I have to admit I haven't given more than a few seconds of thought to my blog over the past week.  It just hasn't been compatible with my transition to a new home.  However, I have received many welcome words and hugs here, and even many compliments on my One Dress!  I was apprehensive on moving day, but then I saw many people in colorful hippie skirts, and I felt relieved.  I continued and continue still to be a little afraid of how my dress is received, day by day, but I have noticed several people wearing the same memorable clothes day after day, and I suppose what I am doing isn't odd at all!  I even harvested broccoli while discussing my garden-mate's former performance piece; She once wore the same outfit for a month, with no alternate outfits and no laundering.  Radical!

In the interest of, let's say, partical disclosure, I didn't just move to any old suburb.  I've actually taken up with a wonderful intentional community.  One could skip description and call it a farm full of hippies, and while that doesn't do justice to the whole, that would be a good three-second designation.  So I am really blessed to be in an environment that is supportive of non-mainstream choices.  I don't know if it would be harder if I had a "normal" job and daily schedule.  Am I almost cheating by doing ODP in such a tolerant environment?  What about the woman who didn't wash her outfit all month: Does that fact that she was in college at the time make her experiment less worthy of praise than it would be otherwise?  Not that "praise" is the word I am looking for.

Ack!  This is actually Day 19!  This is sort of unbelievable.  And it's like there's almost nothing to say about wearing the same dress every day for two weeks.  Maybe it's because I backpacked for eight months with the same clothes, but then that wasn't in "civilization."  Maybe it's because it's not a big deal.  It's culturally abnormal in the West, but what does that mean?  It's not unsanitary.  It's not impractical.  It's just not what we're used to in the twenty-first century.  The only real problem I can think of is the fear of social censure, and some people will sensibly ask if they really want to work or play with people who would punish or ostracize them based on the number of outfits they wear.  But the fear seems bigger than the reality.

I am itching to play with my clothes again.  Nevertheless, ODP is working out pretty well for me.

Standing in my new room!

Clothing Choice and Unhappiness

I'm finding something aesthetically displeasing about my dress.  Disappointingly early on.

I've felt this way from the time I finished the dress actually, a few days before the ODP experiment.  I'm drawn to T-tunics.  I've seen T-tunics look great on people at SCA events.  They have centuries of history behind them.  I have T-tunic garb.  So why am I not 100% happy with the way the dress hangs at full length?  I keep fiddling with the belt to try to balance things out.  Is the dress too long?  Is it too narrow?  Is the belt too short?  Is it too thick?  Is the body too full?  Is it too untailored?

I see two ways of interpreting this problem.

First, it might mean that simple or Plain dress requires some mental effort.  A chosen uniform or style should be selected to have near-universal suitability.  It should be functional and easy.  It should feel slightly casual and slightly dressy.  It should adapt to changing work or weather conditions.  It should be sturdy. It should match one's ethical standards. It should be comfortable, both physically and psychologically.  All of which means, of course, that you can't just run to the store, grab the first thing you see, and make that your Plain.  This is more of a problem for women than men, because we have almost endless styles available to us, each carrying their own cultural meanings we may or may not wish to convey.  And while men have style options too, there just aren't as many.  So while it seems that the men outside of Plain communities are able to easily settle on Plain pants and shirt (and myabe suspenders and hat) for themselves, we women are *agonizing* in blogs and internet forums over what to wear.  Not that it's much different for men and women who aren't going Plain.  Which leads me to...



Mennonite Women, 2005
Photo by atomicity via Flikr, used under Creative Commons



Second, my dress problem might mean that it makes A Lot Of Sense to be part of a community where style is regulated.  We rely far too much in the West on expressing our "selves" through our clothes.  Not that I don't understand it; I do.  I'm quite obsessed with clothes, and always have been, in a hippie/costuming/ritualistic way.  And I have a lot of clothes, else it wouldn't be a big deal to me to wear one dress for a month.  But most people in the world today have only a few sets of clothes.  And for most of human history of the West, we too had only a few sets of clothes.  And it was just fine.  Now with the externalized environmental and human costs of productions, we can acquire a lot of clothing for very little money as well as afford to change fashion every year.  In addition to being abusive and wasteful, this gives us too many options, and we end up wasting our lives agonizing over decisions. 

Really and truly.  Barry Schwartz showed in his book The Paradox of Choice how having more choices makes us unhappy.  (If you're not interested in reading his book, he gives a 20-minute video summary here.)  We think, "With all these options, I can make the perfect choice!"  Then when we make the choice, we feel bad, thinking "Did I make the best choice?  I could have done better.  I wish I had made a different choice.  I'm a failure."  Or, wanting to put off feelings of regret and failure, we postpone or avoid making decisions at all.  Paralysis.  All because of choice.  In this light, a uniform is freeing, no matter what it looks like on you.

So I stand in the mirror wondering why my dress, which I could have sewn a million different ways, isn't perfect.  Kristy at ODP gave good advice in recommending we clear out and hide away the clothes not part of our experiment.  Out of sight, out of mind, so we no longer think of "missed opportunities" when we put on our One Dresses. By simplifying and accepting limits to our wardrobes, as well as to other parts of our lives, we are happier.

Plaid Tunic Dress, Part II: One Dress Protest

So the dress is done, for now.  Ta-da!

Thought process and construction:
As I said in my previous post, I cut the dress out as a T-tunic.  This is just the sort of dress that I like, even if it does look a little prairie in that plaid (talk about a "fast from fashion!").  It is made of a cotton that should launder well.  I had considered ties for the back to draw in excess, or loops to lift up the hem sometimes.  After experimenting with these options, I decided the first didn't look good and the second put too much strain on this particular fabric.  So it's just the dress and the belt.  I can belt it higher or lower, or even lift the hem with the belt.  This belt is out of my garb bag, and I am considering making a wider one.  We'll see.  This style will also handle weight fluctuations, should I have any, and allows room for movement, should I end up having to do practical things while wearing it.  I even enclosed all the seams to make it last longer in the laundry!

Stylish?  No.  But it's practical, and it's me.

Now, I am going to wear this dress as part of Kristy Powell's One Dress Protest.  On her blog, she writes:

One Dress Protest is me, Kristy Powell, wearing one dress for one year in order to protest the ideas and motivations behind how and why I wear my clothes. Over the year I aim to challenge the ways identity is constructed through clothing, what sustainability means for consumption, how our perception of others is so often based on external presentation, and what “fashion” ultimately means for me going forward.

She also calls her experiment a "fast from fashion."  While several other worthy women have done similar experiments with clothing (my favorite being Alex Martin's Brown Dress Project at http://www.littlebrowndress.com/), Kristy's protest seems unique in avoiding accessories and supplemental garments that create new "looks."  The idea that one may wear not only the same garment but the same outfit (with layers for weather) day after day reminds me of modern Plain dress, which is something I've been looking into for a few years.  Kristy also brings a spiritual component into her protest and blog entries, so while we don't share the same style or religion, I find her quite inspiring.

 I am looking forward to this June 3-July 3 experiment, particularly because I will have company in it.  And the invitation to join in for a month was what I needed to go from thinking about Plain dress experiments to trying Plain dress experiments.  My disadvantage is that I am moving this weekend (exciting!), and one-dress-protesting will be the (sort of) first impression my new neighbors/coworkers/friends will have of me.  No problem, I think, except for my confidence about the matter. Perhaps if I'd been doing it months, I wouldn't worry.  But I do.  I worry I might alienate some people right off the bat, but I realize this may be nothing but my own fears speaking.  In light of this situation, I give myself permission to bend the rules if I feel it necessary.  But!  My first rule that I have laid down for my experiment is: Be honest with yourself.  Everything feels scary at first, and I have to push the limits of my comfort to grow.  So I owe myself a little discomfort, and I'll try not to cheat on the rules, or on myself.

Rules for myself:
1. I will be honest with myself.

2. My "one dress" following Kristy's example will be my new plaid dress.  I will wear it for all occasions that do not functionally require other clothes.

