There is a very freeing attitude when it comes to being able to make your own clothing. That unexpected event that pops up? You got it handled. Weather changed for that event you're going to? Fixed that with some ingenuity. But one of my favorite things about sewing for myself is the versatility of it. It doesn't have to be just for casual every day items. It may seem like sewing something dressy is something more advanced that doesn't really feel attainable. Just by rethinking your patterns and fabric choices, you can easily dress something up or dress something down.
*This post contains affiliate links*
Joggers are some of my absolute favorite lounge wear. I can even get by with them in public with the right fabric choices. But can you dress them up? Joggers by nature seem to be more of a casual clothing piece. But, they are amazing to dress up. One of our admins, Cynthia, did a fabulous job on dressing up some joggers by making them out of liverpool. Liverpool is a more structured knit which can make it feel dressier. Her joggers are a perfect example on how to heighten a pattern that maybe be looked at for just loungewear into something you could wear to work or a special event.
Another lounge item you may not think of in a versatile way would be palazzo style pants. I'll be honest, the first time I heard of this idea I was really skeptical. But once I saw them in some beautiful ITY, I was SOLD. Heidi showcased a pair in some of our ITY to really give an idea on how to take the same pants pattern and elevate it to something dressy!
What about shirts? Surely a blouse is better than a basic shirt pattern? Well, you'd be pleasantly surprised at how nice a 'basic' shirt can be elevated with the right fabric and styling. On one hand you can have a very comfy french terry pullover to wear everyday. But take the same pattern, use some fun sparkle hacci and it instantly dresses it up, able to flow from day to night.
How about a pencil skirt? Pencil skirts feel pretty straightforward, and may feel like they should only be worn to the office. But alas, pencil skirts too will trick you. There are so many cute ways to adapt a pencil skirt to a less formal feel. It's all in the styling and choices you make. Here's a great example between a dressed up look with some DBP, and a dressed down look in liverpool.
It makes me even more excited that we can sew for ourselves. Using a pattern over and over, in multiple scenarios, for multiple events makes sewing even more of an opportunity to express our individual selves and creativity.