The Fashion Cycle

Everything old is new again in fashion. Every few years we seem to be re-living some perieod or other. It's how retailers stay in business, by encouraging us to continue buying things even though we may have had the very same design/style, years earlier.

I've been a sewer and a dress pattern buyer for a lot of years now. It started back in the 70's while I was still at school and has continued at a reasonably steady rate. I've loved looking through pattern books: Vogue, McCalls, Butterick, Simplicity and Style, which is long gone now.

More recently I've mostly been buying them online through the McCalls website. Each season they send out their list of "What's New" and it's almost as good as going to the fabric shop and physically turning the pages of the large pattern catalogues.

But for the past few months, I've been battling to find anything fresh and new that inspires me to hit the "buy" button... and I think its' because I've just about reached my limit of designs that can be tweaked. Sure there are some nice designs, but some are so similar to ones I already have, you have to start wondering how someone can put their name to them as "the designer"

All of these patterns for example, are from the 70's. Some are a little the worse for wear because I've used them so often and are now kept in plastic zip lock bags for protection.

I've made this "one shoulder" dress in casual stretch cotton, sparkly evening black, semi formal floral and I even considered making it in white for my wedding dress.

Then there's this one, another oldie but goodie from Stephen Burrows for McCalls. I've made this up a few times as well. It was another wedding dress consideration.

As you can see, I like my fashion fairly simple, not too many complicated pieces to fit together, gather or ease. But I often wonder what, if anything, will come along and catch my eye and make me hit the "buy" button again.