#pocketwin: Lagenlook Aprons

[ysabetwordsmith]

While researching something else, I stumbled across lagenlook aprons. These come in nice fabrics with big pockets, and are designed to be worn over other clothes.  They differ from kitchen aprons in that they are meant as fashion wear, not just for messy tasks; but they still add pockets for practicality.  Alas, they are also ruinously expensive; see examples from America and England.

However, aprons are among the easiest garments to make. Even if you can't sew, you could probably make one with fabric glue or ironing tape. You just take a rectangle of fabric, taper the top if you wish, put a wide strip across the bottom and make channels to divide that into pockets, then attach a neck loop or ties and waist ties.  You can actually put a lot more pockets than that, but remember weight; the more pockets you want, the heavier the fabric needs to be.  For a lightweight fashion fabric like calico, one bottom row is probably plenty.  With denim, you can trick it out like a carpenter's apron if you want to.

Here are some patterns so you can make your own tie-on pocket garment:

https://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/make-a-no-sew-waist-apron

https://shop.mybluprint.com/sewing/article/how-to-sew-an-apron/

https://www.threadsmagazine.com/2012/01/16/free-patterns-for-three-apron-styles

https://abeautifulmess.com/2018/01/sew-your-own-half-apron.html

https://weallsew.com/charming-pocket-apron/

https://www.allfreesewing.com/Aprons

Comments

[mama_kestrel]

That's quite the image. I don't have to ask; I managed an alterations department for about 2 years, and made custom formals to put myself through college. And in my current life, I buy pants listed as "cropped" length for my mom, because a standard inseam is 29-30", and my mom's inseam is 25". It's even difficult to hem them up that much because the legs taper.

I am also broad-shouldered. I learned to make my own suits (I'm a retired attorney, so suits were an absolute necessity) for that reason. Size 12 in the shoulders and upper back, size 6 in around my torso (back in the day; now I'm a 20 all over) - by the time something fit in the shoulders it hung like a sack everywhere else, and if it fit in the torso I could tear out the shoulders the first time I put my arms forward.

So, definitions: "Loose" is more than 6 inches of ease. If my blouse is more than 6" greater in diameter than I am, I consider it loose. Shoulders/upper back should have enough ease to move freely.

Long is defined in reference to the body it goes on. Standard shirt length should be 4-6" below your waist...wherever that is. Tunic length is about 2-4" longer.

So I'm not talking about or going by "standard" measurements. I'm talking about what would be comfortably loose but not baggy, and of a reasonable length, on you, not on some mythical "average person".

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

A shift generally speaking would have enough ease and (maybe) length to use the full Xena girding method and you just might also rescue a bantam hen in the bodice. (Because if you have to full Xena, you're going to need that hen to rebuild.)

I wish shirts came in standard length. There is no reason I should have shirts that don't stay tucked. Or sleeves that are too short.

[mama_kestrel]

>>(Because if you have to full Xena, you're going to need that hen to rebuild.)<<

LOL! Thank you!

>>There is no reason I should have shirts that don't stay tucked. Or sleeves that are too short.<<

I couldn't agree more. :(

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

"Ma'am, your middle breast seems to be clucking."

Given that I'm a half-size and nothing is in half-sizes (at least not patterns) and I am good in a man's size 40 jacket as far as the shoulders are concerned, I should have tails aplenty. And I do if I buy my shirts by neck size. Distaff shirts for some reason want to divulge things better kept undercover.

And why don't they put the shirt pockets on the sleeves, when it's a blouse?

Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

I suspect that fashion designers believe most women will buy whatever they're told to buy that season, and this is likely true of many women.

I also think that many other women only put up with bad designs for lack of better options, because plenty of small businesses that start up to solve clothing problems wind up doing quite well.

Re: Well ...

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

There has been a concerted effort since the 1960s to make sure that women are paying a premium to be as poorly dressed as possible.
I recommend reading The Lost Art of Dress.

Re: Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Partly because most women used to make their own clothes, and few do that any longer. It leaves them vulnerable to exploitation. I really like being able to say, "Fine, fuck it, I'll do it myself."

Re: Well ...

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

Yep. And when one is buying retail fabric, one cannot compete against fast fashion, even if one has skills and a sewing machine already.

And it's very hard to find good patterns that address sizing issues. (I know that the catalogs of patterns for several lines are now open source, but printing them is going to be a deal.)

Re: Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Yep. And when one is buying retail fabric, one cannot compete against fast fashion, even if one has skills and a sewing machine already. <<

That depends on what you are trying beat them at. I made better looking and fitting clothes in high school. Probably before then. Cheaper? Well, maybe not cheaper to make. But if you divide the cost by number of wears, then cheaper over the life of the product. Hell, the only place I can leave a raw seam on a garment is inside a collar. Everything else is rolled or Frenched or otherwise finished.

>> And it's very hard to find good patterns that address sizing issues. (I know that the catalogs of patterns for several lines are now open source, but printing them is going to be a deal.) <<

True, but I have found that drafting isn't that hard. It's harder than making an easy pattern, but it's easier than making something fussy like a fitted blouse. It gets even easier when you look at base concepts -- there are only so many ways to make a sleeve hole or a bodice or a skirt, even if there are a zillion fashion variations on sleeves or trim. Once you have the measurements and a garment in mind, the pattern almost draws itself; it's just a little geometry and connect-the-dots.

Re: Well ...

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

It really depends on how good you are at finding fabric, how good you are at picking your capsule pieces, and if you've got the leisure. Also how quickly you need something and if you can borrow someone for any Two person preferable stages.

And now even 'pricey' fabrics aren't needfully very good quality, and life is too short sewing bad cloth.

The Lost Art of Dress gives an account of a woman who back in the day had such boss skills she could look at a thrift shop item, know that it was sufficient for her cut down needs, and then utterly remake the garment into something no one would guess had had a prior life.

Re: Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>It really depends on how good you are at finding fabric, how good you are at picking your capsule pieces, and if you've got the leisure. Also how quickly you need something and if you can borrow someone for any Two person preferable stages.<<

Agreed.

>> And now even 'pricey' fabrics aren't needfully very good quality, and life is too short sewing bad cloth.<<

I love the latter part as a quote. :D

I do know one reliable source for high-quality fabric, quilt shops, but expect to pay through the nose for it.

>>The Lost Art of Dress gives an account of a woman who back in the day had such boss skills she could look at a thrift shop item, know that it was sufficient for her cut down needs, and then utterly remake the garment into something no one would guess had had a prior life.<<

Impressive!

Re: Well ...

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

>>life is too short sewing bad cloth.<<

I love the latter part as a quote. :D

Needs to be cross-stitched in a biker/tattoo script.

Quilt shops tend not to be on bus routes. I miss when regular fabric shops could make their money turning over their stock and weren't gambling on Ladies That Power Suit Lunch buying a serger.

The book is well worth the read, that story is just one of many that should have more distribution.

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

I've made clothes for myself and for friends. I find that highly tailored items with a lot of pieces are more trouble than they're worth, but simple skirts with a drawstring or elastic waist are fast, easy, affordable, flattering and flexible. I usually don't make them with pockets, because I use belt pouches at a faire, but it wouldn't be hard to add seam pockets.

Re: Yes ...

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

One can also use drawstrings to make more tailored appearance out of one size fits range garments, such as with a shirtwaist.