As I sewed MaxMara's long camel coat last autumn (see below) and wore it to death, I was looking to add a shorter and more casual coat for this season. And suddenly, after years of hiding my red lipsticks and sweaters, it felt like a Red Moment was hurtling back into focus. Then the Guardian fashion gurus confirmed it in yesterday's video, linked below. I went back to MaxMara and found what I loved in their "Weekend" line. Isn't it snappy? It was just the right length for my new, flat-heeled motorcycle boots. The problem was that, here I was with three years of Burdas neatly collected, with their line drawing pages all catalogued, and a fifteen minute riff through their offerings couldn't find this combination of pocket, collar, fitted shoulder and wrap effect! I was stunned. I had the impression I'd been awash in Burda options.
In the end, I had to resort to my dog-eared collection of Vogues—more on that treasure trove in coming posts. At the bottom of a ten-year-old box, look at what I found—in the place I least expected it. See that sneaky little red devil lurking in the corner? I was so traumatized by the adventures I had with the classic trench in the middle, (see review on PatternReview, under member Inkstain.) I never noticed the chic lady on the right with her Dalmatian bag. Only a few adaptations were required. I didn't want the tabs on the MaxMara lady as I inherited some real fur from my great aunt and might want to add some fur cuff trim later, and obviously I didn't want the buttons on the Vogue lady. But the collar (finally!) had been found. I also had to lengthen the belt of the trench, virtually doubling it from a buckled number to a bathrobe tie.
Next stop was the fabric store, where I found some lovely red wool/cashmere blend. The MaxMara coat, made of what we do not know, ran Sf530 online, not counting the shipping/handling. My materials came to Sf145 and I know what my coat is made of. As Erika B says on her blog, you look at the rack and say I could make that! But could I?
At any rate, the Little Red Devil was born!
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