Doctor T Designs

It looks like Burda is continuing the trend of awesome issues into the new year!  The magazine has a nice selection of easy to sew loungewear and lovely tailored pieces, as well as a decent Burda Plus section, and some fairly cute kids costumes.

First up, the coats and jackets, which are absolutely awesome in this issue:

Ok, so I’m getting a Jedi-chic vibe here, which is totally appropriate for the season what with the upcoming movie release and all.

Love the shorter version as well!  The pleated neckline almost tricks the eye into seeing a collar, even though it doesn’t have one.

If it snowed here, I would totally want to make this coat.  The built-in scarf just seems practical.

Not sure I like this in the fur, but I do like the simple shape of this jacket.  Could be great for a print.

Love the cardigan coat look that all of these styles have.  They strike a nice balance between formal and casual.

Normally I’m not as excited by the more casual anorak coats, but I LOVE this one!  It looks cool, not too fussy, but with enough details to be functional.  And the detachable fur around the hood is actually a pretty cool feature.

The dresses in this issue don’t have a lot of details, but they are the sorts of dresses that will be great to layer under all the fabulous coats and jackets we just got.

Burda has been into embellishing the back of their patterns lately, and the trend continues here.  I really like the drape in the back – an elegant touch to an otherwise unremarkable dress.

Sort of liking these dresses; not the most intricate, but they look easy to wear and style.

Love this dress!  LOVE.  The top details are beautiful, the skirt has interesting seaming, and pockets.  Love it.

Looks like we are getting a vintage reprint.  Perhaps it is the color, but something about this just isn’t doing it for me.

There isn’t a lot of variety in the tops – mostly large slouchy tunics.  But, I have to say that loose fitting easy tops are the sort of thing I’ve been wanting to wear this winter:

I’m sort of excited by this sweatshirt – it is an interesting variation on a basic sweatshirt.  It looks a bit large on the model – I might go down a size if I make this.

Old fashioned or full of fun details?  I like the way Burda has styled it, but I can’t help but feel that I couldn’t pull off the look myself.

I’m rather liking this tunic, though I’m perplexed over Burda’s fabric choice for the second variation:

Lots of oversized sweaters in this issue.

I really like all the skirts in this issue, though the pants are a bit meh:

Love the shape of this skirt, and it still has the pockets, just like the dress.

Also loving this maxi skirt – the color blocking is a cool detail.

Normally I’m not a fan of a lot of stuff hanging right in front of the crotch, but I’m actually really liking this skirt.

Easy loungewear or too much going on around the waist?  Might want to try these, but with a different waistband.

Pleated waist pants – we’ve seen a lot of similar styles from Burda in the past.

I get that the jumpsuit is supposed to double as PJs, but, seriously, with the tennis shoes it just looks crazy.

The Burda Plus doesn’t have anything particularly original, but all of the patterns are very wearable and would be a great part of a classic wardrobe:

Love these blazers!  Super classic, but the fabric choices make them look modern and chic.

These pants, I need some!  I may also need to do some color blocking with the seam details.

The model photo isn’t really doing justice to this skirt – it looks much more interesting in the garment photo.

This tunic/dress pattern has an interesting design detail, and could be used with some interesting color blocking.  I just have to note that the fabric choices on the black tunic made me think that the top was see-through in the model photo.  I had to zoom in to convince myself otherwise.

There are like a million top/dress variations on this basic tunic.  The open back with the chains do give a very RTW vibe.  Rather liking the sleeve variations, and all the options for the back.  Also, where did Burda get that city scape fabric?  Want.

And, last but not least – it’s time for carnival!  Sadly, all the costume patterns are for the kids.  Happily, they are all fairly cute.  Sadly, this doesn’t give us much to giggle at.

How adorable is the tiny turtle?  And if you gave him a purple mask you’d have the cutest Ninja Turtle ever.

And that’s it!  Which means it is time to pick the first top and bottom patterns of the new year.  It was a difficult decision, but I’m giving Best of BS January 2016 to:

Jedi robe coat!  I’m sorry, but I have Star Wars fever, along with everyone else on the planet. And, actually, the thought of having a lovely tailored coat without having to deal with all of the fiddly collar pieces is pretty tempting.  The pleats around the neckline offer a lovely detail as well.

The choice for bottom pick wasn’t nearly as difficult – BWTF goes to:

Awkward grey jumpsuit pajama thing!  I mean, ok, I get the idea of using this pattern for PJs or something you can wear out – but I just don’t think it translates.  The tennis shoes scream “I was too lazy to get dressed today, and, oh, by the way, I sleep in silk.”  The pattern itself isn’t that exciting, but the fabric choice and styling just tanked it’s chances of flying under the radar this month.

So there we have it – another year of Burda has begun!  So, what do you all think?  Is Burda starting the year off right?  Or does this feel like a rehash of patterns we’ve seen before.  Anyone else super excited by the coats selection this time around?  How do we feel about carnival being reserved for the kids?  Feel free to discuss in the comments!