3. Reasonable exceptions include outdoor labor (nylon pants, T-shirt tbd, blue sweatshirt), sleeping/lounging/breakfast (PJ pants and T-shirt TBD), excercise (same as outdoor labor).  Other exceptions may discover themselves.  See Rule One.

4. The goal for this experiment is to have dedicated outfits for each function so fewer "looks" enter the rotation overall.  I will not, however, have multiples.  Should my clothes become too dirty (funky) between washings for my taste (that's saying something), I will wear something else rather than make others suffer.  That said, I will try to launder regularly within the constraints of my living situation and the weather.
5. Most of my shoes serve specific functions.  Other than those, I will have a pair of casual sneakers and a pair of sandals to wear.
6. Go-to warm layers are green skirt, maroon sweater, brown long-sleeved shirt, and maroon coat if needed.  Other accessories are fair game if called for due to weather or activity (poncho, apron, etc.).  I will stick to the yellow bandana and possibly make some other solid-color scarves for my head, tbd.

 Here goes!

A Walk in the Woods

I've used the well-known title of Bill Bryson's humorous book for a good reason: I took a three-day stroll along the Appalachian Trail this week!

I hiked a little over half the trail in 2009 (the trail is around 2180 miles long these days) so I didn't feel too bad about an eight-mile round trip this time.  The section was one I'd done twice before, and remembered for its beauty and accessibility to beginners.  So I encouraged my dad to try it out with me.

A grassy bald, cloaked in buttercups.

Tunnels of mountain laurel mark the entrance into another realm.

Sunlight falls softly onto a lush green paradise.

I picture it from time to time, my magical place.

Plaid Tunic Dress, Part I

Draping the uncut fabric on me to see what
the dress will look like.





I'm not really sure what to call this dress.  It's a true T-tunic in layout, but it's certainly not medieval.  If you aren't sure what a T-tunic is, it is a garment cut on doubled fabric in the shape of a captial T, which approximates the human form.  That is, the stem of the T covers your body, and the cross-bar of the T covers your arms.  You sew front to back together along the sides and cut a hole for your head.  Simple!  And I'm a simple gal when it comes to style.  It's not quite done; have to add some buttons and ties for fit options, but we're getting close.

I've been inspired by the One Dress Protest to make this, although I haven't decided on my participation in the June experiment.  Still, I've been wanting to do something like this for a while, and here is a good excuse.

The Magic of Twig the Fairy

Greetings!  I have been away for a spell, taking a trip in Texas.  And while I may have neglected this blog in that time, I was most certainly accumulating many merry memories.

My visit to Scarborough Renaissance Festival was my second to a "real" renaissance faire, or what most people mean when they speak of faires.  Everything was great, but the one thing I had to see when I went was Twig the Fairy.  She was amazing.  She held kids and adults alike entranced.  She is beautiful, yes, but magical too.  Her expression, gesture, smile, personality, generosity, and love are windows into a world of hope and wonder.  She represents everything that is right about childhood.  We lose some of that rightness as we age, and she reminds us, with a little sprinkling of fairy dust, to return to that innocent joy.



Photo by Alaskan Dude via Flikr, used under Creative Commons



 Visit Twig's website at http://www.twigthefairy.com/, subscribe to her on Twitter (highly recommended), and look for internet videos by fans.  Simply wonderful.

Patching Clothes, Old School Style

I have had many an occasion to observe other people mending their clothes.  Most of the time, but not always, it makes me want to cry.  It's not my friends' faults; they don't know they're actually shortening the clothing life instead of extending it, which is the purpose of a mend.  So here I'm going to describe a good way to do one kind of clothing repair: the patch.

The patch is just what you think it is.  It's an extra piece of fabric slapped on to fix a hole in the main garment.  But where does it go?  What stitch should you use?  What fabric and thread should you use?  These are all important questions, and the answers depend on how formal the clothing is, how strong the base fabric is, and how much stress you will put the garment through.

Clothing Style: If you're a dirty hippie like I am, then you have lots of clothes for which an obvious patch would be an accent, not a detriment.  Matching colors and prints doesn't matter at all, nor does patch shape.  But there are also the times when you kind of want your repair to blend in.  You could choose a matching fabric to apply on the outside in a plain square or oval, and you might try to keep your stitches invisible.  Or, instead of invisible stitches, you might prefer machine stitches, for that factory-made look.  That's up to you.  You might not be able to wear this to a job interview anymore, but you would avoid dirty looks in department stores. 

