Doctor T Designs

The Vogue Winter/Holiday collection has been released.  This is an interesting release.  I find with Vogue I usually want to buy all of them or none of them, and this time for me it is more of the latter.  It’s odd, though, because I can find myself respecting a lot of the designs, but I just don’t know how many of them would work out well for me.  The release as a whole has a lot of tailoring and fine details that are quite exciting, but the silhouettes and styles just aren’t exciting me.  I have some thoughts on why that might be, but first, let’s take a look at the new Vogues:

V1565 – Tom and Linda Platt dress.  My initial impression was, ok another dress with a slightly more innovative sleeve variation, but then I saw the Instagram post from McCall’s featuring this pattern and it sort of won me over.  There are some beautiful features on this dress, especially the buttons on the sleeves.  It perhaps feels a bit mature to me?  I’m on the fence if I’d want to buy this pattern, but I can certainly appreciate all the fine details that would go into making a version of it.

V1567 – Paco Peralta top and skirt.  Another pattern that I can appreciate, but wouldn’t necessarily wear.  The drape on the square skirt is pretty dramatic, and the top looks really comfortable.

V1570 – I really like the the tops on this Tom and Linda Platt pattern.  The draped trousers don’t read well in the photo – perhaps they’d look cooler in real life? – but I do love the black top especially.  I’d totally wear that to a holiday dinner or, you know, just because.

V1573 – Guy Laroche.  Those pants looks crazy, in a good way!  Yet I feel that so much of the detail is lost in the garment photo.  The top looks… just plain crazy.  I’m envisioning it in a futuristic presentation of Romeo and Juliet in which Romeo is really an android and the director is trying to make a statement about the autonomy of sentient computers.  Yeah, I’ve been reading a little too much sci-fi lately.

V1571 – Anne Klein.  Casual, but chic.  I like it.  The jacket is the sort of boxy silhouette I’ve found isn’t my best look, but the trousers look quite classy.  This again might be a pass for me on a personal level, but I think this could be a great fall/winter look.

V1566 – Zandra Rhodes.  This puzzle-piece dress has a pretty cool seam detail, and would likely be a fun challenge to sew.  The dress itself is a flattering silhouette, and could be quite pretty in a fancy fabric.

V1572 – I’m always excited by a wide-legged trouser, but I’m not the biggest fan of this peplum top.  The ruffle looks too big, and sits just slightly too high.  While it wouldn’t be too difficult to switch out the peplum pattern piece, I don’t think there is enough here to get me excited about this pattern.

V9277 – Claire Shaeffer’s Custom Couture Collection.  While I’d normally dismiss this pattern as being a bit mature for me, and be less than excited by an elastic waist pant, Claire Shaeffer’s patterns are renowned for their instructions.  Again, not sure that makes this pattern worth adding to the collection, but if you like the style, the quality of her patterns is usually quite good.

V9288 – Very Easy Vogue cape.  I actually really like this!  The front pockets is a great feature, especially for those of us who live with our hands jammed in pockets through all of winter, and the button details are really sharp.

V9289 – Another winner for me!  The shape is a bit less tailored and more exaggerated than what I normally go for, but I actually think this could be great for wearing layers and chunky sweaters under the coat.  The multiple length options are really great too.

V9286 – Vogue Five Easy Pieces.  Not the most exciting wardrobe pattern I’ve seen from Vogue, but it certainly looks comfortable and practical for running errands in.

V9287 – Marcy Tilton jacket.  The collar is pretty cool, and the single pocket is… interesting?  I never quite know how to assess the Marcy Tilton patterns.  Her style is just so off from my own aesthetic.  But it is always a distinctive look, usually with quite interesting details.

V9283 – Marcy Tilton.  This skirt has some really interesting seam lines and drape.  Falls into that “not for me” category, but the overall look is pretty interesting.

V9284 – Marcy Tilton leggings.  I’m actually really excited by these!  The design lines are cool, and would look great with a blouse or long tunic.  The elastic waist should be quite comfortable, but the extra seaming details elevate this pattern beyond basic leggings.

V1574 – Today’s Fit by Sandra Betzina.  I actually like the shape of this peplum jacket.  It has some nice design lines and interesting collar design.

V1569 – Today’s Fit by Sandra Betzina. Hard to tell, but it sort of looks like a poncho style topper. Not much excitement in terms of style lines, but the high collar could be very warm and practical during the winter.

V1568 – Today’s Fit by Sandra Betzina.  Not much of excitement in this tunic either.  The plan one is rather basic, and the ruffled one is not my favorite look.

V9281 – Very Easy Vogue.  I really like the neckline of this top, but I’m a little less excited by the shape of the peplum.  I’m thinking that maybe I could extend this into a dress, or un-peplum the top, or something.  But I’m definitely getting this just for the top part of the pattern.

V9285 – We couldn’t entirely be done with the voluminous sleeve trend, but it is certainly less prevalent in this collection than in the others this year.  Of course, having such large sleeves isn’t the most practical for heavy coat weather, so that could be part of it.  Anyway, this top is fine, but really similar to the other 50 versions we’ve seen so far this year.

V9280 – Vintage Vogue.  This vintage Vogue coat is beautiful.  Look at the back pleat!  And the front seaming.  Gorgeous.  Totally going in my shopping cart at the next pattern sale.

V9278 – Very Easy Vogue.  Looks like we’ve got more 90s inspired looks heading our way.  Nothing offensive here, but nothing exciting either.  Sort of blah.  It does have cup sizing though, so that’s nice.

V9279 – Very Easy Vogue.  This dress is cute, with lots of great seam lines for fit.  The sleeve ruffle is rather tame, and ties in nicely with the neck bow.  I think it’s too sweet for me, but I think this dress could be quite cute and I hope we see versions of it pop up on social media.

V9282 – Love these pants!  The button detauls on the hem are something I remember seeing in the August 2006 Burda, but it’s a cool feature, especially on the culottes.  I think I might make every version of this pattern though, because the style and details are fantastic.

V9291 – Kathryn Brenne.  These wraps definitely bring the drama!  I’m partial to the green one, but I could see the others pairing well with sleeveless evening gowns.

V9290 – Ron Collins.  I love this!  The seam details are perfection.  It’s like a sweatshirt, but way more stylish.  Definitely a great addition to the Vogue men’s line.

And that’s it!  So, like I said, there are a lot of styles that I find interesting, but I’m not particularly liking for myself.  I’ve noticed lately that I’m a bit more discerning when it comes to my pattern purchases.  Partly I think it is because my stash is reaching critical mass – there isn’t a whole lot of growing room available – but I also think it may partly be due to the research I’ve done into style typing systems.  When I do these pattern preview posts now I can’t help but mentally classify looks as being “too dramatic,” “too natural,” or “too gamine” for me.  On the one hand I don’t want to limit myself or dismiss patterns as being “bad” when it’s really just a matter of personal preference, but on the other hand I’m sort of happy because I feel like I’m settling into defining a personal style.  I’ve actually been thinking about doing as post on the style typing classifications and relating that to various pattern releases, though it is just a thought.

Anyway, on the whole I found that this release has a lot of interesting details and bold shapes, but perhaps a more mature overall feel to the whole collection than I’d choose to wear for myself.  Certainly there are a few patterns I’ll be picking up, but personally I think I could easily give most of this collection a pass.  What do you all think? Are you super excited by these patterns?  Or will you be skipping out on this release?  Do you often feel appreciation for patterns you don’t buy because you know they won’t work for you?  Or do you buy what you like and make it work?  Feel free to discuss in the comments!