Date: 8/12/09 8:12 AM

Hi All

I have been persuaded to run a course at a local community centre (5 sessions x 2 hrs, 6 women) called 'Wardrobe Makeover', the subtitle of which is "Are you fed up with never having anything to wear? Come and find out how to change that". Or something along those lines.

Now, I have full permission to make it into whatever I like, and I'll be interviewing the attendees to see what they need. Hopefully they won't be expecting to walk out with a full Chanel collection! But I want a coherent set of options to present to them - and as much reference material as I can find!

Here are some options I've thought of so far:
1) Colours - see how their existing wardrobe is suiting their colouring anyway, and what they need to bring into it.
2) Shapes - what their existing wardrobe is doing for their figures, and what they should be looking for.
3) Missing basics - what are they missing to pull their wardrobe together, eg shift dress, trousers, skirt.
4) Alterations: shortening skirts, taking in waists, adding seam inserts etc
5) Conversions: turning a skirt into a dress, or man's shirt into woman's top etc
6) Collage: taking bits of other clothes (perhaps from jumble sales), eg unusual collars and cuffs, and adding them to a dull-but-good shirt; or getting highly collage-creative.
7) Embellishment: adding trims, buttons etc for creative change
8) Basic sewing: making a simple skirt or shift dress to complement their wardrobe.

Now - clearly all these together are more like a year-long course, but I'd like to give them a taste of all of them so that they are inspired to go away and take it further in sewing classes, or set up their own creative groups.

So - I need help to make this a coherent 10-hr course! All thoughts, references, ideas and contacts along these lines very much appreciated! It's in Gloucestershire, UK.

Pen

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Pen in Gloucestershire, UK

Eventually either I'll be dead or this garment will be hanging in my wardrobe...

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Reply to Nibley Girl
Date: 8/12/09 8:42 AM

10 hrs what you have listed is a lot. It is not inpossible to cover.
From your list i would do colours no.1 no.3( no.4 this one could use the no.2 and no.8 )the others you could just touch a little bit on those subjects. If some one want to get into more of the sewing part that could be another class.
Hope this helps.

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Date: 8/12/09 8:57 AM

I saw a program by Nancy Nix Rice at an ASG event years ago (whenever ASG's convention was in Houston in the 90s). It was excellent! She has a book out called "Looking Good" as well as a website. The styles in the book are classic but may be a little dated in 2009 but the ideas are not. Nancy Nix Rice website

The book is available from Palmer/Pletsch as well as other places. One thing I've always remembered from that class is to consider "cost per wearing". A wonderful pair of $150 black pants that you wear once a week for years is a better value than that $150 dress you wear 2 or 3 times. Invest in good quality fabric!

Amazon has this book used in the U.S. I didn't check UK sources.
-- Edited on 8/12/09 9:13 AM --

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Reply to Nibley Girl
Date: 8/12/09 9:39 AM

Don't know if you want to have something about which styles flatter best, or if you're working with an existing wardrobe in the concept of your course. But if the former would apply, I highly recommend the book "Flatter Your Figure" by Jan Larkey. Some closets need a makeover with clothing that flatters one's shape.

I just checked and amazon.com in the UK has it MUCH cheaper than here in the States. I see they have another one, too, that is fit related, that looks very good.

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Reply to Nibley Girl
Date: 8/12/09 9:52 AM

I think you put a lot of thought into this. Personally, I feel the first step is the participants working out what style/shapes/colours work best for them. Otherwise they can embellish/make/change/add whatever they think is right but until they are shown by books or other means, what are the clothes that will suit them then they will always feel like they have nothing to wear etc.

Perhaps when you meet them and find out what they want from the course etc you could ask them to do a rough list of the types of clothes they currently have (t-shirts, pants etc) and bring an outfit to the first class which shows their usual shapes or prints that they wear. Based on what is discussed and learnt in the first class then you can plan the rest of the lessons around that.

Once they know what suits them, then they can quickly work on what gaps are in their wardrobe and go from there.

Sometimes the biggest pick me up for a wardrobe is learning how to dress for your shape etc.

Good luck with the course.

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Reply to Nibley Girl
Date: 8/12/09 11:07 AM

You have covered quite a bit, but not lifestyle. Kathleen Cheetham has a section in the front of her Perfect Plus book on determining what clothes you need for your lifestyle. She goes into how many hours a day do you have to be dressed for work, hobbies, special events and more.

