Doctor T Designs

It’s that time of year again – the time of year when we get to eagerly anticipate the fall and winter BurdaStyle fashions!  Is it me, or do people tend to get more excited about the sewing seasons they don’t live in?  Personally, I find myself eagerly anticipating the August-December issues, even though my winters could be described as mild at best, and probably closer non-existent moving forward.  Either way, I’m always anxious to see the September issue, even though it’s often full of dirndls.  Happily, we only have one new dirndl pattern this year, but somewhat sadly, I wasn’t that impressed by the remaining designs.  I think there are good patterns this month, but not necessarily great ones.  Either way, there’s lots to see, so let’s get started:

Since we are heading into the fall/winter season, we are starting to see a lot more coat options than in the past few months:

Typically these wrap coats feel a bit bathrobe to me, but I actually really like the look of this one.  Perhaps it is just the intense print, but I think this is a great option for a simple wrap coat.

There are lots of yummy details on this men’s style jacket – the notched collar is beautiful, and the pockets are great.  Personally, I prefer a bit more shaping and feminine silhouette, but I think this looks like a great option for those who enjoy straight lines and less curvy silhouettes.

I’m not sure how practical a 3/4 length sleeve is in a puffer coat, but otherwise I think this is super cute!  The high collar is perfect for those colder days, and the elastic waist is a great detail to avoid a marshmallow look.  The patch pockets look really practical too – the perfect size for a cell phone.

I like the pink jacket, but I really love this longer version!  I never jumped on the Minoru bandwagon, but this looks like a similar style to that super popular coat pattern.  For some reason the Minoru never really did it for me, even though I saw many great versions online, but I find myself really excited by this pattern from Burda.  This is definitely a style I could see myself incorporating into an everyday uniform/wardrobe staple/capsule wardrobe sort of plan.  When it gets cold-ish, I’d totally grab a jacket like this when I head out the door, especially since my lifestyle is not overly formal at the moment.

This little cardigan is the perfect transitional fall piece!  It’ll add just enough extra warmth without being too covered or stiflingly hot, and it has a nice “casual, but with some effort” sort of a vibe.  I’m not so sure about the styling of the black version, but the pick version looks super cute and comfortable for the fall.

I feel like this jacket is the sort of think I enjoy looking at, but hate wearing.  I suppose it is the mark of an experienced sewist to “know thyself,” and I know that this sort of bow tie collar can feel a bit stuffy on me.  I do love the vintage chic vibe, and the seam lines look super streamlined and tailored, but I think this is one design I’m going to enjoy as inspiration in the magazine, rather than push for adding this look to the wardrobe.

While I don’t find any of the September dresses to be particularly amazing, I do this many of the styles are solid basics:

This dress looks like a fairly simple sew, and the wrist ties look really pretty in the photo.  In practicality, I’m not the biggest fan of a waist tie, and the wrist ties could be a bit annoying, but this simple style is a great way to showcase a print, as Burda has done here.  Not my favorite Burda look, but not bad.

I find I’m much more intrigued by this shirt dress.  I love that the buttons only extend through the top, and that the dress actually has a side zip closure as well.  Based only on the line drawing, I would have passed this pattern by, thinking that this could look a bit dowdy, but the styling and fabric choice really make this dress feel very on trend for the season.

I feel like Burda has given us very similar (like, really similar) styles in the past, but I do think this is a nice dress for fall.  The neck bow motif is echoed here, and this dress has a cool vintage chic vibe going for it as well.  I think it looks great in both the solid and print fabrics, which makes it pretty versatile.

We all should know I’m a sucker for a sheath dress with cool seaming by this point, so I don’t think I’ll surprise anyone by proclaiming my love for this dress.  The collar is a great detail, and the princess seam shaping will help with a close fit.

If I had to guess, I’d say that this might become the most popular pattern from the magazine.  I feel like this dress has some nice design features, without being too complex.  The silhouette is simple, chic, modern, but neither too fitted nor too voluminous.  It’s one of those smart dresses that can be fairly versatile with styling.  I love how it fits the theme of the subtle vintage chic that Burda’s channeling in this issue.

This sweatshirt dress seemed a bit out of place when contrasted with all of the very tailored looks that are in the rest of this issue, but I think the sequins really save it.  Honestly, from the line drawing, I would have thought it might be a nightgown with elastic cuffs, but in the sequin fabric the simple lines totally make sense.  Not the most inventive style this month, but, I am a bit of a magpie, so for the sparkle it can be forgiven.

It’s not September without a dirndl, so that’s what we get this month.  I believe this may be a special designer pattern, but I won’t be entirely sure until my magazine arrives.

