I'm notorious for liking swingy, boxy, and shapeless shirts and dresses. Like, to the point that I was talking about wedding cake toppers with Nate the other night and he said "I think we should have a guy looking all dapper and a girl in a boxy dress...like, just a square." I couldn't really argue with that...
So of course, the Ebony Tee and Dress from Closet Case Patterns has been calling my name since the pattern was released. And when we received the new tencel jersey for the shop, it was just a match made in heaven!
I hadn't made any tops from Closet Case Patterns yet, so I wanted to check my sizing versus the pattern sizing to see how things compared. I decided to make a wearable muslin of view A, since I have a couple dresses from Anthropolgie with a similar fit that I have worn to pieces. Based on the pattern measurements, I cut a size 10 everywhere except the length, for which I simply lengthened and cut for the size 20 instead.
Now, I know that I've got curves. And I am well aware that swingy, shapeless outfits generally aren't that flattering on my body type. But I really don't think I care. When clothes are this comfortable, why would I wear anything else? This dress is basically secret pajamas. As in, I might have worn it one day and then just wore it to be that night...
While the size 10 fits well, I think next time I'll try a size 8 so that it's a little bit more fitted in the chest. I personally find that even with tops that are meant to be swingy, if it isn't just a little fitted through the chest, it looks more frumpy than I like. I tend to attribute this to having a larger bust than most patterns are written for, but again, it's just personal preference. The pattern fits well as written too!
Then I moved on to view C with the tencel jersey. What a dream fabric to work with...drapey with lots of movement, but not a nightmare to work with like some lighter weight knits. It's not so sheer that I have to wear a tank underneath it, but it's not so heavy that it's stiff like a ponte. If you haven't noticed yet, I think this fabric is pretty much heaven.
Again, I cut a size 10 and sewed it together as the pattern is written. I love it. In fact, I've already worn it enough that it's in the wash...and I still might wear it again tomorrow.
That said, there's definitely a pretty significant length difference between the front and the back of view C. To be honest, I thought I would like it more than I actually do when I'm wearing it. I had thought I would love the tunic to wear with skinny jeans or leggings on the weekends, but it's actually just a little too long! The front is perfect for my height, but the back is so long that it ends up sticking out below my jacket - even my Clare Coat that comes down well below my hips! For my next Ebony Tee I might try to make the cascading hem a little less dramatic.
I'm excited to play around with variations of the Ebony Tee. Anthropologie used to sell a tee by Bordeaux that was my favorite top of all time; mine are nearly threadbare from wearing them so much! Turns out, if I mix the sleeves of view A with the length and hemline of view C, I can finally make my own!
Flattering for my curves or not, this is such a comfortable and cozy pattern. I'm already thinking up a color block version inspired by this dress. And trying to figure out how I can work a ruffle into it like this top. And what about a hooded version for Fall? So inspired...give me all the knits, I'm ready.