Base Fabric Strength: Your patch fabric and thread should match your base fabric, period.  I learned in museum collections care that when sewing a label onto a textile, choose your thread so that in a battle of strength, it will lose to the textile.  That is, if the tag gets caught on something, you want the tag to rip off rather than the tag ripping a hole in the textile.  Same with your patches.  Patch and thread that are too heavy will wear out the base garment, but patch and thread that are too light will wear themselves out and need replacing.

Stress:  A wedding dress that will never be worn or laundered again doesn't need much from a patch.  It's not taking much strain.  But heavy-duty work pants will take a lot of abrasion, body movement, and laundering.  Eliminating raw edges in the patched area will keep the garment from fraying under all that stress.  You may also need heavier thread or closely-spaced stitches in this case.

Also ask yourself if patching is the best solution.  A seam is the thread that holds two separate pieces (or two different areas) of fabric together.  When the seam rips--that is, when the thread breaks but the fabric is unharmed--you only need to replace the seam.  You only need a patch when the fabric itself is damaged.  Also see darning.  Sometimes the base fabric is so worn out that there's nothing good to sew your patch to.  Rather than fight a losing battle, consign such worn out garments to the rag bag.

Some people make seams where they should make patches.  A hole develops in their base fabric, and they pinch the two sides together, seaming on the inside.  This does keep raw, frayed edges from view, but it alters the geometry of the fabric.  Think of a piece of fabric in a garment.  It lays flat, like a geometric plane.  But pinch some inner piece of the plane out of existence, and it's got depth and puckers.  It's 3D in the wrong way.  And now it is smaller in all the places that cross this bad mend, while the rest of the garment is the same as it was before.  This difference causes stress in the mended area, and stress means you are more likely to make a new tear.  My hiking parter J ripped his pants in the crotch, already a high-stress area.  He put a seam in them.  They ripped again, nearby.  Another seam.  Another rip, even sooner.  As the crotch of his pants got smaller and smaller, he ripped them more and more, until he finally gave up and hung some fabric from his waistband to cover his junk.  Then he had to buy new pants.  This is what happens when you make a seam where you should have made a patch.  So lets learn how to make patches, shall we?

 

 Here's my favorite skirt.  It's gathered to a yoke at the hips, which you see here.  I had a safety pin in the yoke and accidentally ripped it out. (Remember the lesson about museum tags?)  So now I have a hole in the fabric, and it's complicated by being so close to both the hip seam (to the right in this picture) and the side seam (just above).  Since it used to belong to my aunt back in the day AND it's my favorite, it's got a lot of wear in it.  It was also a relatively light fabric to begin with, so I need to make sure not to go overboard with the patch.  I pick a lightweight blue fabric, and cut it into a square, and choose all-purpose sewing thread.




I turn my skirt inside-out and baste the patch to the skirt, using red thread here.  This keeps the patch from moving while I work.  Pins would work too.  The basting comes out later.  Turn the edges of the patch under so you can't see them, and sew around the patch.  Use whatever stitch you like; I've used a running stitch.


 

Going back to the right side, I carefully turn under the edges of the L-shaped hole, again so I can't see them, and stitch.  I've used a whipstitch. (I mistakenly put the patch over the seams inside the garment and had to deal with them getting in the way and showing through here.  Because of them, it was hard to turn my raw edges under in some places, so I covered the raw edges with a very dense whipstitch.  You can see it at the bottom.)  My basting thread is still in, but I will remove it before I wear the skirt.

This kind of patching results in a fabric with no raw edges, inside or outside.  Nothing to fray and endanger all your hard work.  It was the method used historically for undergarments (when you only have a few, you really want to make them last) and for sails (and if you don't have them, you're not making it to land).  It won't work for everything, but it's a strong and servicable repair for single-layer items.

For information on different kinds of stitches, see here.

Edit, May 2012:  Here's another example, outside and inside, of this style of patch.