Especially pertinent this year, amiright!?
Anyway, a few years ago I came up with a method to help with the end-of-winter-everything-is-grey/brown-and-gross blahs. As soon as March arrives I start wanting colours, pretty colours! Spring fashions start arriving in the stores at that time, but there’s no way you can wear them without contracting hypothermia because it’s likely still below zero temps and there’s still snow on the ground (and at least one more good winter storm on the way during March, even when it’s not a polar vortex year). The stuff in stores doesn’t matter to me much since I mostly don’t buy clothes anymore – it just makes me laugh to see spring and summer dresses in shop windows when there’s still lots of snow on the ground, lol.
Spring/summer patterns and fabrics start coming out at this time too. It does make sense since it usually takes more time (and often planning) for spring/summer sewing than buying clothes, but I want something spring-y to wear in March/April!
My solution? Sewing clothes for “Canadian” spring. Basically, this means making winter-weight clothes in spring colours! I kind of can’t believe that no clothing line/brand has hit on this idea for Canada and other “climates of extremes”.
I also try to include making pieces that are transitional, such as fully winter colour clothes that are neutral enough to be combined with spring-coloured pieces and clothes that may not be heavy enough for deep winter weather, but work for that period transitioning between cold and mild (ie April – most years, not so much this one).
I don’t have a huge Canadian Spring wardrobe yet as I find the necessary materials tricky to source. I like best to use woollens, and acquiring them in pretty spring colours doesn’t happen too often for me as I exist in a constant state of “I’m not really supposed to buy fabric” and only pick up pieces as I happen across them and feel I can’t live without them.
So, I’m adding to this segment of my wardrobe bit by bit each year and thought I’d show you the types of pieces I’ve got so far.
It really all started with these two skirts:
The Modern Mantua-Maker 