1. Photography
The first thing I learnt from Me Made May 2023 (well, I knew this already!) is that I really don’t like taking pictures of myself and putting them out there! But it does get easier and it helps if you think about it as showcasing the clothes you are wearing and not showcasing yourself! My tips are:
Take the pictures outside if possible to improve the lighting or near a window if you can’t go outside
Take lots of pictures so you can select the one you like the most
Use a tripod and the timer on the camera on your phone so you are in control (rather than asking someone to take the pictures for you)
Try to relax and smile (I don't always take my own advice on this one!)
Try doing a video of 20-30 seconds and then selecting a frame from the video instead of still pictures. Moving around seems to make me feel less self conscious in front of the camera. (I got this tip from Gabby at www.Gabberdashery.com - check out her blog!)
Try not to be too critical of yourself – no-one will notice the small details but you!
2. Wearing things in different ways
Part of my pledge was to wear things I have made in different ways and I did experiment with a bit of this. Mainly wearing shirts and dresses open over a t-shirt / vest which I enjoyed and will do more of.
3. How to assess which silhouettes suit me best
I found that seeing photos of myself which I can refer back to, is better than looking in the mirror to see what silhouettes I like on myself. I think it helps to offer perspective and gives you more time to think critically about what works and what doesn’t / what you like about an outfit and what you don’t. As opposed to a few seconds in the mirror before you rush out of the door!
4. Things I want to make more of
Following on from the last point, I definitely want to focus more on making more dresses / one piece outfits rather than tops and bottoms as I feel like I look better in dresses. Although I do still like skirts and if I make more I will focus on getting the length right (just below the knee to midi length is what I prefer) and also not making them too full if they are gathered.
5. Plains versus patterns
I definitely need to work on getting more plain (one colour) clothes into my wardrobe as opposed to using patterned fabrics. Plain, neutral colours are so much easier to put together with other items and therefore work much harder in your wardrobe.
6. Accessories
The right shoes / jewellery / bags can make all the difference in elevating an outfit or making it more casual. So I will be investing in some new ones to go with all of my handmade garments!
7. Pattern companies – try new ones!
I noticed that I gravitate towards the same pattern companies for my clothes time and time again which is not a bad thing! (Namely Tilly & The Buttons and Sew Over It) But I would like to branch out a bit more and try some new ones.
8. A more co-ordinated approach to which patterns I sew is needed
I am very much guilty of sewing up the latest pattern that takes my fancy and with the prettiest / busiest patterned fabric meaning that I have a lot of garments that a) do not go with anything else and b) are not appropriate for my everyday life. There were quite a few garments that I considered wearing during Me Made May but put back in my wardrobe again because they weren't right for what I was doing that day or because I didn't have anything else to go with them. So I plan to have a more structured approach to my dressmaking going forward. Making sure the patterns I choose and the fabrics I use all fit together and I can mix and match them easily to make getting dressed each day an easier task.
9. Wardrobe clear out
For the reasons above, I need to have a ruthless clear out of my wardrobe to make room for my new approach!
10. Committing to a challenge and sticking with it
I learnt that when I set myself a challenge and put it out there, as with Me Made May, I can stick to it – so maybe that’s the trick to consistency going forward!
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