- BurdaStyle (Plus)
- Jalie
- StyleArc
BurdaStyle (Plus): July 2015 collection
BurdaStyle posted their Plus collection for their July 2015 issue earlier this week. There was one piece I loved, one piece I kinda liked (in one sample) and a lot of meh.
07-2015 #134: Short sleeved maxi dress
First up is a peasant-style maxi-dress. It's okay, but it doesn't really thrill me. I can't tell if those are raglan sleeves, or if they're some sort of weird flutter sleeve that's just attached at the neckline.
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| BurdaStyle July 2015 #134 |
So these are clearly the same pattern, although with Burda giving them separate pattern numbers, I'm not sure if you'd get both views as part of the same download. Both are pretty "meh" to me, but I actually really like the eyelet version of the blouse that they paired with the flared jeans (below).
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| BurdaStyle July 2015 #131 |
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| BurdaStyle July 2015 #133 |
07-2015 #130A: Denim pants
I love this outfit. The flared pants/jeans are fun, and they actually have seaming on the legs--a feature that I can't recall having seen recently in a plus sized pattern, which is funny to me, because the seams can help with fitting. And the blouse is the same as pattern #131. I like it MUCH better in the eyelet shown here than in the fabrics that they chose for the actual pattern photos.
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| BurdaStyle July 2015 #130A (paired with #131) |
Patterns #129A & B are a perfectly serviceable dress and gown. Neither is really my own style, but they're inoffensive in that they aren't horribly shapeless or anything.
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| BurdaStyle July 2015 #129A |
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| BurdaStyle July 2015 #129A |
A BurdaStyle release wouldn't be complete without a shapeless rectangle, so here's this month's shapeless rectangle, which really is a rectangle with a neck hole cut out:
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| BurdaStyle July 2015 #129A |
Long-time indie pattern fav Jalie announced their 2015 patterns for release this week. Disappointingly, to some of us, there weren't many "everyday" patterns in this release, but there definitely were some very useful patterns for a lot of us. If you're unfamiliar with Jalie, they tend to release a lot of well-drafted everyday basics, activewear, and niche sports (e.g. skating) patterns with all sizes from 18M all the way up to plus sizes with a 53" hip.
In the niche pattern category, we had the following:
In the patterns with a bit wider audience, we have the following options:
Anne-marie tank and dress
Anne-marie is a racerback tennis dress or tank top, with a useful pocket in the back. I don't play tennis or cycle (the two intended uses for the dress view), but I could see this just being a cute summer dress for Eva or a useful exercise top for myself.
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| Jalie - Anne-Marie tennis top or dress |
Cora Running tights and shorts
The Cora running tights and shorts are an inseamless exercise tight. If I still jogged like I did in my younger, slimmer days, I'd be all over this pattern. I'd be curious to hear from others how these compare to Melissa Fehr's inseamless running pants.
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| Jalie - Cora running tights |
Yup, pull-on jeans. And they will be perfect for my daughter, who currently sticks with leggings, as far as pants go. I'll probably sew up a pair or two for myself as well. This is one of those patterns where the utilitarian aspect makes it a total no-brainer that I'd purchase this one.
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| Jalie - Eleonore pull-on pants |
The Bella dress is designed for twirling. Really. It started off life as a ballroom dancing pattern (see the built-in leotard option) but Jalie decided to add options for making it an everyday dress. Given that I sew for a little girl who loves to twirl, this one is also a no-brainer for me to purchase. And yeah, I could definitely find a use for a fit-and-flare princess seamed knit dress for myself, too. ;)
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| Jalie - Bella dress |
StyleArc: June 2015 designer release
*sigh* As much as I've loved StyleArc in the past, based on recent releases, I really feel like their aesthetic is starting to move away from my own. We got another "designer" release for our mid-June release earlier this week, and this time around it's a boxy top and a gaucho-esque pair of pull-on pants. These aren't bad or boring patterns--they're just not my own style.
Ethel Designer Pant
The Ethel pants are a pull-on cropped-leg pant with a tucked elastic waist and a full leg that narrows at the hem. Basically, to me, these seem kind of like this season's culottes, but without the typical volume that we've been seeing at the hem. But I kinda like that volume--in my fantasy of my yet-to-be-sewn culottes, the legs are flowy and swishy. I do think that the the Ethels could be a very comfortable pant for summer, though.
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| StyleArc - Ethel pants |
I was completely "meh" on this, until I scrolled down past the line drawing and saw the sewn up sample. It's another boxy, woven t-shirt style top.
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| StyleArc - Ethel top |
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| StyleArc Ethel sample |
The email announcing the Ricki top went out a few days after the two Ethel pieces. The Ricki top is interesting to me for two reasons:
- StyleArc says that the back wrap gives full coverage, while retaining the look of the current crossover trend.
- The top is designed for scuba fabric.
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| StyleArc - Ricki top |
I'm not going to rush out and buy this one right away, but I'm intrigued. This is a simple enough style that I could see myself seeing a made up version that I like on someone's blog, buying the PDF, and having a finished top a few days later.
Final Thoughts
Well, it looks like I'll be adding a few Jalies and those Burda plus pants to my pattern collection. And I'll want to find an appropriate blouse pattern (I'm sure I have one somewhere in my stash) to make in a white eyelet to duplicate the styling of that Burda picture. And I'll be keeping my eye out to see how the StyleArc Ricki looks when made up. That's about all that excited me this week, though. How about you? Are you planning to purchase any of the new Jalies? Also, does anyone know the scoop on the Bella dress only going up to size AA (42" bust)?Coming soon, there should be a new Simplicity release (some of the patterns have been showing up in JoAnns), but those patterns aren't available on the Simplicity website yet.
I, too, am uber busty, and think that the StyleArc Ethel could actually work. The reason? Those two angled seams in the front are princess seams (or could be made to be princess seams) which is golden for bust fitting (solving the Big Honkin' Dart problem, i.e., the dart that seemingly CANNOT be sewn up without a bubble at the tip). Also, I'm doubly intrigued because I love, love, love a boat neck, but find it horribly unflattering for my expanse of upper chest/boobage...and those angled seams nicely break up the space. I've never yet pulled the trigger on a StyleArc pattern, but this may be the one.
ReplyDeleteYes, I actually really like both the trousers and the top, even though I am a bit of an apple with HUGE boobage. I am yet to give Style Arc patterns a blast so maybe I will order this some time. I love the BURDA trouser pattern. x
DeleteIt looks way better made up than it does in the line drawing. The line drawing just looks so...boxy, but the made up version has more shape, and you can see the cute little cut-on cap-length sleeves. From the line drawing, I couldn't tell if those front seams actually added any shaping or were just design lines.
DeleteI really want 3 of the jalie ones. Other then that nothing too exciting. I've never actually done style arc but if I do it won't be those.
ReplyDeleteWhat a bummer about the Jalie dress! I've ordered it for myself, but I've got a 41.5" bust - I can't believe I'm the largest size! I remember they talked in the blog post about trying to fit a ball gown onto one sheet of paper - I wonder if they had to cut down the size range to do that? Bummer. I wish they had mentioned the size range more specifically. Hope you enjoy the pants though!
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point. Yeah, I really wish that they had at least mentioned somewhere that they had changed the size range for this pattern. I can understand not wanting to point out that you drastically reduced your size range for a pattern (they effectively eliminated the plus portion of the women's range), on the other hand, I'd be really ticked off if I didn't sew for my daughter. My high bust is 43", so this would be way too much work to grade up from a size AA for me.
DeleteI thought the Burda gown looked attractive. But my favourite pick was the Ricki top. On a side note, the Veronika circle skirt is a free pattern by Megan Nielsen and it came out this week.
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing out the Megan Nielsen pattern. I don't follow her because I find her size range to be pretty limited, but others may be interested.
DeleteI must be the only one who didn't instantly hate the 'lace rectangle' :) The design itself isn't wonderful and I doubt would look any where near passable on a short person like me but I do like the illusion of a lower neckline. These latest releases all have such high necks that look atrocious on me. It's almost as though cleavage on a curvy person is taboo! Heck, these puppies are my best asset and I'll use any tactic to detract from my other less desirable lumps and bumps :D
ReplyDelete