Read more on Vogue:
Listen Up to “Chanel Connects,” a New Podcast Series Focused on Culture 

Bridgerton is an American drama series created by Chris Van Dusen and produced by Shonda Rhimes and is on Netflix since December 2020. It is based on Julia Quinn's novels. It takes place around 1813 in the competitive world of Regency London at the debutante ball: regency dresses, gloves and umbrellas. Daughters of aristocratic backgrounds make their debut in the hope of securing a suitable marriage partner.

Totally new!
But Bridgerton is not just a costume drama as we have seen in the past such as Downton Abbey, Amadeus, The King's speech, The remains of the day and Pride & Prejudice. Bridgerton is innovative in terms of casting. The cast is multi-cultural and it fits perfectly into the story.

In addition, we all enjoy Bridgerton exactly at the right moment. We are in a dark time because of the Pandemic and most people have been living in their hoodies and sweatpants for months. And suddenly there is a delightful series in which the costumes look dramatically large, extremely beautiful and almost unreal.

Run-away-bride?
We cannot run from a Pandemic, in fact, we are all trapped in our home or our limited work-related-circle or 'social bubble'. We have to get the Pandemic under control and prevent it from spreading around. Of course, everyone knows it won't last forever, even though it feels like it.  But we can escape and enjoy our digital life,  a good book or great movies and  series. Like Bridgerton!

Costumes and dressing up big time!
The life at Bridgerton's is so different that it seems almost unreal. Beautiful settings, people and even better: the costumes and accessories. While we are walking in the streets with masks and plastic gloves, the Bridgerton artistocracy walks with umbrellas, mega dresses (with crinoline cages underneath), hats and long, flawless white or lace gloves.

When was the last time we dressed up so chic, or did we do our very best to look neat and clean? It seems a long time ago.... The twenties of this century, so far, do not look like  'the roaring twenties' (of the last century) at all....

Dressing up, in dark times
In this corona crisis, is hardly applicable anymore. Why should we? Many people opt for convenience and comfort. But dressing up also has to do with joie de vivre, self-confidence, self-esteem and ambition.

As we wrote in: Living in a bubble, we now live and work digitally, but we are definitely seen. Behind the screen during Facetime conversations, by means of selfies for Instagram or during meetings on Zoom. A nice blouse with a bow or brooch, or a homemade Chanel-style jacket, shows a different attitude than a sweater or hoodie with a just-out-of-bed hairstyle.

Read more: Dressing up or dressing down

Bridgerton as inspiration
But for now, fortunately, we have Bridgerton to escape from the abnormally-normal now-a-days world.  We live  in our comfortable - dressing down clothes for months.... And while we are enjoying ourselves watching the innovative costume drama, why not make something ourselves? Just for fun, or for the future (party)?

Our suggestions for you to get creative:

• Join the challenge of making a Crinoline cage.
  
• Try making a beautiful Victorian blouse with puff sleeves
  
• Upcycling: from shirt to special Chanel-style blouse
  
• Or start making Victorian-style clothing
  
• Or a blouse with beautiful ruffles and large sleeves
  

Summarized:
While we are enjoying the Netflix series Bridgerton and the beautiful costumes, we realize once again how we are live during the Pandemic and lockdown(s).  We hardly make any effort to look good. Comfort is more important than chic, and that is of course practical. Dressing down is also part of life and has become almost standard in this corona time ...

But 'Dressing up' says a lot about you as a person and is always possible. Use the beautiful series as inspiration and make something beautiful for yourself, for now or later. We won't be walking down the street in crinolines or mega costumes, but sometimes it's not just about the result, but also about the feeling and of course the challenge of the sewing process!

Circular economy action plan
But the waste and the major consequences of this on the environment, more and more people do not like it anymore and take action. The European Commission launched the European Green Deal with a Circular Economy action plan that mainly concerns the textile industry. There will have to be a transition to a circular fashion and textile industry that prevents waste of raw materials. On a global level and as permanent change. It's about time...