You take that information and determine just what number of different types of clothes do you need.

Another topic is accessories, how to take an outfit from the office to evening.

I know that some like to follow Tim Gunn's approach to wardrobes:

Tim Gunn's 10 Essentials
1. Basic Black Dress
2. Trench Coat
3. Classic Dress Pants
4. Classic White Shirt
5. Skirt
6. Blazer
7. Day Dress
8. Cashmere Sweater
9. Jeans
10.Comfortable sweat suit alternative.

Although it sounds good, I know that #1, 4 and 8 in his list would not work in my life. #1 &4 due to colour, #8 due to $$, cats and care requirements.

Have fun teaching the class.

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2008 fabric in 0
2008 Fabric used 1 m

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Date: 8/12/09 11:19 AM

I would do 1-4, but focus on simply that tailoring, either at home or done by a shop will drastically improve the feel of their clothing. I wouldn't really dig into sewing. I would do 8, since most of that can be done at home with next to no supplies and minimal skill.

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Needle Needle Straight and Slim, Dust and Sweep the House for Him! --Grimm Fairy Tales

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Reply to Michelle T
Date: 8/12/09 11:25 AM

[quote]You have covered quite a bit, but not lifestyle. Kathleen Cheetham has a section in the front of her Perfect Plus book on determining what clothes you need for your lifestyle. She goes into how many hours a day do you have to be dressed for work, hobbies, special events and more.

You take that information and determine just what number of different types of clothes do you need.

Another topic is accessories, how to take an outfit from the office to evening.

I know that some like to follow Tim Gunn's approach to wardrobes:

Tim Gunn's 10 Essentials
1. Basic Black Dress
2. Trench Coat
3. Classic Dress Pants
4. Classic White Shirt
5. Skirt
6. Blazer
7. Day Dress
8. Cashmere Sweater
9. Jeans
10.Comfortable sweat suit alternative.

Although it sounds good, I know that #1, 4 and 8 in his list would not work in my life. #1 & 4 due to colour, #8 due to $$, cats and care requirements.


Michelle T beat me to it. Your item 3 speaks to basics. IMO, basics are/ought to be derived from lifestyle. Years ago Glamour magazine put out a book on personal style and had readers begin with breaking down their weekly/daily activities by the hour. Then you colored in the various activities such as work, casual-at-home, casual going out, formal going out, etc. This process allowed one to see what type of clothing was needed and the amount of time per week it was needed. There was a nod to clothing one should have on hand for infrequent events that simply do occur, such as a few mix/match pieces for formal wear if that is even a small part of your life, something basic for solemn events such as funerals (and that might be drawn from work attire), etc.

Using lifestyle as a foundation for managing one's clothing is perhaps the most useful tip that has come my way over the years.

Another suggestion is that if you talk about a generic list of pieces for a basic wardrobe, you might consider substituing "jacket" for blazer. Many women do not look like themselves in a blazer, but are just so at home in some other jacket style.

Good luck! Your list is quite comprehensive; you are sure to have an interesting and productive class.

PS I would skip the sewing project. Not everyone sews and fitting issues are likely to bog things down. The basics of planning a useful wardrobe and working with one has or discarding things one does not wear makes a lot of sense. You might even see if there is the possibility of a clothing swap among members of the class.
-- Edited on 8/12/09 11:30 AM --

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"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin

"Attitude is the difference between an adventure and an ordeal." unknown

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Date: 8/12/09 11:38 AM

These are all great responses, thank you! I'll come back to them properly later, but just wanted to clarify something.

The group will be a very low socio-economic group, so I'm leaning towards ways to get the most clothes & outfits for the least money - plus to give them a good social experience and creative fun.

Thanks!

Pen

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Pen in Gloucestershire, UK

Eventually either I'll be dead or this garment will be hanging in my wardrobe...

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Reply to Nibley Girl
Date: 8/12/09 1:00 PM

IMO lifestyle may vary, but how you live determines what clothes you need. Since economy is an issue, you might discuss options for buying used clothing and consider ways to update things as simply as possible. Again, a swap among class participants could turn out to be useful. Years ago when Color Me Beautiful was big, the woman who did my colors used to hold a seasonal swap. Many os uf came away with good finds and we all got rid of many things we were not wearing, usually ebcause they did not fit us or our lifestyle.

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"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin

"Attitude is the difference between an adventure and an ordeal." unknown

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