SEW THE TRENDS: AUTUMN

Sew the trends is back for winter, I have donned the detective hat and hit the high street! Searching out this season’s hottest trends and paired patterns with them so that you guys can sew the looks. It’s been an interesting search this time, I think the fear of the cost of living alongside everything else going on with the world has had a knock on effect with retailers choosing safer options. In a way, I was more excited by this, to me this season is about styling and layering of pieces. Right let’s get going…

Layering was a key trend this season, this may sound obvious.. it’s cold you wear more… right? Well, it really is about mixing textures to add interest. This means you can use older pieces in your wardrobe and style them in a new way to make a new look. So it’s choosing a few key items to sew this winter. There was also a lot of mixing of proportions, buy that I mean a long shirt with a short top over the top, or long floor length skirt with a tight cropped top. Right lets get on with the patterns…

The polo neck is very much in this season. You can choose between a big statement oversized jumper, the hero piece in your outfit. Or you choose something tight fitting, this piece works so well on it’s own but it’s also a fantastic layering piece so you’ll get loads of wear out it. We’ve got a few fantastic options for you to choose from.

For the oversized jumper we thought that the Joko pullover from Ready to Sew or the Cosmos sweatshirt from Sew House Seven

For something tighter the rise and fall polo neck from Papercut and Rowan bodysuit from Megan Neislen.

This look is a hangover from last season but very much here to stay… remember the cold shoulder trend, well I’m calling this the cold arm! It also ties in nicely with the layering trend as these pieces are made to layer. They came in lots of forms from the waistcoat, to the padded waistcoat to the sleeveless polo neck. There will be loads of way you can wear this so it’s really just picking the style you like.

The three options that we really like are the following, the New Look 6713, the everyday waistcoat from New Craft House or the  Miller Waistcoat from Merchant and Mills.

You can’t beat a good shirt in my opinion and they really were a core part of the layering trend. There were two core options either something made out of a beautiful drapey fabric like a silk or rayon. Or the classic boyfriend shirt, oversized, either worn open over your polo neck or tucked into your trousers. We have got some amazing pattern options for this look.

The top pattern is the oversized shirt from The Assembly Line, lovely and boxy. For something a little more fitted the Ines shirt from Tessuti would be great. And if you wanted to make something out of a silk then the Liesl and co Classic shirt would work well.

If the shirt isn’t floating your boat then I’ve got another option for you. These simple button-down blouses with a grandad collar were everywhere. The fantastic thing about these is that you if you change the fabric choice you have a completely different feel. Take the Cos version above made in a still poplin, it feels very close to a traditional shirt. Then look at the Whistles version, make it in something with a print and some drape.. it’s a different beast! We’ve got some fantastic patterns for you…

We love the Tilly blouse from Fibre Mood it was a wonderful sleeve and perfect for floaty fabrics. Another option if you like a popover style is the Wardrobe By Me heart tunic and shirt.

Dresses, felt pretty understated this winter. One core shape that was everywhere was the knitted jumper dress. Midi length and a lot of these had a bell shape sleeve or a polo neck. Again this would be a great layering piece, pop over something with a cold arm and a coat and you are good to go! I’ve chosen jersey patterns to use to recreate this look.

For something tight, the Nikko dress from True Bias would be a fun make and it comes with top variation. For something a little looser, we thought the Mila dress from Bara Studio.

A wardrobe staple… the shirt dress, think long sleeves, muted prints, and a tie at the waist. If you are thinking of investing in footwear this winter the knee-high boot is a must. The great thing is there there are lots of flat options as well as heeled this winter. This is going to be something you wear again and again so worth investing some time into picking the right pattern for you.

We’ve got two patterns that we think would be great. If you like a more simple shape then the Atelier Jupe Tilde shirt dress is fantastic. If you love a little more detail and a bit of gathering them the Tilly and the Buttons Lyra is for you.

So we move onto outerwear. My favourite! The oversized bomber jacket was in loads of shops, all slightly padded. Having had a good look at pattern options I think the best thing to do is to size up if you wanted to use a woman’s pattern. The other option is to make a men’s pattern. We’ve got a few fantastic options that would be great starting points.

For a simple bomber the Simplicity 8418 and if you wanted something that was a little more challenging then we thought of the Itch to Stitch Causeway bomber.

Yes, the oversized slouchy coat is back! It came in a lot of formats, double-breasted, no fastenings with a tie, single-breasted. So the detail didn’t seem to be important just that oversized boxy shape. It also works well as it means more space underneath for all that layering you are doing.

We have three fantastic coats so it’s just trying to decide on your favourite. First up is the Style Arc Ormond coat with a wrap tie, next we have the Bella Loves Patterns Traveller Coat and last but not least the McCalls 8246.

If I had £800 I’d buy that Whistles aviator jacket…I’m not joking £800! Anyway this was a suprising little sub trend to the outerwear. I love this type of jacket, it’s super warm and short making it very practicle. There are so many fantastic faux shearling options out there now that you’d easily be able to recerate this. Right so the pattern that we have chosen is the You Made my Day Sweet Winter Biker jacket.

I hope that you have found something in here to inspire your winter sewing, if nothing else, to have a play with your wardrobe and mix up how you wear your clothes together!