Power Suit.

Power Suit?

Looks more like a jumpsuit to me…or a romper …or a playsuit?
Wrong.

This is the modern woman’s new Power Suit. And it’s long overdue.

Original drafted paper pattern used to create the first sample.

As a designer, sewist and tailor, I’ve been building original pieces for many years, the downside always being that in the end, these pieces often only fit one body. Inevitably someone would see the garment out on myself or a client and ask unassumingly “any chance I could get one too?”. A perfectly reasonably question.

To which I’d often respond inaudibly while I ticked off each detail uniquely crafted in that particular design built for only one body. The one it was on.

I could have gone on like this forever, making up excuses for why only one could ever be made.

But the day finally came with the usual request from the right person at the right time; “Can’t you just make me the same one you’re wearing?” and I Just. Couldn’t. Say. No.

I love to sew.
I love to draft patterns.
I love to dream up totally original designs.
What am I doing by NOT accepting the challenge? Am I a custom clothier and tailor OR WHAT?!

To top it off, of all the things I love to make, jumpsuits are one of my favorites for all the same reasons as many women:

Easy to wear
Easy to match
Easy to move
Easy to pack

Jumpsuit are meant for the modern woman who knows not what each day will hold but must be prepared for all.
That's why I built one for myself of course!

And that’s why it was time to start spreading the jumpsuit love…

In this case, we were dealing with a non-traditional custom clothing scenario; the design was already crafted so the first step was taking copious measurements and reshaping my original pattern to fit a beautifully different body shape.

One advantage I found in this process is that many woman are intimately familiar with what they consider to be the ‘quirks’ of their own bodies. Women’s willingness to share their personal, unique qualities makes these types of projects a true privilege.

Armed with measurements collected via email that she actually took herself, along with the anecdotal details she provided on what she notices about her body when wearing other clothing, I began constructing the first sample.

On the timeline we had established, I would only see her in-person once for this entire process.

Once!

That means; pray the first sample fits, make a few adjustments and dive right into the final garment.

She arrived, passing through Tulsa on a cross country trip, and we got right to business; the first and only fitting.

Note: If I’m being honest, it’s usually a miracle if I don’t chew my finger nails clean off waiting for a client to change into the first sample.

She opens the door, turns the hallway corner, and…. it fits!
Almost perfectly.
She excitedly says “I can’t believe it!”
And I reply… “honestly…neither can I.”

Adding some extra loops for the lacing detail across the back.

A pin here…a pin there and then, it time for the fun part; Choosing fabric!

The fabric choice cannot be understated; tons of factors come into play regarding the material and for many of us, we often have to apply an educated guess and just build the garment!
When picking the fabric, we’ll keep a few simple key variables in mind:

How will this garment look when it is finished? (flattering color, flattering print, etc.)
Does the garment require the fabric to have any stretch?
How well will this fabric wash and does the garment have the potential to shrink?

And off to the fabric shop we went!

Choosing a fabric together is one of my personal top reasons for crafting custom garments. I love unrolling the bolts and holding them again my skin to see the impact of the color and feel the softness and qualities of the fabric. Sharing this experience makes it even better!

The final fabric choice; a cream linen with blue woven chevron detail.

Fabric in hand, we part ways… The next time she sees this soft cream colored linen and blue chevron print it’ll be in a very different form.

With a well fitting sample and fabric hand-selected by the client, the rest of the construction process was a dream.

Not only did she choose a fabric generally known to most designers as ‘very agreeable’ to being sewn but having made the garment once for myself already, I knew exactly which steps to take in which order.

Time to break out the rotary and cutting mat and get to work!

The individual pieces cut including a matching cream cotton lining.

With the pieces cut, the construction went wonderfully smooth. I started at the top and worked my way down, building the bodice first, including a full lining and the back lacing detail.

The pants were up next, including fully lined pockets with a self-fabric patch detail, a pretty feminine yoke and the finalized length that, when hemmed, would hit about six inches below the knee.

The yoke is enclosed with lining but the pants will remained unlined to keep the garment light and breathable. This mean the fabric edges must be cleanly finished with serging both for aesthetic purposes and resiliency during wash and wear.

The completed pockets make for a functional detail and integral design component.

After a few finishing touches, the garment is ready for a custom tag and packaging.

A little hidden monogrammed detail in the hem.

With all my fingers crossed for a perfect final fit, I mail it off to it’s new home and happily anxious new owner!

Let’s see what she thinks…

I went a little funky with the yoke detail and turned the chevron sideways for an interesting focal point.

Looks like a hit!

Thank you to my lovely model for giving me the perfect push into multi-sized custom designs. Because every woman deserves her own personal Power Suit.

If you’ve been dreaming of a custom piece and are ready to bring it to life, feel free to each out to The Tulsa Tailor below!

Click Here to Start your Custom design