Me Made May 30x30
I was fascinated by the aesthetic value of clothing from an early age. My mother worked at JC Penney’s when I was growing up. She’d bring home thick, glossy catalogs, and I’d go through them and create this mix and match fantasy wardrobe at eight, nine, ten years old, letting the catalog choices guide my understanding of what I needed for the “season”; a corduroy jumper, a pair of Mary Jane shoes, a sweater in each color, item A264 in Plum, please. It was wardrobe curation decades before I’d hear that term, but just a practice in imagination. It was a game I’d play, not a real shopping list.
We did shop, though, oh, how we shopped, despite having no real budget for it. We’d say bye to dad and be long gone, until our feet hurt and our stomaches growled, and still we’d stop at the candles, the mugs, and the random snacks by the register. Rows of packed racks, discount price tags, chipped mannequins, gossip. And connection. It was entertainment, a pastime, but it was also space to be together. Above the familiar scrape of plastic hangers on metal bars was companionable chatter. I’d try on all the hats, with veils and flowers and oversized bows, just to make her laugh. I’d humor her by modeling things she picked for me, and I baffled her by telling her, repeatedly, that I really don’t need another pair of jeans. My mother has never really understood my impulse to have as little as I might be comfortable with-it’s a trait specific to my own personality, not something learned through my family of origin. However, shopping has always been a way for my mother and I be together, and I have some truly wonderful memories of sheer hours clocked spent in her company in this way. With Mother’s Day approaching, and having not spent nearly as much time with my mother as usual these days, these marathon discount store adventures feel comforting to reminisce on.
As a grown woman, a mother with my own children, my own daughters, I still find the aesthetic value of clothing fascinating. My relationship with shopping, however, is quite different. I do not believe in shopping as a form of entertainment, nor do I believe in it is an effective coping mechanism in times of stress.
I still shop with mom. I have just cultivated a way to spend time with my mother shopping without buying things. I have also cultivated a way to enjoy and play with clothing as an aesthetic game and experiment without buying things; I make many of my own clothes, and I frequently, though haphazardly and unsystematically, curate temporary capsule wardrobes from my existing closet. These two practices open up plenty of space for play and creativity without the need to shop. Me Made May and a May 30x30 capsule wardrobe is a double scoop ice cream cone of style play, and I am excited to share my handmade 30x30 today.
This May, Jasmine Hwang and Petra Alexandra are hosting a 30x30 closet challenge, in which you choose 30 items to wear for the month. It is that simple, and that no frills. Since May also presents an opportunity to celebrate handmade with Me Made May, hosted by Zoe of So Zo, What Do You Know?, I decided it was the perfect time to see how the handmade part of my wardrobe, slowly built up over the last couple of years, plays as a stand alone unit. I’ll be wearing all of my handmade pieces, outlined below. I’ll also be adding a dress that was on my spring make list made in this triple gauze in the dusty purple color Thistle, as well as finishing and adding my Cline Sweater made in City Tweed in the Toad colorway, also from my spring make list.
Including my two not yet finished pieces, I have 25 me made items in my closet. I honestly had no idea that I had that many. As I added them to the rack to organize and photograph them, I felt such gratitude that I have the time, space, and ability to create such a collection. These 25 pieces includes seven tops, five sweaters/cardigans, five dresses/jumpsuits, four skirts, and four pairs of pants. I have had several other pairs of pants I’ve made in the past and since repurposed, as they ended up not being worn as they should have been. I also have many crochet pieces that I still own, but I do not have them in my closet. They are in storage to share with my daughters some day.
Tops
Morning Glory Top in celadon linen
All Well Box Top in: camel double gauze, thrifted striped jersey, white Swiss dot, and natural linen
The Well Traveled Top from my own design collection in The Fibre Co. Luma in the Willow colorway
Black cotton lace top crocheted by my great-grandmother, Naomi
Sweaters and Cardigans
Herbaceous Cardigan (still writing it! I’m attempting to expand my sizing protocol with this one, and that grading is the hardest part) in Knit Picks Simply Wool worsted in the Winnie colorway and Simply Alpaca aran in the Alma colorway.
The Silver Monk Sweater in Khaki (from a reallllly old gifted kit)
The Cline Sweater in City Tweed in the Toad colorway. This yarn is actually being re-used from the original sample of my Kindle My Heart Cardigan crochet pattern, which I frogged a few years back knowing I would want to repurpose the yarn (not pictured, make journal upcoming!)
Bottoms
Self drafted skirt pattern, modeled after the Elizabeth Suzann Bel Skirt, in thrifted striped jersey, celadon linen, natural linen, and Essex Linen in the Nutmeg colorway
Anna Allen Pomona Pants in Essex Linen in the Olive colorway (make journal upcoming!)
Sew House Seven Free Range Slacks in natural canvas, tea dyed
Tilly and the Buttons Marigold Trousers in Outback canvas in the olive colorway
Named Clothing Ninni Cullottes in natural linen
Dresses and Jumpsuits
Self drafted dress in an old shower curtain from Target
Hinterland Dress in black linen
York Pinafore in natural linen
Paule Jumpsuit in natural linen, tea dyed
Demeter Dress in Nirvana Triple Gauze in the Thistle colorway (not pictured, make journal upcoming!)
This hand made collection leaves me five ready to wear items to add in for a total of 30 items. My plan is to add these progressively, meaning as I use a new RTW item, I’ll add it to the capsule and it will available for use later. This is how I will choose shoes, tee shirts, or possibly a jacket if it is needed. Spring has been coming on pretty hot so far, so I may not need a jacket with all the sweaters I have included here.
In putting this together, I am so full of gratitude. I am grateful for the ways all those shopping years with my mother helped me to discover what I love, as well as providing me with so very much time spent together. I am grateful for the joy of aesthetic beauty and creativity. I am grateful for capable hands and access to resources. I hope you’ll follow along with me on Instagram as I share how these items serve me this month and I continue to add to my handmade collection. Also, if you are interested in any of the patterns I used, I have tried to link everything here. Another thing I am incredibly grateful for is access to overwhelmingly talented independent designers. Give them your support if you can!
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