The briefest of glances at my blog would be enough to inform that I LOVE my Fashionary sketch book; I bought my first back in late 2009 and now enjoy using it every day as my personal style diary… so I was pretty thrilled when Vikki from the Fashionary team contacted me to review some of their latest products.
Yes, please!
Fashionary has been around since mid 2009, and is the brainchild of Penter Yip and Vikki Yau. It was developed as a handy tool for fashion designers, to facilitate quick sketching of artistic fashion ideas without having to worry about focusing on getting the proportion of the figures consistently right each and every time.
If you are like me and can’t draw, this is an absolutely brilliant idea!
A new limited edition Fashionary sketch book comes in a range of three new designs featuring the delicate hand-drawn and painted designs by SWASH London. Mine is a cheerful and classy St George’s scarlet, with intricately detailed and tinted, vaguely steam-punk-y designs. It’s a thing of beauty, like a work of art in itself.
It has a very sturdy hard cover with a pleasingly soft, almost suede-like fabric-y texture to it, and comes with a matching elastic closure and ribbon bookmark. The pages are of 100gsm paper, smooth and creamy in colour, and not at all flimsy so drawing and colouring don’t show through to the other side.
Inside the back cover is a handy envelope in which you can store fabric samples, pen, pencils, pencil sharpener and eraser.
Like the standard Fashionary sketch book it has 128 pages with six semi-transparent body templates on each, which are barely-there enough so that they can be used, or not; if the space is needed to write notes or attach fabric samples the figures are pale enough to not interfere with writing or drawing something else on the page instead.
All the Fashionary’s come in both
male and
female versions.
Mary commented that she would consider altering the curves of the figure when sketching, which is a great idea! and is very easy thing to do with these very faintly drawn figures. You only have to draw just inside or outside of the suggested lines to more closely mimic different figure types if you wanted to… just a few examples are as follows, from left:
1, the Fashionary figure drawn just as is;
2, a straight, more rectangular figure can be drawn by going straight down to the hips and not curving in at the hips so much;
3, an inverted triangle “athletic” figure can be drawn by going just outside the lines at the shoulders and upper torso and drawing just inside the lines at the hips;
4, a pear shaped figure is drawn by going just outside the lines at the hip and thigh level;
5; a more rounded figure is achieved by just drawing outside the lines all over;
and 6, a petite, or very slim figure can be drawn by going just inside the lines all over;
… additionally a Monroe-esque hourglass figure could be drawn by drawing outside the lines at bust and hip level and just coming in more sharply at the waist.
Personally when I’m doodling in my Fashionary I’m not so concerned about matching my own figure accurately … if I was then I would be drawing mine more like number four, the pear shaped one! but yeah, I’m not 🙂
The first 36 pages have lots of information for sewing types; such as laundry symbols, a seams and stitches guide, measurement tools, body measurements, fabric dictionary and knitting information; as well as more fashion-student oriented information such as a brand index and the catwalk and trade schedules. I didn’t think I would use these very much, but I’ve found the little drawings of garment types helpful when it comes to drawing my own outfits and also learnt a few things by reading the fabric descriptions, and consulted the laundry and knitting guides, so you never know.
Another new product is also a set of
mini Fashionary sketch books which are really cute and small enough to live permanently in your handbag. These soft-cover booklets are terrific for jotting fashion notes and ideas when you’re maybe visiting a couture exhibition in a gallery in which photography is not allowed, or you’re browsing through a magazine in the hair salon or out and about window shopping, and you see some inspirational detail in RTW that you want to keep in mind for some time down the track. Tell me I’m not the only one who does this!
The pages are perforated so if you want to you can extract them to pin to a corkboard in your sewing room, to jog the old memory and keep motivation up. Personally I like to keep everything nice and intact in the one book, because I’m the nostalgic sort who likes to riffle through my old notebooks from years gone by… but that’s just me 🙂 The point is, you can pull pages out neatly and tidily without ripping or worrying about the other half of the page falling out of the book.
An abbreviated info section is inside the front and back covers; body measurements and some metric/imperial conversions which might be quite useful, and a list of fabrics descriptions. The rest is 102 figures for sketching, one to a page and each the same size as the figures in the standard size Fashionary. The set includes 3 separate little booklets, and I have already started using one for my sewing planning; my sewing promises to myself if you like. It lives in my handbag… and along with a sketch of my idea and jotting pattern and fabric specifics, I’m stapling fabric samples (if I have it already) and making note of haberdashery requirements I’ll need to finish the project. How many times have I come home from the fabric store and as soon as I walked in the front door suddenly remembered that dang! I needed elastic?! … or a beige 20cm zip?! which of course I had forgotten the minute I entered the shop. If this doesn’t keep me organised, nothing will!
