Doctor T Designs

It seems hard to believe, but we are finally looking at the final Burda magazine for the year!  The second half of this year has absolutely flown by; it’s hard to believe we are already looking at things for December.  The holiday season is here, and I am in absolutely no way ready for it to hit.  But rather than think (or do) anything on my long list of pre-holiday preparations, I’d rather look through the preview for the December Burda.  It’s been a pretty good year for Burda, and I think this issue caps it off rather well.  The December issue is usually fairly predictable – it’s often a mix of coats, party looks, and PJs.  This year, happily, Burda skipped the PJs and gave us some more clothing options for everyone, including children and men.  There is plenty to look at in this issue, so let’s get started!

The December issue is always a treasure trove for winter coats:

I really like this.  Although the fabric choice hides a lot of the neckline detail, I think this could be a very pretty coat to wear to holiday parties, and it looks great in a fancier fabric.

The shorter French style jacket keeps many of the details and adds a contrasting trim.  Probably not my favorite of the the little French jacket variations out there, but it would be a very classy addition to a holiday party look.

I’m so torn on this trench coat!  I really like all the piped details, the collar is very unique, and the elastic waist would be very comfortable.  However, I also feel like it all adds up to feeling a little cheap?  It might just be the fabric choice or color combo, but something about this coat just isn’t making me fall in love with it.  Not that I’m hurting for trench coat patterns; I’ve got a long list of patterns from Burda that I want to try.  I just feel as though I should like this one more?  What do you think?  Would a different fabric or color combo help this look?  Do you love it as is?  How do you feel about the collar and flap details?

Wow.  I’ve not been the biggest fan of the sleeve trend this year, but this jacket may make me change my mind.  It’s like the perfect balance between jacket and cape, and the military details are killer.  Love the way it is styled over the long sleeve shirt too.  Probably not the best make if you want to have a real investment piece for a long term wardrobe, but if you are looking for a trendy jacket for the season, this should definitely be high up on the list.

I’m not usually a fan of the boxy cocoon coats either, but this one is winning me over.  I think the narrow, tapered cut helps a lot, and I love the contrast collar and cuffs.  Very classy details, and it looks great in the bold plaid.

Not exactly sure what craziness is happening in this photo, but the jacket is pretty cute!  I’m surprised because again this jacket should read as boxy, but it doesn’t.  The fabric choice is pretty cool as well.  The pocket details are fun, and the sleeve tabs are a nice detail.

Burda also gives us a lot of great holiday options in the dress department this month:

I don’t think the details read well in the model photo, but the garment photo is a stunner.  From the line drawing I’m getting a bit of a spiderweb vibe.  Anyone want to make this up in black/white/purple/orange color combos and wear it as a Nightmare Before Christmas dress to a holiday party?  Now that I’ve had that vision, I can’t unsee it.  I sort of need to make it and take a photo in front of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion Holiday now.

Speaking of Disney, this dress would be perfect for a Mother Gothel Disneybound.  On a more serious note, the dress really is quite pretty, and the shoulder detail would be great for a very drapey fabrics.  It’s perfect for a low key holiday party – it’s dressed up, but not overdone.  I could also see it working great as an everyday sort of dress in a non-velvet.

This dress is another great option for the holidays.  The neckline may be a bit low as drafted, but I love the overall lines and silhouette of this dress.  Very pretty and classic.

This ruffled collar dress is not my personal style, but it does have some nice details that could be fun to sew.  It’s a bit sweet for me, but I do appreciate the way Burda styled it, and it definitely looks like it would belong in one of those minimalist capsule wardrobes that only have clothes in white, black, and peach.

In the plaid this dress is a bit stuffy, but I actually rather like the lines of the dress.  The shoulder detail is quite nice.  I might leave the bow off myself, but this could be a nice dress to add to a winter wardrobe.

This year we get quite a few tops that could be good for a holiday party:

I feel like I shouldn’t care for this at all, but I sort of love it!  The sleeves are on trend, but not overdone, and the added bow in the back is an unexpected detail.  What is really selling it for me is the way the garment photo is draping – it gives a much better shape to the body than I would have expected based on the line drawing.

