Marry Me Issey!

So it would be bigamy, so what! This is the wild west, after all ;) But wait, you say - i don't see a shred of Miyake in that there look......fine, my skeptical friend. Prepare to feast yer eyeballs on:

No padding under the blouse. That's all real, baby. I got those killer curves from mom, not dad, as you would expect in the 'big square shoulders' department. It's 'all 1980's, all the time' here. 

Back view - pleats gathered into the collar and into various types of topstiching. Darts in the shoulder area give a raglan feel and shaping. This is Issey Miyake for Vogue Patterns 2761. I made this blouse going on 8 years ago (!).  But i never wore it, except for periodic 'test runs', which always felt a little off. What was up with that?!?!?

Serendipitously, Angie posted on this very topic recently, in her article, "It’s “Not You”, it’s the Future You". As Angie puts it:  "You know exactly what I mean. You see a wardrobe item that pulls at your heart strings because, for several reasons, it’s “so you”. Conversely, you see an item that leaves you cold because it’s “not you”. Obviously the former has a better chance of making it into your wardrobe. 

It’s good to have strong style preferences because that will give you a focused shopping process and a strong signature style. But I’m going to stick up for the other side too. There is something to be said for purchasing items that don’t initially look like they would suit your current style. Why? Because every so often you hit a gem that opens up a new unexplored style direction. It might even be the impetus for the next leg of your style journey."

I commented: "...for me it’s usually something i love but that’s ‘not my current lifestyle’, or ‘i don’t know how to wear it’. one of these resolved just recently – i love Issey Miyake and have made a few of his pieces from the Vogue Patterns Designer line. One blouse came out beautifully, but the crisp, white material just put me off and i rarely wore it (i made it over ten years ago) ***. The pleating and design of the blouse was so amazing i couldn’t bring myself to toss it.

the last few months i’ve become a lot more interested in blouses with some structure – i wear jackets all the time, but in 100+ F heat they are often too hot. A blouse with polish gives the same feel with less ‘heat’. long story short (or is it already too late for that?), i’ve worn this blouse three times the last couple of weeks and love it! completely fits my current style.

this isn’t the first time i’ve had this experience, so nowadays i do my best to try a few pieces outside of my ‘comfort zone’."

*** i exaggerated!  looking inside the pattern envelope, i found my purchase receipt (very rare - i've never found a pattern receipt that i've kept before). I bought this pattern (already discontinued) in December 2003, so this blouse is more around 7.5 years old.

Angie's post came at the perfect moment for me, as i'd already taken these photos and scheduled this post. I ended up writing most of it as a comment at You Look Fab! This also fits in with my ongoing scheme to find/design a core of patterns which i know from experience will be wardrobe workhorses, and make them up in various fabrics (some of them more expensive and luxurious). I'd love to make this item up in a cotton/silk blend, or handkerchief linen. Yum!

I stumbled into the 'double scarf' theme this winter because i was cold and it's warmer than one scarf alone. But by now it's just for fun, adding a bit more interest to a look. Try it, you'll like it!

What do you all think of Angie's thesis? It's obvious where i stand, but what are your experiences in 'straying outside your comfort zone"?