Like the dresses, I’m finding the tops this month to be very wearable, though not exceptionally exciting :

This top from the 11/2011 issue has been on my to-sew list forever, so of course I like this pattern!  Honestly, the only real difference seems to be the angle of the overlap, and possibly lack of a dropped shoulder here, but, otherwise pretty much the same.  I really love the looks of the soft folds and drapes, and it looks like it would be really comfortable to wear, especially in a nice jersey.

The only thing cool about this sweater is the sleeve detail, but I feel like it is entirely lost in the model photo, especially in a small print like this.

Oddly, I’m more interested in this more basic sweatshirt pattern.  I really like how Burda has used two layers of fabric to create such an interesting print effect here.

There are lots of subtle details in this pattern, and I think it sort of just works.  Normally I find detail work around the front collar to be overdone, but here I think it offers a nice balance to the slightly bell shaped sleeves.  I can’t say I’m excited by the ruffle, but I don’t hate it either.  This isn’t making it to the top of my to-sew list, but I do think there are lots of fun details included in this design.

This is the top version of that green floral dress from above; I definitely like it much more as a top.  The sleeves also look to be 3/4 length, which makes the cuff ties more of a fun detail and less of something I’d worry about ending up in my soup.

I know this is a basic wrap top, but I really like it, especially with the self fabric tie.  It looks comfortable and classic, without being too formal or stiff.

There aren’t many bottoms this month, but the options are decent:

I love this skirt!  The fabric flap that acts as a belt loop is such a cool design feature!  Plus, it looks stellar in the solid and the print.  I seriously want one in every color.

Burda’s been really into the cropped pants of late.  While I think these look great if you want a super fitted pair of short pants, I was hoping for something a bit more transitional for the fall months.

I’m not the biggest fan of these sweatpants.  I mean, sure, I’d totally wear them around the house (if I added pockets), but I’m less of a fan of the idea of wearing blue velvet elastic waist trousers out and about.

Unlike the regular size range, I’m really excited for the ultra classic Burda Plus options this month:

I love this short pea coat!  The angles front is such a fun, subtle detail.  the rest of the coat is super classic, and I love it in the pop of red.  This would be fabulous for a fall wardrobe.

I doubt Burda could have predicted the Meghan Effect, but regardless, this trench dress is really slick.  I’m normally more interested in a trench coat than a trench dress, but social media and Burda’s lovely drafting may have won me over on this trend.

I can’t say that these t-shirts are overly exciting, but they do look comfortable for the fall transitional seasons.

I feel like these are so much more stylish than the pants from the regular size range.  I love the tab detail on the waistband, and styled with the white button up make these pants feel like a real winner.

So much great shaping on this dress!  Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of the slightly puffed sleeves, but otherwise I really love the look of this dress.

I also really like this top!  The convertible cowl is a trend Burda has played with a lot this year, but it’s fun to see it on a sweater that could go from cozy fall day to holiday dinner glam with a simple adjustment of the neckline.

I can’t say that the kids section is that great this month, but then it’s going to be hard to compete with the super fun designs we’ve had lately:

I’m getting some serious school uniform/prep school vibes here.

And with that we’ve found ourselves at the end, which means it is time to choose the Best of BS for September 2018:

I’m so excited about this jacket!  I feel like it is the perfect fall coat – casual, sporty, long enough to provide protection against windy weather, plus, it’s got a hood.  I love that the pink variation provides some nice feature options, and I’m seriously wondering if I could track down some puffy insulated fabric to make a longer puffer coat for winter.  I can’t wait for this pattern to arrive!

And, finally, the BWTF Award this month goes to:

Blue velvet pants!  Aside from the fabrication, I still can’t imagine thinking of these baggy elastic waisted pants as “fashionable.”  There isn’t much to redeem them; they don’t even appear to have pockets.

And there we have it – another month down!  While I have to admit I’m a little disappointed by this month’s issue, I think it’s only because I have high expectations for the Burda fall fashions.  I think Burda has produced an issue with lots of on-trend looks, and the Burda Plus section is particularly good this month.  I have the feeling this might be another of those sleeper issues for me.  Aside from the Best of BS pick for the month, nothing is really jumping off of the overly dense pattern sheets at the moment, but I think the sheath dress, pencil skirt, and a few of the tops could easily find their way into future sewing plans.  What do you all think?  Is there anything here that is going to jump to the top of your fall fashion sewing list?  Or do these styles seem a bit redundant from what we’ve seen in Burda’s back catalog?  Feel free to discuss your top picks and favorite styles in the comments!