Hi! It’s Chloe here with a finished outfit for a special occasion. You can usually find me in warmer climes than NZ in mid-winter – I live, work, parent, and sew in Sydney. In the virtual world I am on IG as chloe_deadlycraft and blog sporadically at deadlycraft.
I totally hesitated on choosing this inspiration, because it feels so “fluffy and insubstantial” to name someone from Hollywood as my Sew Style Hero. PLUS, if I were going to pick someone so celebrity, how could I not be choosing Robyn Wright???!!!
However, here we are. Why are we here? Well, two reasons. The first is that I secretly super love Blake Lively – she seems so funny / nice in real life and she looks like sunshine.
Please don’t tell me if she’s actually really mean – I just don’t want to know.
The second reasons is SEQUINS. If anyone knows how to rock sequins, Blake does.
Exhibit A:
(Sources: eyeprime, be-mod, marie claire)
She also wears any sort of maxi skirt very well – managing to make them more casual.
Exhibit B:
(Source: shilpaahuja)
The look above feels very relaxed, despite a voluminous skirt. Love it.
Onto my inspiration garment! I needed an outfit to wear to a wedding in New Zealand in the middle of winter. Google the average temperature in Queenstown in July and you will see that I needed coverage.
I settled on a dark navy matte sequin maxi skirt and a lighter crushed velvet top:
Feel my sparkly Serena Van Der Woodsen gloriousness! Also…nice location.
I wanted items I might have a hope of wearing again and knew if I made a maxi dress out of the sequins that it really wouldn’t get worn much.
Hopefully I can pull off the maxi skirt and dress it down with more of a t-shirt / tank top type of thing for normal non-weddingy going out.
The skirt is mostly self-drafted, after an abortive attempt to follow a couple of tutorials. I wanted a full skirt, after my first attempt at a more column-shape skirt just didn’t look that good. I basically used as much of the width as I could to create four panels that are sewn together.
The fabric is a matte, stretch, navy blue sequin from Pitt Trading:
The top is the Seamwork Astoria in a stretch velvet from Tessuti fabrics:
This is my second Seamwork pattern and I have to say, I am impressed. Both tops I have made so far have been well drafted and easy to sew. I think I added a little bit too much length to the top, so it’s not hitting the natural waist as well as it could, but it’s still very wearable.
The top is much less inspired by Blake Lively and much more inspired by my desire for long sleeves, but I like it nonetheless!
I am happy to report that I was pretty well warm enough at the spectacular wedding and that a maxi skirt hides a multitude of sins, not least thermal long johns!!!
Here’s one more gratuitous amazing-scenery photo!
I can see Blake and I enjoying some apres-ski together – can’t you?
What a fun post to read, and your outfit is stunning! I also love the way you incorporated the scenery into your photography, well done!
I LOVE that skirt! I have one similar (well, it’s not sequin but it does have sparkle thread woven throughout), and let me assure you that it’s totally possible to dress down and wear casual. I like to wear mine with a plane t-shirt, and sometimes a light scarf. I hope you get lots of wear out of these pieces, and I’m SURE the long sleeves were a decision you were happy with (I understand trying to dress for a wedding in the winter lol – from Canada)
Oh also, I’ve been thinking about inspiration for this years Refashioner’s challenge, and I was originally thinking Princess Kate but I think Blake might give me some more inspiration for things I’d be able to wear and make work for more every-day type fashion. So thanks for once again bringing her amazing style to my attention!
I love your outfit! You sparkle and shine!!!
Wow! The scenery is to die for! And you look amazing in the photos! Very nice! Altho i don’t know who either Hollywood starlette is- ha! ha! (I’m old!)
Oh my gosh, it’s just so stunning! i love the textures and colours you used, and it’s so perfect with that scenery!!!!! I am only disappointed you didn’t match the skirt with some skis!
A swishy and sparkly maxi? I think Blake would be thrilled to hang out with you!
Love what you’ve made. And wrote. And the scenery is unreal!
Good call on Blake Lively – as well as on the thermal long-johns! On the one hand, her style seems quite safe (probably because she’s so pretty and everything looks beautiful on her) but she’s usually more edgily dressed and better put-together than a lot of her identikit peers. And sequins!