Fall sewing – Vogue patterns preview – sailor pants, tops and a vintage reissue

Hi, I know summer isn’t over (!) but fall is just around the corner. Summer clothes at retail stores are all on sale, which is another sign that it’s not too early to think about fall sewing. A preview of the Vogue patterns fall 2015 collection is now on its website. So I decided to take a look at the offerings. Here’s what caught my eye, in no particular order:

I like the top from this Donna Karan Collection outfit V1465, which includes an unlined jacket with princess seams and a pencil skirt. I’m not a fan of the jacket or the pencil skirt. I like A-line skirts, not pencil skirts or closely fitted skirts. I would seriously consider getting this pattern (on sale at Joann’s) just for the top.

Here’s the line drawing of all pieces of this suit. The jacket lapels remind me of Grainline’s Morris Blazer (minus the princess seams). The back of the top looks interesting. You can see more photos of the model wearing the entire ensemble here.

Here’s a Vogue reissue from 1947 – V9126. I love the pleats and gathers in this dress, which has a side zipper. The recommended fabrics are “Silk Crepe, Rayons, Wool Jersey, Lightweight Woolens.” This could be a really slinky dress in silk. It could be fun to make and I would wear it to work but I can’t see myself wearing it more than a couple of times a year. Though I love vintage dress patterns, I don’t actually wear the vintage dresses I’ve made very often.

Here’s the illustration…

And the line drawings…

This Marcy Tilton top (V9131) has some interesting color blocking possibilities. It could be a nice stash buster and it looks comfy and flattering. This is a pattern for lightweight, two-way stretch knits.

This knit top has a few variations and necklines as you can see from these line drawings.

I’ve always liked sailor pants. Here’s a version by Sandra Betzina – V1464. But I’d make the legs a bit wider. And I have the perfect striped top for it – the one from the Japanese pattern book She Wears the Pants (you can read my review of the book and see photos of my top here).

OK – so now it’s time to look at a few of the not-so-interesting or odd patterns.

This top (V9124) seems rather unflattering – maybe it would look better with a belt? Definitely not one I’ll be making.

Is this a cheerleading dress? This is a DKNY pattern (V1461) – I guess you could characterize this as the sporty, fun Donna Karan line.

OK, this dress (V9124) makes me think of the TV show Little House on the Prairie.

Check out this Vogue illustration that goes with the dress. Am I right?

And in case you need a reminder, here’s a photo of the Ingalls family on the show.

Calico fabric and tiered, gathered skirts are not my thing. There is a shorter version of the dress, which is cute and more contemporary. Here’s the illustration – still not my style but definitely more palatable than the long-sleeve version!

Thus concludes my brief look at a few of Vogue’s fall 2015 offerings.

Are you thinking of fall sewing yet? What are your plans? I’ve had the Sewaholic Robson Coat on my list for a while (fabric already purchased!), a 1970s vintage Vogue knit dress with princess seams (one muslin done, which you can see in this post), a vintage Vogue cropped jacket, and wool pants are a few other possibilities.

Happy sewing!