Sustainable lifestyle = chic
Circular fashion is a term that has a lot to do with just second-hand and recycled fashion but it is a lot more. It is not something to be ashamed of, as a fashion house or employees in the textile industry, but we all should be proud of it. More and more big-names fashion labels are participating and that's great! The corona crisis has also accelerated this process because it was difficult to obtain raw materials and because we stayed at home en masse and put on our 'home-wear'. These are garments that are easier to make from recycled fabrics. And we have discovered we do not need an overload of clothes and 'things' to be happy.

H&M recently introduced a LOOOP system in Sweden where old or unused clothing is shredded and pulverized and made into fibers without the use of water and chemicals. These fibers are mixed with other fibers and can be used for new clothing.

Apart from all environmental aspects, there is also a more social system linked to fair working conditions for employees in the entire textile production chain. And there is a great emphasis on respect for craftsmanship. For the first time in ages, crafts are respected and appreciated by consumers.

Let's go circling!
Circular actually means nothing more than that a garment is made in a special way; after use (or non-use) it returns into the circle of production to get another life. A kind of 'upcyling', but on a larger level. A garment will never really come to the end of its life, because it can be used to make something different from the raw materials. This can be done in the way LOOOP: completely pulverized, but it is also possible because the garment has a timeless appearance and is quickly transformed into something new with simpler adjustments.

Like this: "If you wait long enough, fashion will always come back" ..., but more actively.

The Chanel Pre-Fall 2020/2021 Collection, by Virginie Viard, is shown at Château de Chenonceau / Le Château des Dames - France) Filmed by: Alex Arcoleo - Glowing Moon / Headphones In, Anton Flanders - Blaze. A beautiful collection in a surprising setting.

Chanel - timeless allure!
This collection breathes Chanel, Chanel and again Chanel. You don't have to use a magnifying glass to notice it is all created by the fashion house Chanel. Coco Chanel would be proud because many designs and the essence of Chanel is strongly present and has been translated to these modern times.

Black and white & colors
The colors black, white and gray (anthracite) clearly dominate the show, translated into beautiful Bouclé jackets and checkered fabrics for skirts, Pied-de-poule fabrics for jackets and suits. In addition, we see beige, soft pink, jeans blue, a single color ocher-yellow, orange (brique) and peacock-blue. But the black and white tones dominate the entire collection.

Fabrics
The season offers an infinity of possible fabrics. After all, it is an intermediate season and the days are always either warm or cold. This reflects the collection. From warm Bouclé fabrics to almost transparent chiffon. The leather look or real leather fabrics are striking and strong. These are deep black and show very tough and strong. There is also a lot of spandex for leggings. We are a little less enthusiastic about these leggings. The Bouclé fabrics vary in look: from a sleeveless jacket (for warm days) to a complete Bouclé outfit including a warm long coat.

Haute couture
In the collection you notice all the work behind the scenes. A complete crochet dress, lots of embroidery and detailed finishes that are undoubtedly made by hand. See the video: Chanel documentary - Chanel journal of a collection.

Variations in style
The beautiful details in terms of fabric and accessories are genius. We see many small bags, striking belts and jewelery in the form of hairpieces, earrings,  a few hats and necklaces. This ensures, among other things, that there is a lot of variation in style. The styles are baroque, hippies, retro, casual and business. Some black long coats can even pass as Gothic-style. We think the long dresses, long coats and flowing fabrics  are beautiful and very feminine. After all, in times of (corona) crisis, many fabrics are always used in clothing to create a feeling of luxury and well being.

It is a wonderful collection and ewe like the vararity of different styles. We are curious what eventually will be spotted on the streets. The collection is easily translated for the mainstream public. By the way, we miss the facemasks and we will skip the leggings...

Stop watching Netflix series and close your book. Here is a - free - film about Chanel's Haute couture from A to Z. It is a film by Loic Prigent.

Haute couture documentary
This You-tube movie is certainly not a little movie; it is true documentary. The film lasts an hour and you will enjoy it. The film was shot from June to July 2020, after the lockdown in Paris, but still in the middle of the pandemic. You will notice the face masks  and the social distance rules.

Behind the scenes
The documentary shows the ateliers of Chanel, the new director Virginie Viard, the seamstresses, the leaders of the workshops, the studios, the fit models Amanda and Cris, the embroidery artists, the photographer and all the other people behind the scenes. A bit like the book: Chanel, the making of a collection.

