Made-to-fit

The beauty of handmade clothing is that it is made one piece at a time.  One of the keys to creating clothing that will be well-loved is to ensure that it fits well.  five8ths clothing is made to order, and made to fit.  Making a shirt with a particular person in mind is so much more gratifying than working on standard sizes (for unknown people), because I know from experience how wonderful it's going to feel when that person puts on something that fits well.  When clothing hits just right in all the right places---it's that feeling of resonance like the perfect blending of two sounds...harmony.  And then that harmony might inspire a spring in the step or affect the way we move, and on and on.

A recent customer ordered a semi-custom Shacket, made-to-size for her friend who is thin and 6'3”. His chest/neck sizes corresponded well to a standard size, but he needed 37” sleeves and a longer waist-length to accommodate his height.

I cut the standard-sized pattern at the natural waist and added 2" there to accommodate his height

I added enough extra length to the sleeve pattern to create 37" sleeves

The finished semi-custom Shacket

Spring/Summer sneak peak

I just finished the first prototype for my spring/summer line, a linen long-sleeved henley--available at the beginning of March! 

...more pictures and info to come...

Special Order shirt

The Holiday Heap craft fair helped me learn a bit about my customers, and the aspects of my work that draw the most attention.  One man bought a Keyboard shirt, but was also attracted to a swatch of fabric that I was displaying as a made-to-order option for the Business with Pleasure shirt.  We discussed the design and decided on a standard men's shirt with contrasting facings--his enthusiasm increased throughout our discussion, and he returned to my table after looking at the rest of the fair and said the fabric was "haunting" him.  The fabric did the same thing to me when I saw it in South Africa--I sketched many designs with it in mind, and returned to the shop to buy more before leaving the country.  It was very exciting to find another person drawn to that fabric, because I always worry that my taste is too bold to be appealing to others.  On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised when so many shoppers were attracted to the muslin shirts that I made as sizing guides.  I didn't expect so many people to notice the subtle style details in these shirts, due to the solid, natural-colored fabric.  Since both of my assumptions were wrong, and customers liked both plain and bold fabrics, I feel free to move in both directions with my upcoming designs!

Wrapping the special order shirt

Ready for delivery

Etsy

Happy New Year!

Just a quick post to announce that five8ths shirts are now available on etsy!

There are three limited-edition Shackets, sized 38, 40, and 42.

The Keyboard shirt is available in sizes 38, 40 and one made-to-order, custom size.

More designs will be coming soon!

Momentum

Holiday Heap 2011

Thank you to everyone who stopped by my table at Holiday Heap this weekend!

All along as I've established five8ths, I've emphasized that I want my clothing to be thoughtfully designed and well-made, from high quality materials. My inspiration is a simple lifestyle, in which one chooses clothes carefully and wears perhaps fewer, higher quality, unique-but-timeless clothes.

After weeks of preparing for the craft fair, alone in my studio, and years of envisioning the five8ths clothing line and business, the most rewarding part of Holiday Heap was interacting with and receiving feedback from shoppers and vendors. The clothing spoke for itself--it elicited the kind of remarks I had hoped for, and some responses even fueled new ideas.

Now that I am headed back into studio-mode, I am riding the flow of momentum from the craft fair, steering a course based on the feedback from the diverse group of people who attended Holiday Heap.  I will be fulfilling orders from the fair over the next few weeks, and updating my etsy store with the remaining available Shackets and Keyboard shirts.  I will also be building stock and developing new designs.

Please leave a comment if you have any—as you can see I appreciate it!

Holiday Heap

In just under a week, I will be showing my designs at the Holiday Heap craft fair in Baltimore.  I've always been impressed with the handiwork at this event, so I'm really flattered to have been included.  Check out the Charm City Craft Mafia blog for more info on the vendors, including an interview from me!


This is the first time I have been involved in a craft fair, and it is the first time that I have sewn my designs in batches, rather than one-at-a-time.  The resulting twelve-plus hour sewing days have allowed me to perfect my techniques just a little more and to get to know the fabric and designs a bit better.  I have enjoyed experiencing the feeling of my hands moving automatically, without requiring that extra moment to decide if I'm putting something together correctly while preparing the fabric for cutting and the seams for sewing and pressing.

I will have a few men's shirt designs available in standard sizes, ranging from 36"-44" chest.  In case I sell out of a particular size, I also made each size out of muslin, so that people can try these on to gauge their size for standard or custom orders.  I am hoping that I will leave the Holiday Heap with a better understanding of how my standard sizes fit across a wide range of bodies.


No matter how it goes, I know I will learn a lot.  I've already benefited through the preparation process--it has made my goals seem more tangible, and turned my vision into a practice.


If your are in Baltimore I would love to see you there!

HOLIDAY HEAP 2011

December 3rd, 2011 - 10am to 5pm

2640 St Paul Street
Baltimore MD 21218
(inside St John's Church)

Concentration

Today I am re-drafting my Shacket pattern, to tweak the construction process and at the same time draft the standard-sized patterns.

I have just stopped for lunch, but am still floating from the sensation of being in a very deep state of concentration for a long period of time.  For those who don't know, I am a Montessorian, and therefore I value this mental state more than most other things (besides air, Ben, etc.).  Reaching this state is how I have thrived my whole life, and I've always reached it by working with my hands.  After spending years working with children and helping them to find inner peace and joy through concentrated work, I realize why it is so important to me to work with my hands.

Back to work!