Made By A Fabricista: Wang Inspired

I was excited to try the new fabrics from Alexander Wang. For this post all fabrics were from the designer. From a design standpoint I am a big fan of Wang’s utilitarian design style which really matches my own personal design aesthetic.

I felt it only right to use the fabrics and create something with a play on the designer and I believe I achieved it!

For my first look I used this blue twill and pinstripe stripe fabric to make my look. Once my fabrics came in, I sketched out my look on my tablet. For me sometimes I don’t really know what a fabric is going to become until I can feel its hand.

These fabrics were amazing. They were the perfect weight and felt of good quality. I decided to create a button-down dress with slight flare and a covered placket. I then wanted a wrap vest to go around the button-down to help give it more of that Wang aesthetic.

To make my button down I hacked the free pattern download from Mood. I did quite a few hacks to the pattern to make my look to the point it was merely just a sloper to make my design.

I added 2” to the length to accommodate my height. I converted my front placket into a hidden placket. I love hidden plackets and I feel like it adds a sleekness to a traditional button up. My favorite part of a hidden placket is making the folds. A great resource to draft one is an article that is on Threads.com which is what I always reference.

On the original pattern the sleeves are short, so I lengthen my sleeves and added my extended flare cuff like I have on my sketch. The original pattern also only has a mandarin collar style, so I drafted a pointed collar to add to my design. Also, instead of doing gathers on the back at the yoke I created a pleat which looks a lot more tailored in my opinion. The fit is great, and I love the fabric I chose for the button-up.

To complete the look, I then drafted this wrap vest. I’ve found some similar inspiration on Pinterest then added it to my sketch. May favorite detail is the accordion pocket with the flap. I was also considering adding a removable waist bag to add to the ties that wrap around. The weight of the twill is very nice. It’s sturdy but still has some slight stretch to it and is very soft.

For my second look I had this beautiful rib knit that had such a good weight and stretch retention. I decided to make a set.

In the middle of my cutting, I made a huge mistake and cut out two fronts instead of the other back view. I was SEW upset! I am still planning on how to correct the error but in the meantime, I made the top only.

There is this very trendy wrap top style that I have seen online and wanted to recreate for myself. I bought one at retail, but it did not provide as much coverage as I would like. This vintage Simplicity 5555 pattern was perfect to use as its literally the same pattern shape as the original. This pattern gives you lots of options to wear different ways. Since I couldn’t complete my pants, I styled it with my favorite pair of jeans instead.

The quality of the Alexander Wang material is unmatched. I love the looks I created with all my material.

JASMINE | @sewmuchjazz