Despite the hectic nature that is inherent in making Haute couture collections, the documentary also shows nice relaxing moments, social interactions among the employees and coffee & coockies. What is striking is the passion of the employees when they are talking about their work and how proud they are to work for Chanel.

Our conclusion:
An honest documentary about the makers behind the Chanel brand. And definitely worth watching every minute of it!

Inspiration? Yes, after this documentary you immediately want to start making Haute couture yourself!

Filmed with Julien Da Costa Sound by Clément Duché Edited by Anthony Goujjane and Konstantin Maslakov Produit par Natacha Morice pour DERALF (Divertissant Et Révoltant A La Fois) Contact : deralfproduction@gmail.com Music : Audionetworks baby!

Summarized:
We love patchwork !

An interesting  Vogue article today:
Virginie Viard, the Woman Behind Chanel’s New Chapter

Read all about the new Chanel's creative director: her story, lifestyle and vision!

Are you in the mood for spring or summer 2021, or are you not thinking about that at all ...? We are living in strange times and because of the corona crisis most people do not even dare to think about 2021. And the spring and summer ... But let's enjoy Chanel's catwalk on Youtube.

Fashion houses & trend watchers
But most fashion houses are used looking into the future. They determine what the street scene will look like in the future, or at least the next season ahead. Of course there are social developments that cannot be predicted and mistakes are common. For example, how about all the headcaps and tight hoodies that pop up on the catwalks but are suddenly clumsy? In connection with the mandatory mouth mask in many countries? You really need your ears to put the rubber bands on the mouth mask ...

On the other hand, fashion houses and trend watchers also respond very quickly to social changes and developments. In'Living in a bubble' you can read how fashion adapts to people's daily lives. After all, we no longer have to leave the house - dressed in a suit - to run to a meeting. Many people are working at home. Looking neat but comfortable is a good goal. We live in a social bubble, we dress accordingly.

Chanel Spring-Summer 2021
What will bring Chanel's new spring and summer collection? In any case, a lot of distance and space between the models. Social distance in a chic concept.

We see many fresh, light colors. Pink and light red in particular is strikingly present and we notice some bright prints.

We are enjoying the classic Chanel jacket wearing in combination with short skirts and pants. Bouclé cotton all over the catwalk, beautiful black, anthracite and white colors processed in beautiful fabrics. Even dresses are made of Bouclé cotton, creating a strong but also a very elegant look.

And as always, we see a lot of black, pearls, edges and fringes as the quintessential Chanel elements. We have the feeling that fashion house Chanel has stayed close to itself with this collection. Some outfits with big logo's, glitter sequins and ruffles are not our favorites. But everyone has his or her taste.

Enjoy the video of the beautiful, modern catwalk and hopefully you get a lot of inspiration from it, just like us. And looking forward to spring 2021!

Ocher and ochre are different spellings of the same word, referring to (1) any of several earthy mineral oxides of iron occurring in brown, yellow, or red and used as pigments, and (2) a moderate orange yellow. The only difference is that ocher is the American spelling while ochre is preferred outside the U.S.

Ochre is a wonderful pigment
What is ochre? Ochre is a natural clay earth pigment which is a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown and I use it a lot in my studio. It goes by different names: Yellow Ochre, Gold Ochre, Brown Ochre, Naples Ochre or Burnt Ochre, to name a few. In Dutch its yellow colour is named ‘okergeel’.
 
Ochre is a very important find for archaeologists. In prehistoric times this pigment had a variety of functions: it was used as soap, paint, as grave goods, and for embalming the dead. It may even have been sunblock 50+ for as long as it lasted and did not flake off.

Ochre toolkits used by humans 100,000 years ago for making paints were found in the famous archaeological site of Blombos Cave in South Africa. This is such a long time ago, 100.000 years, we can hardly imagine peoples using colour pigments, but they did.
 
Otjize is a mixture of butterfat and ochre pigment used by Himba people of Namibia to protect themselves from the harsh desert climate.
For prehistoric people ochre was perhaps what Clorox and make-up is to us now. People perhaps used it as body paint, ideal for hygienic purposes too due to water scarcity. When it flakes off it removes skin and dirt.