This is one of those patterns that doesn’t look like much to begin with, but Burda picks a cool fabric and then it looks amazing.  I’ll chalk it up to Burda’s superpower of making me want to wear distorted rectangles.

It’s hard to comment on this top.  The crazy print hides all the potentially cool details.  Or maybe the details don’t look cool, and Burda is trying to hide them on purpose.  I feel like someone needs to make this in the name of science, just to see if this pattern is awesome or simply weird.

Blouse version of the plaid dress.  I think I prefer it as a dress; the peplum vibe on the top isn’t my favorite.  But I still like the shoulder detail.

The blouse version of the ruffle dress.  I can’t decide if I think the collar detail is fussy or pretty.  On me it would probably read fussy, but I think it looks great on the model.

Another top I feel as though I shouldn’t like, but I sort of do.  It’s a nod to all the crazy ruffles from the year, without being over the top crazy.  It’s another design I don’t know if I’d wear myself, but I find the proportion and diagonal lines of the ruffles somewhat pleasing to look at.  It also looks pretty cozy to wear, which is definitely a bonus.

I wish there was a better photo of this sweater on the model, though I don’t really need a close up to know I really like this.  I’d totally wear this all day every day if I made it.  Looks super comfortable and warm for the winter.

The bottoms this month aren’t quite as inspiring:

I like this skirt, but we’ve had similar versions from Burda in the past.  It looks great in the metallic fabric though, so that’s some great inspiration there.

Ruffle hemmed pants are clearly going to be the next big thing.  Happily, on these trousers they aren’t so large, and would be easy to leave off, but this is a trend that really doesn’t need to happen.

I’m pretty sure we’ve had variations on this theme from Burda before as well, but they pair nicely with other items, so there’s that.

The Burda Plus section is all about the holiday party looks this month:

I’m torn on this jumpsuit.  Although I’ve recently joined team jumpsuit, I’m not sure how I feel about the way this one looks on the model.  Perhaps a different fabric for the bodice would improve my opinion somewhat, as the rest of the design looks pretty fabulous.  The waistband detail is really pretty, and I could see some great beading or embellishment featured there as well.

A few party dress options.  Classy, but still fairly modern with the neckline draping.

Interesting use of the sequin fabric on this top.  It definitely elevates what otherwise would be a pretty basic blouse.

Because somebody had to have ruffle sleeves in this issue.

Nice slim fit trousers.

There isn’t a lot for the men, but what we do get is pretty great:

This is such a great jacket!  Classic, classy, but not too formal.

Also, fake bow ties for everyone!  Totally a great way to get everyone in matching fabrics for a family photo.

Even the kids selections this month are pretty great:

The dresses are a bit plain, but that trench style jacket is gorgeous!  It reminds me very much of the classic Burda trench coats from back in the 2006-2009 issues.  The dog coat is pretty cute too.

And that’s it!  Which means we are at our final Best of BS for 2017:

Military style bell sleeved jacket!  I don’t think this is the best photo of the garment; truly the details can best be appreciated by the garment photo itself:

Gorgeous, right?  I mean, I feel like this style won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s interesting, somewhat original, and full of great details.  It’s definitely a style that feels very “now” – it probably won’t be a timeless classic with infinite life in the wardrobe, but it will definitely add a punch of drama to a winter look this year.

Choosing the BWTF for the month was a little more challenging, as nothing was truly terrible, but I’ve decided to go with:

Ruffle hem jeans.  I mean, nothing about this photo makes me think, ooh, yes, gotta get me some of those.  I wasn’t super excited about the ruffle trend with the sleeves, but I’m definitely not excited by the prospect of it extending into the trouser patterns as well.

And that’s our final Burda for the year!  2017, despite the madness happening in the rest of the world, has been a pretty strong season for Burda.  There have been a lot of great issues this year, with a great mix of iconic looks and wardrobe basics that should give everyone plenty to add to their sewing wishlists.  I’ll do my traditional year-long Burda review when we get to the final week of December, but for now I’m going to say that it’s been good, and I’m excited to have my December issue arrive in the mail.  What do you all think?  See anything here that you want to wear for the holidays? Or is this issue too full of ruffles and flounce to make it to your to-sew list?  What do we all think about that pink trench coat?  How long will we have to put up with the ruffled trouser trend?  Feel free to discuss in the comments!