Ranty Pants

We will take a moment from your regularly scheduled blogging to give you this special rant announcement. (Sorry Shan, I need one more vent. Then I'm quitting cold turkey. hee.)

I recently got fairly annoyed by a somewhat popular pattern company's newsletter. Now, normally I delete the newsletters without reading them because, you know, I'm sewing or something and because to be honest their writing style is irritatingly "I'm trying so hard to be fresh!"

But I read this one and was more irritated than usual at their closing paragraphs, which consisted of a variety of things you should NEVER wear because, well, they said so.

Now I have a problem with lectures in general because I'm 37 and I'm the dictator in my life thankyouverymuch. I've (thankfully) reached the age and maturity where I have developed my own personal style & flair, and I don't really need anyone else's approval. Fashion "rules" be damned.

Among the things they listed (several of which we ALL wear. Yes, you do.) was a rule that must never be broken...prints on your bottom half. Um, ok. Where have you been for the past, oh, forever??

One of my favorite things to wear are prints! Big, loud ones! Amy Butler BIG! And in homage to that great fabric designer of the Midwest (an American, by the way) I bring you peeks from her book "Midwest Modern", a fabulous collection dedicated to her fabrics, her style and incorporating your own unique sense of fashion into your life. (And not one lecture to be had in the entire book. How refreshing.)

Cute loungy pants (bottom left)...


Really, really cute loungy pants...I'd totally wear these to the grocery store! How cute would they be in a capri or cropped length?


And from yours truly...my favorite summer cropped pants. Linen/cotton blend...dark chocolate on aqua...


I've worn these everywhere and I can honestly say this is the only piece of clothing I have ever made that I get stopped for inquiries on where to get them. They're that good. I've actually handed out business cards because people ask me to make them a pair of these pants. Apparently my a$ looks fine in big-a$ prints.

I sent an email to HP (the pattern company) and said, you know, I coulda lived without the condescension. Let's just celebrate fashion and not impose one another's "rules" on each other. K? Their response? They sent me the "Mom Jeans" youtube video. Apparently if you don't agree with them, you're obviously a fashion disaster (and a moron to boot if they honestly think someone would continue shopping with them after that.)

So, in the words of the incomparable Coco Chanel...“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”

And by that, I'm pretty sure she meant "Work those loud pants, girlfriend!"