Another Ralph Lauren Obsession and NYC

Seriously. I covet this 'duster'. I want to make one but maybe out of a dusty purple cotton sateen, something with a bit more shine but still light weight. Don't get me wrong, I adore this just as it is and if I thought spending EIGHT GRAND on a jacket was a good investment of money...That and a purple version would fit with more of my wardrobe. Or I could just make a wardrobe to go with it. Maybe I'll get my brother-in-law to make me a pair of hot pants out of leather. He's punk-rock like that.

But just look at these details. The tailoring is beautiful. The embroidery is done by hand AFTER the garment is assembled somewhere. The seams are french seams. Its unlined apparently to keep the "floating feel". Honestly this is somewhere between wild west Victorian and Steampunk.

This makes me wonder if Mom would be willing to do the embroidery. It looks to be a fairly simple repeat pattern in candlewicking. I'm thinking I can modify this free pattern on burdastyle (though I believe this is the origin of the pattern, burdastyle has the print at home PDF).

It might take me a year, but I will have something like this in my wardrobe. Maybe I can find suitable fabric in NYC next month. OH YEAH! I'm going to NYC to see the Alexander McQueen Exhibit for my birthday. Anyone wanna meet up for coffee and go with me? I only have a day or two and I'm staying with a friend up the Hudson Line, so I have to take the train in town.

And another exciting tidbit, I ordered an adjustable dress form. My duct-tape form bit the dust after my one and only foray into corsetry permanently modified the form. Which would be fine if I had planned on continued with my steampunk costuming obsession.