On the entire 13 night holiday with three formal-wear events, this was the outfit I was most excited for!

Super fun to wear and I felt sensational

Look!! Absolutely INSANE! YSL deadstock feather fabric from a secret supplier in France, but feathers made from fabric. I am going to have this skirt forever and it will give, time and time again, because it is truly timeless and stunning and will always be.

Beautiful vintage metallic brocade from Makers Society

Both top and skirt are very simple, a Tessuti Cora Top with zero modifications and a tube skirt with a knit basque, or wide knit ‘band’ with a tube attached.

I have to admit, the top was kind of a miss. The fatal error was the lack of drape and having it below waist length. Because it was like a carapace that did not move with me. Very high metal content. It wouldn’t sit down with me, just kind of ‘lifted’ itself up so the shoulders rose up to meet my ears. It was like a perma-object, like being inside a hard object. But such a beautiful object!

Because I made it to wear with this skirt, it had to end below the waist to cover the knit panel at the top of the skirt. If it were cropped to waist length it might have been more comfortable because it wouldn’t have hit the chair seat when I did, so it wouldn’t be pushed up and hit my ears. Honestly it was that rigid! Or as Donna suggested, better made as a jacket. So should another occasion present itself as a likely vehicle for a fabric such as this, it will only take slashing down the center to be that jacket.

But it did not diminish my joy in the outfit! I just sat up very straight lol.

I did make one super-minor mod by creating a facing for the neckline. I like a facing over a binding generally, its a lot easier and cleaner; unless top-stitching is deliberate and contrasty, I dont like top-stitching or visible bindings on necklines

This fabric is silk-like, thin and light and a little crinkly, which gives it a nice crumple effect so it poofs

I thought ‘skirt’ when I first saw this stuff because I always think skirt, I am a skirt girl, but I worried about limiting it’s life by being a skirt with a fixed size.

So it stayed special for a while until I had a very practical idea; ‘hanging’ it from a yoke/or r a ‘basque’, as I heard it called long ago. That way the fabric wouldn’t be cut into a shape, just a flat rectangular panel so the fabric is largely preserved.

I made the basque first, then marked the length from that to my toes with 2 cm to account for wearing low heels and 1 cm for seam allowance. IE, eyeballed it. The raw edge attaches to the basque and the selvedge is the ‘hem’. I think I should’nt have cut the basque so wide, maybe another 8cm less basque. I keep referring to basque. Basque basque.

Anyway cutting it was kind of stressy so I was conservative with the fullness, I didnt want to waste this fabric! Ruin it! Must keep it in a state of sanctity forever! I will only ever ruin it! Ruined already!

Such a ninny.

To cut it without messing with the fronds, I placed it right side up on a table, measured from selvedge up at 10-ish cm intervals and marked that with pins, then cut by eye, connecting the marks. Then I could hold the fronds down with my left hand & snip them off if they were in the direct line of my scissors, rather than potentially creating bald patches by cutting them short when working from the wrong side of the fabric..

I cut it at twice my circumference then snipped off any feathers that might fall withing the 1cm seam allowance. To finish it divided the skirt and the band by 8, took a loose gather stitch to the skirt as seen above, pinned it at the 8 marks, then hand basted it all together.

Then fingers and a sewing awl to bunch it up/pull it out as required as it went to the presser foot/under the needle. No problems. It was really remarkable in that it was so easy, because I had put a few days aside to make this skirt, and it was done in two hours. And that was with me messing around being a ninny when it was so simple, its only that the fabric is so unique and precious that it felt like a big job. Or maybe it was a quick make because I approached it very carefully and didnt make any time consuming mistake, but suddenly I was parading through the house in it, that afternoon. So fun!

I still worried I should’ve made it fuller and shorter, but when wearing it that night with heels, it was perfect, it floated along with me like a poofy feather cloud, the best outcome and just adorable! I felt so happy!

Unfortunately I did overhear an unkind comment on it which was obviously due to her stupidity, and sad to get on the last night of my triumph, but I sallied forth undimmed. Take that, plain woman

Magic outfit!

And that is my 2024 Cruise Collection Gala Wardrobe! Three special looks for three fabulous nights. I have never had a chance to dress for occasions such as these before and I think you would agree that I met it well prepared.

Thank you very much.

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