A favourite colour!
Yellow Pale Ochre is part of my favourite standard colour palette. It is a much-used pigment in whatever painting I make using aquarelle, gouache, or oils. Ochre is fashionable this season too. When I walk into Dille & Kamille, a Dutch home and kitchen accessories shop, ochre coloured textiles and flower pots catch your eye. 

Ochre has many colours, it has many functions. Archaeologists link it to our way of thinking. When prehistoric peoples started colour processing they were showing colour preferences. When one thing represents something else, we are in the business of symbolic thinking.

• Red for 'blood',
• yellow ochre for 'sun',
• brownish ochre for 'earth'?

We can't ask our long dead ancestors. But what we know for sure is that many colours of ochre were important to them.

Ochre & Lifestyle
Ochre is a constant companion in my life because I work with paints all the time.  And when I am not painting, I still love ochre colours especially during the autumn season. Ochre resonates deep with many of us. Some of us wear this colour, others prefer plant pots having ochre colours. And others use it for other artistic purposes. Interestingly, the more I use it and the more I learn about it, the more fascinating this pigment becomes.

Ochre & textiles
Regarding ochre coloured textiles one could say that ochre communicates nature to us. All variations of ochre, from brownish to yellow, we associate with nature, with living an organic lifestyle, with being aware of earth’s resources. No wonder that we see more ochre these days when fashion houses and designers foresee customers returning to organic fabrics and soft, natural textures.

Neon seems to be over, it communicated something unnatural.  Ochre, on the other hand, tells a very old story, one of using earth’s pigments. Now that we are increasingly aware of earth’s precious resources and the way we pollute our oceans with micro plastics that are shed every time we wash polyester fabrics, we prefer to return to natural fabrics, natural textile, and natural pigments too.

Paula

About the Author:
Elena Tran is a Canadian dressmaker and an entrepreneur passionate about haute couture sewing using
beautiful fabrics and notions. After her career as a college administrator and mathematics professor, she
pursued her interest in sewing and opened an online luxury fabric store baudekinstudio.ca. She is
constantly learning and improving her craft. Her training includes lessons with the legendary couture
instructor Angelina di Bello (Montreal, Canada), dressmaking program at Mohawk College (Hamilton,
Canada) and online needlework courses at the Royal School of Needlework (London, UK).

Once upon a time fashion gloves were stylish, unspoken symbol of luxury and class, a powerful combination of modesty and glamour. Would recent events make us revisit this obsolete fashion accessory and make gloves come back to our lives?

In these anxious times, gloves may help psychologically by forming a thin barrier between us and the outside world. Although cloth gloves do not provide the same level of protection as plastic gloves, but as with cloth masks, any protection, in my opinion, is better than no protection. They stop us from touching the face and transferring germs from surfaces for once.

A little bit of History
Gloves were first worn by cardinals and kings as ornamental accessories to signify social status, wealth and elegance. (BARGER) In the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance, gloves were often given as gifts and tokens of love and respect. Looking at the vintage painting and photos, it’s interesting to see how gloves evolved. Gloves are often associated with women and strict social rules, but actually up until twentieth century both men and women made considerable investments in their clothing, including gloves. The gloves were adorned with jewelry and elaborate embroideries and, if not worn, they were always carried around as a status symbol. (Smithsonian)

From daily wear to pure luxury
Gloves gradually disappeared from every day wear after the 1970s along with hats, but they continued to be associated with luxury. Looking through the books about Chanel, Dior and Balenciaga, I see how these designers thought about the total ensemble, matching the outfit with the hat, bag and gloves Balenciaga’s simple black wool suit transforms when accompanied by black gloves. The famous ‘Caracas’ Dior silk dress had matching long black gloves, which added the air of unmistakable glamour to the dress. Chanel, Christian Dior, Givenchy and other designers used gloves as a powerful accessory on runways and in catalogues to make their couture garments stand out.

Handgloves sewingpatterns
There are many glove patterns available online, and they are actually very similar. The prices vary widely, however. PDF patterns are the cheapest, but keep in mind that they require a certain level of computer skills to make sure your print scale is 100% and you will need A4 paper supply. If you don’t have a printer, call your local office supply store before ordering a PDF pattern to see if they can print it for you and for how much because it will add to the cost of the PDF pattern. For your free options, online Threads magazine offers a free pattern which is great for those who have solid sewing skills.

