Dressing Well

One of my band mates commented on my "fashion" at a recent show. Fashion is one of those horribly subjective things, and I'd say it's highly variable from region to region. I do not aim for trendy--my budget is usually much too low and I honestly don't care about fashion trends--but when I'm on stage (or presenting at a conference or meeting with people for my job) I usually dress much nicer than I do in my daily street clothes. My band mate's wife suggested that he go shopping with me. While flattered, I must point out that that's only part of the equation. I can dress well on a fairly low budget. I rarely buy clothes full price (the exception is shoes due to my funky feet). I have a lot of great looking shirts that I bought for $4 or $5. And I should also point out that the hosts of "queer eye for a straight guy" would probably have a thing or two to say about what I wear, but I'm not sure I care (see above).

Part of the secret is that I know what fits my body type--the general consensus between my wife and me (and my mom) is that I look best in straight-leg, flat front pants and fitted shirts. If you really want to look great, take an honest friend (or spouse) with you when you shop. I have to admit, my wife has saved me from a few fashion SNAFUs.

Another part of dressing well for me is that I know my way around a sewing machine. My mom made sure I could iron and sew a button on a shirt, my dad taught me how to hem dress pants, and my grandmother gave me an old garage sale sewing machine when I was a kid. Using that old machine, I sewed sleeping bags for my G.I. Joe soldiers so they wouldn't be cold during their overnight raids on the Cobra commandos. I sewed a new cape for Darth Vader when the plastic one broke because the rebels made fun of him (he looked like a big mechanical dork without the cape). Sewing wasn't "cool" in high school (I took wood shop instead of home ec), but when I got out on my own, I bought a $70 White sewing machine at J&W Vac & Sew in Fort Collins, CO and learned how to patch holes, fix ripped-out seams, sew fleece hats, make drawsting bags, and alter clothes for my outdoor habits. Now my wife and I have a fairly nice Pfaff that she found on eBay (though it needs a little work) and a Bernina overlock machine (serger) my mom gave us many years ago. So, that $5 thrift store shirt, while the fabric is great and the pattern is killer, may just be too baggy. Enter the serger--it makes taking in a shirt a snap! And it's useful for sewing other fabrics, too, especially fleece.

How do I do it, you ask? In the next post, I'll walk you through my method. It assumes that you know a little bit about sewing with a machine, but there are many resources out there to help you learn. What I like best is that this method doesn't require you to measure anything (a trick I picked up from woodworking/carpentry, and at the suggestion of my wife!).

So stay tuned! In the mean-time, enjoy "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore.