Granny Chic Fashion Trend

This months Vogue reports on it.  This autumn/winter catwalks have plenty of traditional old lady fabrics like Herringbone etc. so I guess it will hit the high street as well in a mainstream way.  I guess the baggy jumpers in stores now are part of it.  It seems to build on the whole 'nerd', dress down /'Norm'/ 'Mom jeans' looks developed in economic hard times where make do and mend, and vintage has gone mainstream.  Of course there will be those who will pay thousands for the catwalk version rather than rummaging the charity shops.  

 When you Gooogle it you find its been round for at least 3 years and it ranges from we oldies dressing boldly to the young taking on granny look from dressing down to classic 40s look.  Some of the pics here are taken from 2011 news articles on why celebreties are dressing like their gran etc.    There iseven  granny look interior design.  I like it, most of it.  Encourages me in some of my more adventerous sewing projects.  There are different takes on it and it can be different for young and old wearing it of course.  

c

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Revamp Js trousers and old jumper part 1

cHere is where I am with my next sewing project.  I will update post when finished.

Four pairs of Js old trousers.  Since he has seen how I used my small red jeans as apattern to restyle my black cord jeans, he now wants me to use his narrower style trousers as apattern to revamp the two trousers on the right.  The two on the left are what I am revamping for myself.

This shows how I have added two 6" in tucks - where the cross stiching is and the black striped pair behind show the original 40" waist size.  I will leave the crutch baggy and low and now just need to take up legs to 3/4 lenght with a cuff.

Even tho I have been doing this before I sought inspiration from Vogue, it has been useful to see various ways to do it depending on where pockets are etc.  For eg thsnkfully J is going to have the black striped ones revamped bc it it would be difficult for me to find rooms for big tucks, as the pockets go acroos the front horizintally whereas the ones i am doing above have more vertical pockets.  I didnt mind having hanging out horizontal pockets on my jeans, I didnt want that here.

Eg of hanging pockets where tucks were done inside pocket.

Other inspiration of how to reduce trousers.  These weren't taken in but created that way as part of the oversize fashion trend.

VB's version is about the lenght I want altho i will need to adapt as is more difficult to get it right on short person like myself - can make legs look even shorter.  I will add cuffs as well. My current ones are waisted, the second pair I will add smaller tucks so they sit more on hips like these.    Love the whole look here - vest and shirt.  Was looking at one designer on Vogue who always has a white shirt in every new collection bc she believes it is most important and versatile part of wardrobe.  I do agree that crisp white shirt is a wonderful thing.

 MY JUMPER REVAMP.

So far have started de-balling jumper, sewing wholes, taking up sleeves and using wool to crisscross edges - see left sleeve.  I will need to to add wool stiching to bottom and top of crosses as I can still see the grey cotton thread i add years ago to edge to stop it fraying.  I have also taken up bottom of jumper with sewing machine to create pockets in front and a dropped curved back.  This jumper was baggy when i was twice the size i am now so it will be very baggy.  I may extend the polo neck and make it bigger by knitting with black wool or may just edge it.  J thinks latter.

Some inspirstion from the big knit trend.

Update. Finished jumper.  Only OK but good for around home.

Latest batch of jam

Should have used 2 sachets of pectin for nesrly 2kg fruit and it would have been normal thickness.

Preparing jam for freezer - bc I dont have faith in my jam process.  Even tho i boil jars etc i feel safer putting them in freezer.  After some jars breaking in freezer, I turn them upside down with plenty of spare room in jar , on kitchen paper in plastic bag.  This allows for expansion of frozen liquid straight up into widest part of jar so it doesnt get stuck in narrow part above jar shoulder just under lid which is what causes most breakages..  The paper and plastic is just added security which i also use when transferring to fridge for defrosting to ensure no mess in case i still get breakage, tho none since i have used this method.

more charity shop and redesigning my old clothes

After getting up at 6.30 for a totally uneccessary hospital appointment, as I half expected, I cheered my self up with another trip to charity shop and the most amazing scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast at my corner cafe.

1. Blue spotted oversized dress, size 12 believe it or not,  in Victoria Becham style, Cos brand worth £50-100 according to Cos website dresses.  - £5

I like VBs style and her collection even if she is a little thin.  Is usually restrained, classic with some edgyness now and then like this dress.

After a good polish, not bad for £5.

2.  Brown leather cloogs by Josef Siegel, worth £60. - £5.  nicely worn in, new soles, just need some polish.

3.  I have managed to take in several of my big trousers.  These black thin cord. were original size 14 straight loose leg, not much shape - it was the thin cord I liked.  I have taken them in 3 times as I lost weight.  This time I used the red skinny gap jeans in previous post as a pattern to take in again.  Just left legs slightly looser than the red ones.  I love them even more now.

4. I have managed to brilliantly save 2 fav 38D/DD bras that had become too big for me.  Fortunately no pics of me wearing them, but you can see my perky boobs in blue tshirt above which i would normally only get with my new smaller bras which i only have one of.  I had to do 3 things:

   1. take in 2" near back hook join

   2. bend underwires so they werent as wide which had keep my boobies spread out near my arms but are now more forward and uplifted

   3. in the centre front, i sewed the cups together up about 2" from the original centre strip/ where underwires come together.  This tightened upper cup looseness.  It has made bra no good for low cut tops but i dont wear low cut anyway.  I cut out this step for second smaller pair as it wasnt needed so they are low in front.

Is great, I feel very supported, comfy and saved about £30-40.

My next projects for next post - VB style trousers made from Js old size 40 trousers.  Have done the waist, now need to shorten legs.   Also saved very baggy jumper from the 'painting clothes' box.  Halfway thru revamping them after inspiration from Vogue site.  So glad I will still get to wear this fav old thing.  It's only symthetic knit and I have had to de-ball it and sew up holes but it will be worth it I think.