Start making handgloves!
If you are new to making gloves, however, I suggest getting a pattern with full sewing instructions. Original vintage patterns are the most expensive. Although I was tempted to get a 50s pattern, I opted for the brand new Vogue gloves pattern from mccall.com which also happened to be on sale. (Buyers beware: when shopping for patterns, check official sites like McCalls or Burda first before shopping at other places like Etsy or online vintage pattern shops. Butterick, Vogue and McCall’s reprint some of their vintage patterns and you can get their selection when you go to mccall.com and type “vintage” in the search box. )

Sewingpattern Vogue V8311
This Vogue pattern has large, medium and small glove sizes and varieties of designs. To determine your size, you need to measure the circumference of your palm at the widest part (small is 7”, medium 8” and large 9”). To get a perfect fit, cut the pattern on a bias and use a stretchy material. Perfect fabric for making reusable gloves is cotton, especially stretch cotton, but you can make the gloves from leather, rayon, silk, linen, wool and, of course, jersey. Once you perfect the basic pattern, you can play with the design; include buttons, buckles, elastic panels, lace, embroidery or beads. Be bold and express yourself.

Choose your color
What colour gloves to make is really a matter of your unique taste. If you want to stay traditional, look at your bag or shoes and get the gloves to match. Make a mask in the same fabric and the colour coordination will be perfect. Although white gloves are probably impractical, little black gloves would be the most elegant choice for any outfit. To remember your gloves, keep one pair in your purse and another in your car. Wash the gloves as soon as you come home, just as you do with your cloth face mask.

This is a new reality for most of us, no matter where we are in the world. Cloth gloves, like masks, are another way to adapt and move on. But for all the artists and creators out there, gloves don’t need to be unsightly nuisance contributing to landfills. They can be a way to express our unique style and they need not disappear again.

About the Author:
Elena Tran is a Canadian dressmaker and an entrepreneur passionate about haute couture sewing using
beautiful fabrics and notions. After her career as a college administrator and mathematics professor, she
pursued her interest in sewing and opened an online luxury fabric store baudekinstudio.ca. She is
constantly learning and improving her craft. Her training includes lessons with the legendary couture
instructor Angelina di Bello (Montreal, Canada), dressmaking program at Mohawk College (Hamilton,
Canada) and online needlework courses at the Royal School of Needlework (London, UK).

If you are sweaty and overheated because of to the hot summer, you will not  think for a moment abo ut winterfabrics. But the winterfabrics are often NOW for sale and it is time to replenish your stock. Think ahead and you will be very happy, in a few months, with the bargains you have bought now.

Offers / Sale
In the middle of summer, winter fabrics are often for sale. Logical, but this does not take long. As soon as we have passed the first summer months, the autumn collections of clothing are already back in the shops and the fabric shops are again concentrating on the autumn and winter fabrics.
After all those thin chiffons, the tricky lycra for bathing suits and the cotton for tunics, you long for beautiful sturdy fabrics for jackets, trousers and of course: beautiful Bouclé fabrics for the Chanel-Style jackets.

Where to find them?
So pay particular attention, in the fabrics online stores, to the categories Sale and offers. Or select/filter 'the least popular'. In the realworld fabric shops or in the markets you will have to look at the bottom of the stacks and where nobody is stalooking for fabrics. Or ask if there are still beautiful Bouclé's or tweeds available. Sometimes they are still in the warehouse or in the car. Or you will be told when the new autumn and winter fabrics will be available. Maybe they promise to send you a mail or text message! Just ask, although you may be looked at strangely because you are a bit ahead in time...

Time flies
But 'time flies' and before you know it, summer is already gone and all winter fabrics are in the store, at eye-consumer-level and on the tables  in between all new and popular fabrics. Or advertising at the online fabric stores: the new autumn and winter fabrics. And now they are really a lot more expensive. Even those from the years before which are timeless and still very popular.

Do you really want to stay in summery spheres? Then take a look at the beautifully woven, cotton blends. Also very suitable for making summer Chanel-Style jackets!

Oh HOW WE LOVE Chanel Vintage !

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