DD's Career Wardrobe -- Fall 2009/Winter 2010 PT II

This is a long post.

Finally, I'm posting the first of two Career Wardrobes that I made for my DD who will soon graduate from college, earning a degree in Business Management. Last summer I decided to make her starter wardrobe that would include some basic pieces to interchange as she seeks employment and starts her professional career.

She and I worked together and came up with this wardrobe which includes the jacket and pants from this pattern, the red dress photographed on the envelope of S2550, and the skirt of M5715. These four pieces makeup wardrobe 1.

Last week I came up with the bright idea of doing the photo shoot in the office. So Yesterday we waiting until everyone had gone home before starting.

Here's my review of the Jacket and pants of Wardrobe 1:

Pattern Description: MISSES’ LINED JACKETS, LINED TOP, LINED SKIRT AND PANTS: Semi-fitted, lined jacket has princess seams, self fabric or contrast pocket band, pocket with pleats, shoulder pads, two-piece sleeves and shaped hem; jacket B has contrast binding; semi-fitted, lined top has raised waistline, back zipper and ribbon tie belt; flared, lined bias skirt, below mid-knee has back zipper and inside ribbon facing; straight-legged pants have back zipper and faced waistline.

Pattern Sizing: 6-20. I made a size 8/10 with some changes. View A and E

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? For the most part. The design lines are the same. The changes that I made make it different from the drawing and the photograph.

Were the instructions easy to follow? There was nothing difficult or confusing about them. Typical instructions for a notched collar jacket and straight-legged pants.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? We liked the design lines of the two. This wardrobe pattern is a classic work "casual wear".

Fabric Used: I purchased the fabric from Vogue's Remnant room. It's a houndstooth fabric of assorted fibers.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

Jacket -

I started with a size 10 across the shoulders tapering down to may size 8. DD has broad shoulders and this change allowed for a better fit. At the first fitting of the jacket, I noticed the shoulder extended to far over the shoulder bone. So I trimmed off about 1/4 inch.

I only topstitched around the collar and the front of the jacket.

Pants -

Like me, DD prefers a front or side zipper. So I added a mock fly at the front of the pant.

The back facing was cut on the fold eliminating the center back seam allowance. And the front facing cut in two pieces adding seam allowance to the center front. Finally, I added a button loop to the inside of the front opening above the zipper.


NOTE: dress and skirt reviewed separately as they are from other patterns.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Probably not. I have many, many more patterns to try. But if you have it, I do recommend it.

Conclusion: This non-stop wardrobe pattern is a perfect wardrobe builder. It not hard to sew, and DD likes it. ;-)





The Dress


Pattern Description: Misses' dress with bodice variations.

Pattern Sizing: 4 - 20. I made a size 10 the Red version on the envelope.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Not exactly. The drape wasn't quite the same. It could be due to the underlining. DD will probably add jewelry to help the placement of the drape.

Were the instructions easy to follow?Yes. Nothing difficult or confusing. Easy to sew.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? DD liked the design of the dress.

Fabric Used: cranberry wool gabardine.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I underlined the entire dress.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Probably not. I have hundreds of dress patterns to try. But do recommend it. NOTE: The size 10 is fitted in the bodice area. You may want to increase the seam allowances a little across the back and shoulder area.

Conclusion: This is a nice dress to add to your wardrobe. Yesterday DD confessed that this is one of DD's favorite garments of the two wardrobes. Only problem, I'm a little, just a little, unhappy with the drape.

The entire wardrobe can be viewed here.






This is the second wardrobe for my DD. I used M5715 and S2798 for it. The dress will be reviewed separately. I used all three views of this pattern.

My review.

Pattern Description: MISSES’ LINED JACKETS, SKIRT AND PANTS: Semi-fitted, lined, slightly below waist jacket has yoke, collar, side pockets, raglan sleeves, back pleats, button and buttonhole closure, stitched hem; jacket A has sleeve pleats and cuffs; jacket B has bell-shaped sleeves with stitched hem; tapered, mid-knee skirt C or straight-legged pants D have contour waist and back zipper; skirt C has back slit.

Pattern Sizing: 6 - 20. I used size 10.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes. I made a few minor changes.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes. No problems. The jacket is time consuming. It has a lot of pieces and it's fully lined. It's worth the effort.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I picked this pattern for DD. The jacket was what I liked. The skirt and pants are basic standards. I think McCalls uses them for many of their wardrobe patterns. No dislikes.

Fabric Used: I used a wool blend for the jacket; a polyester gabardine for the pants; and a grey suiting for the skirt. The skirt pattern was also used for the other Career Wardrobe (dark brown corduroy).

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

Jacket - No changes.

Skirt - I made a vent, instead of slit, added a waistband, and a pocket flap (dark brown version).
Pants - Moved zipper to the size. Made adjustments to the back facing.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?Probably not. Lots of other patterns. The skirt and pants may be reused for wardrobes that have the same pattern.

Conclusion: This is a nice little wardrobe pattern that was fun to make. I really like the jacket. Give it a try. ;-)

See all photos of this wardrobe on Flickr