Amazing 20s Pattern Mash!

The season is changing, the leaves have begun to fall, and as the year closes out we will bid ado to not just another year, but a decade! 

January 1 brings about a new, modern roaring 20's. Hello 2020!

The 1920's were a time of defiance, whether it was against prohibition, rejecting traditional moral standards, tearing up the floor in a dance hall, or indulging in new and dramatic fashions.

Most of the time when people reference Jazz Age fashion, they are thinking of the flamboyant styles of the flapper. But it was also during this time that some bold women began to step out in very NON-traditional pants wear. Styled with white shirts, neckties, vests and blazers, these women would either make their own pants or borrow them from men. These early pioneers paved the way for women like Coco Chanel, Marlene Dietrich, and Greta Garbo to usher in the year of the pants in the 1930s.

As we prepare to ring in the New Year, I wanted to start 2020 with my own modern take on this trailblazing fashion era.

My outfit is head to toe George and Ginger. To get this look, I hacked and mashed my way through 5 patterns. 

To recreate this look you will need:

G+G Patterns:

-Heatwave Hot Pants

-Riot Skirt

-Drama Dress

-Posh Top

-Roadtrip Bodysuit

Additional Supplies:

-4 buttons, nothing bulky as we don't want them noticeable. 

-Interfacing, I used Pellon Fusible Sheerweight

- Fabric

    For the Pants I purchased 3 yards of a Houndstooth Bengaline from Hobby    Lobby. This was about 2.5 yards more than I would need for the Heatwave Pattern as is.

You will need glue, and a lot of it. Because you have some serious patterns to assemble.

To start, my pants are made using the Heatwave Hot Pants and the Riot Skirt.

I wanted to embrace the high waisted and wide leg style that began in the 20s with the Pajama Beach Pants. Wide palazzos that were designed more for lounging than dancing the Charleston. The length is an easy adjustment. My inseam is about 29". The inseam on the Hot Pants is already 2", so I needed to extend down to 31" to ensure I would have length plus hem. All I did was lay my fabric out and continue the leg lines straight down another 29" for each piece, not curving in at the bottom of the shorts pattern. Wide leg status, achieved. 

The waistband was a bit different. I wanted to get this really cool pointed and overlapped waistband I saw, as well as attach suspenders that could be removable.

To get the waistband, I used the curved version of the Riot waistband. I added extra paper to the front of the pattern piece, and drew a line from the top of the curve, down and out to create a triangle extension. This ensures I will have overlap on the waistband. To ensure I had the correct height, I laid the high waisted waistband pattern from the Heatwave over my new triangle piece waistband. I then marked where the top of the Heatwave waistband was. I drew a line from the point I made on the top of the band towards the side seam end, curving it gradually to grade between the height difference. 

(Looking back, I should have interfaced those points to help them stay stiff while being worn, so I would suggest adding that step here.)

When I sewed up the waistband, I skipped the step in the Riot where you assemble it with the suspenders in between the layers, because I wanted mine to be optional. Instead,  I marked where my suspenders should attach on the right side of the inside of the waistband (the part against your skin). You can either add buttons in this space now, or later if you want to double check position. This is important- you want to attach the buttons by sewing ONLY through the inside layer of the waistband. This is so no stitches will be seen on the outside of the pants.

(Because you will need to bring the suspenders down further on the waistband, you may need to add an inch or so to the existing pattern. I would suggest holding off on cutting suspenders until your pants are assembled and you are able to measure the correct amount. )

Once you have attached your waistband, check the length needed for suspenders.  Cut and sew your suspenders per the instructions. About an inch from the bottom on each end you will want to make a buttonhole. This how you will be able to add or remove your suspenders! You could probably use snaps if you prefer, but I like buttons.

The top I made as a bodysuit simply because I don't like the uneven bulge you get when trying to tuck a bodice into a snug silhouette. By using a bodysuit, my shirt will stay tucked and look clean as I move throughout my evening. It will also work great with my pencil skirts!

I chose the Drama Dress because I wanted the keyhole back and collar, and I love the slightly puffy look of the Posh sleeves. The sleeves were easy as most of Kristi's patterns are readily interchangeable. I didn't have to make any adjustments to use the Posh Sleeves with the Drama armscye. I did however have to cut the Drama dress into a “Top” to make this work. So I cut lined it up with the Roadtrip and cut the bodice right under where the hip area began. This is because the bottom part of the bodice will be the snap option of the Roadtrip.

When mashing the Drama and Bodysuit, I overlapped the front and back bodices. I adjusted the drama shape to fit more of the Roadtrip pieces so it would fit snugger towards my waist and hips. I did cut the back bodice in 2 pieces like the Roadtrip, so it would lay against the sway of my back better.

I could have made the bodysuit entirely of the sweater knit material, but I thought that may make it bulky around my butt. And since I'm trying to avoid uneven bulges, that would defeat the point.

Instead I got a 4 way stretch, thin material used to line bathing suits that I could use as the bottom part of my suit. I measured my torso from clavicle to about where I wanted the sweater knit to stop. In my case it was 19". I marked this 19" on all of my pattern pieces (Drama Bodice and Roadtrip pieces front and back). To join the two parts together I would need to add a seam allowance. For the Drama part I added an extra ¼" beyond the 19" and for the bodysuit panties, I added the ¼" at the top.  

Assemble the top and bottom pieces separately. First step would be to sew together the top parts of the back bodice. Then follow the directions for the Drama Dress collar option. I added a layer of interfacing in the collar since the sweater knit was very drapey.

After top and bottom are assembled, quarter the openings and match the raw edges, right sides together. Stitch together, turn right sides out and press. Make sure you plan to use the snap option or you will have no way to get your top on!

To make the tie, I just created a dramatically long tube and then cut it to size after I tied it.

To really set the mood, I made a visit to a friend's establishment. Located behind a set of lockers, in an old middle school turned brewery, your first visit feels like you are breaking all the rules. If you don't know where it is, you won't find a sign directing you. It's not something you speak about, and it's not easy to find. Located in Huntsville, the speakeasy at the Straight To Ale Brewery and Tap Room is definitely one of Alabama's hidden gems! It's the cat's meow and was the perfect setting to grab some epic photos.  

I'm all jazzed up for 2020 now! You can find more from me on my Instagram and Facebook at Cinders Elly.