This dusky pink skirt of a very simple and yet at the same time very unusual shape has been one of my favourites since I made it and it has appeared multiple times here on the blog already. It is made using the pattern for skirt “m” from the Japanese pattern book Unique Clothes Any Way You Like (also sometimes referred to variously as Clever Co-Ordinates to Wear, Shape shape, and also Sewing Clothing Patterns to Wear Multiple Ways) by Natsuno Hiraiwa. The lack of structure and form in the design has been the key to its versatility, enabling the wearer to flip the skirt around any which way on the body without being limited to the one-way-only nature of most conventional western-style skirt designs; and its style embraces both the minimalist and the heavily draped, depending on the angle from which it is viewed.
I made it from a lovely linen/cotton mix from Tessuti’s in Melbourne, and it is lined with a soft, thin almost fluffy beige cotton from Fabulous Fabrics. The outer fabric is a greyish pink that is so subtle as to be almost a neutral. So accordingly, I tend to wear it mostly with some sort of little white shirt, to show off that pretty colour to its best, or with a blue chambray shirt. Otherwise, I do like it best mixed up with quietly subtle beige or ivory neutrals which do not overpower that soft soft colour.
When I first made it, I wore it mostly like it is pictured at the left, with that modernist bustle situated over the hip. Probably because this how it was styled for the book. And obviously, you can wear it over either hip, take your pick… and colourwise, I must say I do like the pink and turquoise together, too… 🙂
Then at right; I discovered one day that you could push the bustle in on itself, creating a kind of big pocket at the side of the skirt. This is also became a favourite “way” for a while for me! Incidentally, the little necklace I am wearing here is a souvenir from our trip to Japan, a miniature leather-bound book on a leather thong. It is pretty cute, no…?
Then I tried wearing it with the whole bustle swivelled to the back, and this might be my currently preferred way of wearing it now… although I do still tend to flip it around any which way on random whim…. staves off boredom y’know.
At left; worn with a longer shirt belted over the top, the bustle is covered up and it looks pretty much like a conventional Aline skirt; and at right, paired with more winter-y accessories; long boots and a dip-dyed stole that is short enough to put that bustle on display at the back. Incidentally, this asymmetric stole is also from the same book, posted here.
Below; at left; a cool and chic-ly featureless front is presented when worn with a summery little beige sleeveless top tucked in, and with black summer sandals to provide a foil to those pretty colours.
And at right; well I’m always partial to the flattering longline layers of a little dress worn over a longer skirt, as in this last ensemble. And these sugared almond colours are particularly nice I think, too!
Which of these “looks” here do you like the best?
And would you like to know which one am I wearing today? well, it is still pretty warm around these parts so I am wearing the summeriest of these outfits just above, with the little sleeveless top the colour of milky latte. I just love these soft coffee and pink shades together!
So on what is yet another sunny sunny day (yeah, we do get lots of them here) I would normally head straight for the shadows away from that notoriously harsh Australian light that drains all colour and detail from my clothes and everything, but I knew these cheerfully intense colours were strong enough to stand up to the full force of the early morning sunlight.
I have been asked many times before if I touch up my photos or alter them, and I admit that in a photo like this I certainly do look as if I’ve stepped straight into cartoonland, but let me assure you right now that this is not an altered photo in any way. Apart from my usual cropping, that is. I like my photos to be square. Yeah yeah. Square, just like me…. 🙂