I've so often looked at your paper doll project and had to give myself a good talking to whenever the urge has come upon me to emulate it; but now I'm thinking I need the mini fashionary! Thank you for the fabulous review.
I plan to buy a Fashionary soon and I love the idea of the small handbag sized ones. I wonder if they come in green??? You've inspired me!!
How cool! The mini-Fashionary seem especially useful. I love the idea of writing down the notions needed for the project. And I'm super excited to see your last three sketches come to life. The skirt especially will be lovely!
Hey, thank you very much for the information. I was constantly thinking that you are making (skatching) those paper dolls by yourself. How stupid I am. I like the way you are approaching to sewing and fashion. Your family is lucky to have you for all the garments you have made them, specially your daughter. You are always inspiring me!
I almost bought one of these last year based on your recc. I'm lusting hard. Unless the Fashionary people want me to review tehir products as well? (*cough, *cough, *cough)
I love your fashionary posts! They inspired me to start drawing again. I bought one of these about 3 years ago as a gift to a friend but now I think I might like one for myself. I'm so glad they are making bigger ones, too.
Lovely review! I have enjoyed your fashionary posts, and now those little ones for the handbag — great idea! I write my ideas down willy-nilly, but when I need to find the actual list…not so easy;)
Hehehe I was just blaming you earlier last week for making me buy a Fashionary. I haven't regretted it one bit. 🙂
So..not only a great way to show us how you are styling your wonderful 'makes' but also a useful tool. Sold,I am off to source them in the UK.
I'd do the same thing, but I can not draw (j'aimerai faire la même chose, mais je ne sais pas dessiner)I take what I see, it's too good. Congratulations (je profite de ce que je vois, c'est trop beau. Bravo)
Oh my! I am a new reader of your blog. I always saw your drawings and thought it was all you! I couldn't believe how consistent your figures were……..lol.
What a fantastic product! It is going on my wishlist!
When I was little, I received a "fashion designer" art set for Christmas. It included a stencil of three different female figures in different poses and slightly different shapes. The idea was to draw or trace on clothes, hair and accessories. I LOVED that thing. I think it was one of my most used toys and I had the stencil up until college when it got lost in one of my moves.
So my inner seven-year-old is squealing.
Thank you Kat! That fashion designer set sounds great fun! I regress straight back to kindergarten when I'm drawing and colouring in too 🙂
Thanks so much for this info! I think I really must get myself a couple, and soon!
Your original blog convinced me to go out and purchase a book and a sticky memo pad – and they are fab! I don't use them as often as I should, and I think that is simply down to them and my coloring pencils not being to hand. I will remedy this, and start recording my outfits – so I thank you!
you are going to really laugh at me, but I thought you drew each of those little figures in your book.
I would love one of these books, going to see where to get one in the UK. Thanks for the review.
So that is how you do your dolls! You make it sound like I really need one of these. I sure can't draw 🙂
Hehe, I can't either 🙂
Carolyn, you are the best!! I am going to start using my fashionary for wardrobe planning, and if I can duplicate my figure close enough, I'll post it. Croquis, here I come. I am so short (5'1") that sometimes clothing is too much for me and the drape hides my curves and makes me look like a little fireplug. I actually look better naked than in some of my clothing!
Oooh, I am a sucker for little books. I have to write things down or I completely forget all the wow Ideas I sometimes have at really weird times, then I forget them. Jo x
I bought an A5 sized Fashionary after your blog post of last year (maybe the year before??) and I love it. I carry it around in my handbag and whip it out a lot, it is much sturdier than the visual diary that I was using and the info in the front comes in handy. It is a great repository for ideas, inspiration and fabric swatches. I also make notes regarding the pattern when I eventually get around to sewing the sketches so I can reference next time.
I think I need a new one with a pretty cover though….
Thank you so much for the post Carolyn!!
I have seen the fashionary in other blog and I was tented to buy it… Your paper doll project is soooo inspiring! I really enjoy it, Carolyn 🙂
Wow these sketchbooks look amazing :)! – I may have to buy one myself at some point :)! x
I love these!!! What a cool idea!! 🙂
i've seen fashionary years ago, but from some reason they don't ship in my country, so i had to satisfy with downloading their template and then printing it to regular paper.. not at nice looking as a real 'sewing diary', but good enough for me 🙂 btw – i love love when you post your style diary drawings