Vintage Letters

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

I gasped and immediately fell in love with this vintage letters fabric when I saw SPG pin it to her inspiration board. It had a soft and romantic feel that really appealed to my girly side. I seriously considered buying the fabric to keep around until I could figure out what I can decorate the home with, lol. S mentioned that it'd actually work for structured clothing items (her post on fabric selection is a must-read, imo), so I excitedly asked her if she would be so kind to make a skirt for me. She was so patient answering all my questions, advising me on options, and putting up with my indecisiveness. Yes, I was quite the high-maintenance customer.


I initially wanted a pencil skirt because of its classic silhouette without any folds to detract from the pretty print. Then I re-considered due to the material and imagined all sorts of creasing after a work day. I already don't iron enough as it is, so I figured I better go as low-maintenance as possible. I came across two ASOS pleated skirts, one with a paper bag waist and one with a traditional waist. Both skirts had pleats that were fairly wide, which I felt would still work with the busy pattern.

S told me what's feasible and what wasn't, gave advice on waist placement and length, and basically held my hand through this whole process. In our first go-around, I felt the skirt was sitting too high on me [bottom left photo]. What a time to discover that my torso's on the shorter side. So I folded down some of the fabric around my waist and voila, the skirt looks much more proportioned on me [bottom right photo]. S agreed and asked me to send the skirt back so she can make modifications.

She ended up raising the ribbon and taking out the pleat reinforcements, so the skirt poufs out less. In her words, I never should have reinforced it so low since it made the whole top of the skirt narrower and resulted in it sitting so high. The skirt now has some room to give (depending on my stomach space), so I'll have to play around with waist placement to find the optimal spot.
SPG vintage letters fabric paperbag skirt

I couldn't be happier, with both the experience and the final result. Thank you, S for putting up with me the last two months!

It's as if the weather Gods were smiling down at me because I was soon able to take my new skirt out for a spin. I went with a ladylike look and dressed up the skirt with scalloped Mary Jane pumps. I can also see myself pairing the skirt with cute flats for casual days.
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sunglasses: Xhilaration (sold in stores)
lips: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in wink for pink (sold here)
necklace: gift from aunt (similar)
sweater: Ann Taylor (this season's sold here)
ring: Forever 21 textured horse shoe (similar)
skirt: pleated skirt by SewPetiteGal (custom order from her Etsy store)

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25 comments

  1. OMG! I love this skirt, Cee! The silhouette is so different and unique. The print is super gorgeous and has such a romantic feel to it. What a great additional to your wardrobe.

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  2. Sooooo cute! I absolutely love it! Definitely feminine and unique. SPG did a fantastic job.

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    Replies
    1. Curious if you've tried washing/cleaning it yet and how the pleats hold up.

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    2. I have not and I don't plan to myself (too scared that I'll ruin it, haha). I'll take it to the dry cleaners and hopefully they'll be able to clean and iron the pleats for me.

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    3. LOL, it's machine-washable, but yeah, there would definitely be ironing involved!

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  3. That skirt is so cute, I love the material! Pretty.

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  4. Gorgeous retro print on that skirt - SPG does it again!

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  5. Cee, love the pleats and fit on you. S, what an amazing job as always! Love how you use non traditional patterns!

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  6. This skirt is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! S did such a good job and you look just terrific in it.

    Also, can you stop wearing those Loft mary janes until they sell out? Everytime I see them on your feet I get the urge to order a pair for myself! :)

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    Replies
    1. HAHA for you Elle, I'll try. Just think of your pretty YSLs when you feel the urge to buy :)

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  7. Well done!!! It looks gorgeous and the shoes - I've had to convince myself several times that I don't need them. Perfect!

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    1. Caroline, you and Elle should form a support club. I can be y'alls sponsor ;)

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  8. I LOVE how you styled this and am pinning multiple pics ;) You should be my model more often!

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    1. Now I understand why people have clothes custom made :) No worries, I plan on wearing this skirt all spring-and-summer-long!

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  9. WOW!!! Can I have one? love it. She could make a million more and sell them thru Anthropologie for alot of cash!!!

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    1. Lisa, shoot S an email and I'm sure she'd be willing to work with you :)

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  10. Replies
    1. I agree, bowing down to S's skillz every time I lay eyes on the skirt ;)

      Are you thinking of buying the fabric and/or skirt too, Vicky? (Saw your pin)

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    2. Contemplating.... The only thing that's holding me back is the maintenance. I don't do dry clean that much. You have to let me know how the fabric is holding up after multiple wears, ok? Enjoy the skirt. Oh boy, still amazed how fantastic it looks on you!

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    3. Will do! Even after S assured me that the fabric is machine-washable, I still plan on dry-cleaning because I don't want to iron the pleats, haha. There's a cleaners near me that charges $2/item. Umm, so not worth my time to wash+iron myself!

      S knows fabrics well... perhaps you can ask her if she has something similar and how it's held up over time?

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  11. Ahhh! suuper super cute. Love it so much. The print is darling and so unique, and it fits you perfectly. I love the adjustments made. :) Good work, SPG!

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  12. This is beyond gorgeous. And it is couture! I love it. Amazing job, SPG!!!!!

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  13. That is the most pretty skirt I've seen so far and the print is perfect for this design! SPG is amazing!

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  14. This is so pretty :) SPG did a great job! ;) I love that you have something unique that is custom made :)

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  15. Wow, that's so cute! SPG has talent, you have good eyes!

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