10.30.2011

The Perfect Textile

“The finest clothing made is a person's skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this."                  
                                                                             - Mark Twain

One of the most exciting parts of creating a new garment is finding the perfect textile and figuring out how to transform it into something spectacular. Textiles are made from fibres that range from organic and natural to synthetic. Local fabric shops are great for buying thread, zippers, or the occasional yard or two of fabric, but, at least in Kansas, their apparel textiles are sparse. I buy the majority of my fabric from Mood Designer Fabrics located in New York City's garment district. They have an amazing online selection and give customers the option to order swatches before making an “all sales final" purchase.

Jersey Blend Fabric
I bought this beautiful ruffled charcoal and black jersey from Mood. My initial thought was to run the ruffles horizontally, but then I had the idea to drape them vertically. It made a world of difference to simply rotate the fabric, which then gave the top a textured look. I paired it with a simple black skirt that I made this week.