Gene Autry added a layer of gloss (and wholesomeness) to the look.  As families had more leisure time in the 1950's, cowboy shirts were the kind of thing a dad might wear to a backyard barbecue.  And in the early decades of TV, cowboys and Western themed shows like Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, and Bonanza ruled the airwaves.  (This list knocked my socks off.)

Remember Ty Hardin in Bronco?

Sewing patterns for men's Western shirts are always in print.  Some of the most beautiful date from the late 1930's through the 1950's.  They include all kinds of fancy details like fringe, embroidery (embroidery transfer included!), piping, and fancy cuffs.  These patterns are easy to find on eBay and Etsy; I own at least five myself!









Feast your eyes, cowboy shirt fans!





















They weren't just for men, either.





A few more peeks at my shirt, which is coming together nicely.





Friends, what do you think of cowboy shirts?

Are they best reserved for the rodeo and community theater productions of Oklahoma!?

Do you -- or someone you love -- have a few hanging in the closet?  

Western (or cowboy) shirts -- YEA or NAY?