Piqué Inari
Pattern: Inari Tee Dress from Named Clothing
Fabric: Cotton piqué from Mood Fabrics
Sewn up: Summer 2019
This fabric is the last of my stripes haul from my visit to Mood. It is cotton piqué, which I think is most helpfully described as “polo shirt material.” I like that this dress combines some contrasting styles – the fabric texture feels very preppy, the cut of the dress is sporty, and the stripe colors are a bit funky. I feel like this has a tennis player/art teacher vibe! I am neither of those things but it is fun to channel them through this dress.
Stripe-matching mostly there! (hello slightly-offset yellow stripe)
I finished sewing this up the same day I had signed up to attend a stressful interpersonal experience (okay it was speed dating). Speed dating felt like a tricky thing to dress for – what do you wear to communicate to fifteen strangers for six minutes each who you are as a person?
I felt like this dress did a pretty good job! But an even better job of being my buddy as I walked alone into a bar full of strangers to do something that felt quite scary in the moment. Nothing gives me the same sort of “you can do this” feeling as wearing a hot-off-the-machine garment that no one else on the planet has.
As it turned out, speed dating was actually not that scary, and even kind of fun! It’s nice to have permission to talk to strangers. The organizer said that if you do it three times, you’ll never feel self-conscious in a networking situation again. I believe her! It’s basically socializing boot camp.
Also – I love this pattern!! My sister encouraged me for months to make it and I finally came around. I lengthened the sleeve by three inches and the shoulder seam by 5/8 of an inch, and otherwise made as is. My favorite part is the curved front hem and the slits balancing out the higher neck. Also, it’s so nice to be able to throw on one single article of clothing and walk out the door feeling more or less put together!
PS – When I walked into my other sister’s house to have her take photos (she very generously gifted me an indeterminate number of photo sessions for my birthday this year!) she lit up and said she had something similar in her closet. She put hers on so we could sort-of match. :)
Matching slitted t-shirt dresses on me and my sis, plus my dog-nephew Blizzard! ❤️
~ Photos by Lizzie Epstein - thanks sis!
Drawing process reel: Closet floor photo, pencil sketch, digital drawing.
