What I Am Wearing

Lately it seems when reading about fashion words such as slow fashion, traditional craftsmanship, deadstock, remnants, restyling, restoring, and/or vintage fashion are encountered.

A fromdeepintheheart.com post of February, 2023 titled “Using Vintage Fabrics in Fashion” introduced the idea on this platform and featured a skirt made of vintage embroidered handkerchiefs embellished with seed pearls from a broken necklace and vintage sequins. Today’s post continues to consider traditional craftsmanship and features remnants of crocheted lace…

Several months ago, this photo of costumes designed for a ballet struck me, specifically the lace appliqued on the top of the dancer on the right.

A search for appliques on Amazon gleaned the layered and embellished applique in these photos. 

A visit to Fabrictopia, a wholesale and retail outlet for a wide variety of fabrics and trimmings in the three largest cities in Texas, led to my purchasing several pieces of the crocheted lace trim pictured in the first and second photos.

Bamboo cotton fabric from High Fashion Fabrics in Houston was used to make a full skirt and simple sleeveless top. Bamboo cotton is tightly woven with a slight sheen. The fabric breathes and crinkles much like linen, but is a lighter weight, more like an opaque organza.

During the process of cutting and appliqueing the pieces of crochet lace onto the top everything is stored in a straw market basket with handles; sewing needles, small scissors, and thread. Having everything together and portable is a lovely way to work on cutting and stitching in small or extended amounts of time, even away from home. It is fascinating to see how many people want to see the work and talk about hand-stitching; a great way to connect with others with similar passions.

A small piece of the crochet lace glued on a tiny vintage mother-of-pearl button fastened with an embroidered button loop.

The reaction to the skirt and top was really touching. All day long, from the women who stopped by the table in the café to the one who followed me out of a store and walked with me, people wanted to talk about the clothes. Most seemed surprised to find the dress and applique were my own design and work.

There is such joy in creating a piece which is the only one of its kind. From conception through execution to wearability, the moments are memorable. Hannah Banks-Walker, author of ‘These designers believe that traditional craftsmanship is the future of fashion’ in www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion quotes Elisa Trombatore, a designer who makes all of her pieces by hand. Trombatore says, “Going back to craftsmanship means restoring the fundamental connection between fashion and art.” Banks-Walker concludes the article, writing:

“Perhaps joy is the answer; we must rediscover the joy of clothes but not as a disposable commodity…Pierce – and her fellow crafters – are determined to restore the joy, taking us back to a time when cloth was precious. A time when clothes were something to be lived in, loved, and crucially, kept.”