Last spring Annie (who is 12 years old) suggested that we do a "dress challenge" and try to wear only dresses or skirts for an entire month. I mentioned that, and its parameters, here.
I think we're gearing up for an autumn dress challenge. Last night Annie was bemoaning the typical attire for 12-year-old girls these days. She is underwhelmed and irritated by the copious quantities of ripped jeans, crop tops (ah! so many crop tops!), and generally un-pretty fashions for girls her age. I don't blame her! I bemoan the same thing for girls my age! :) Earlier this summer, when we were at my dear friend and neighbor's house, Annie asked for a dress pattern. Naomi and her family are Beachy Amish (Mennonite), and the girls wear very long dresses that are "cape" style. Naomi sweetly traced a dress pattern that she thought would fit Annie, using newspaper!!!, and brought it to me. She explained how it would be easy to leave off the cape. We haven't tried the dress yet, but I think I will use the skirt pattern to start with making Annie a couple of long fall skirts. Annie can run the sewing machine proficiently, but this year I want to teach her to sew with a pattern. We may start with a few skirts--they're easy.
Annie is ready for a fall dress challenge, but I'm not! My cold-weather default in previous years has always been jeans. But jeans are honestly not very comfortable, and I'm genuinely tired of them. I have only a couple of skirts that could work for cold weather, and I need to strategize the "underlayer" as well (I loathe being cold!). Skirts are tricky, too, because not all shirts go with all skirts, so it takes some strategizing. Dresses are easier in that you don't have to coordinate, but dresses are hard for me. I have scoliosis, and one hip and one shoulder are higher than the other. Finding a dress that works on my frame, with the scoliosis and with my extremely high waist, is a challenge! Shirtdresses are totally out--my torso is so short! So I usually have to wear separates. I particularly like a skirt and a twinset--I know it's retro, but it suits my personality, somehow. In any case, I may be prowling around the thrift stores off and on in preparation for the challenge (I think we may start November 1st).
Annie wishes she could start a new trend among girls her age of wearing pretty things.
Maybe we will!
Last time we took a photo of ourselves every day and posted it on my private Instagram account. I don't want to post photos of Annie here, but maybe we can figure out some way to share our daily outfits. She and I love clothes, we love pretty things, and we love doing things like this together!
Your daughter's dress challenge ideas sound wonderful! I look forward to seeing the outfits you both share. It's always inspiring to see other women's (and girls') ideas for wearing dresses since I would love to wear them almost all the time. A few years ago, I bought New Look 6542 on Ebay, but am surprised at difficult it is to find this pattern now. It seems to me the perfect cool weather dress. It's made from knits so it will be very comfortable, you can easily wear warm leggings underneath, and the raised waist should work well with a short torso. Personally, I wouldn't sew the version with the button-up skirt since I don't like to worry about possible gapping or if all the buttons are buttoned! Nancy
ReplyDeletehttps://www.pinterest.com/pin/new-look-sewing-pattern-6542-modest-dress-comfortable--711498441130988620/
That's a cute dress!! I hope we can organize ourselves to do this in November. Although I may take a cue from my cute aunt and compile a fall at-home wardrobe of leggings with a long tunic top (that covers all) in various colors. She always looks so adorable, and it's very *practical* for housework. Not streetwear, though!
DeleteI understand! As a mother of six girls, we have been on a search for "pretty" dresses since the oldest was a little girl. It's a lifelong search but we have found some lovely dresses for all the girls to wear on daily basis!
ReplyDeleteSix girls! That sounds like Annie's dream life. :)
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