From the very beginning

I'm starting over with a skirt. I've made skirts from patterns before, but none I'm too thrilled with. The first one was made of this crazy girl with cat fabric I picked out, and dressed up with blue rick rack and patch pockets, because more is more. I've put it in the "to donate" box for years, but every time the box fills up and it's ready to go, I grab the skirt back out. It is a relic of my early twenties.

Since patterns can be iffy, I figured that another way to approach this little design project of mine is to study the skirts in my closet that I love to wear, that already fit well. Here they are.


Mociun zigzag skirt

I adore this fabric, and it's by one of my all time favorite designers. It's handprinted. The length is just right. Look at the gathers on the back. It's got a perfect yoke. There's even handmade wooden buttons, which like handmade twigs that have been sawed off. But it's a better skirt in theory than on me. For some reason the crotch bunches. I'm not sure that the center zip fly was necessary.

A.P.C. skirt
I love the bold tomato-coral hue of this piece -- which somehow works with lots of different colors. The amount of detail is enough to make the skirt special, but not ostentatious. It's got great, subtle gathering and angled pockets at front, with a tiny pocket at back. The silky material has a cool drape. I also like that it has a button down front, but the truth is, buttons fall off and then you lose them. Or if you're like me, you're too lazy to sew them back on.

Steven Alan skirt
This one is almost perfect. It has my favorite side pockets ever. I love the fabric - a deep red, ikat linen blend that's breathable and cool but still has some weight. But the best part is the inside. Look at the inside! The seams are sexy. But it's a bit too short. And the waist is a tad tight. It is almost perfect.

I pulled out a book on pattern making that I bought a while ago at the fabric shop in West Concord, Mass., all the way back when Danny and I were house hunting there.The first project is an A-line skirt. I'm going to tackle making the perfect skirt. With a little help from Cal Patch's Design-It-Yourself Clothes, and a poodle.