Making a Capsule Wardrobe

I'm a fat guy and I'm tired of trying to find clothes that I both like and that fit me properly. Finding stores that carry my size is one problem. Finding anything I actually want to wear in those stores is another. Too often, the options are ugly prints, bad colors or uninteresting designs that look a little too much like something a straight dad would wear to a barbecue. And even when I find something I like, the fit is often wrong. Shirts are too long, everything is baggy in the wrong places and there's very little shape to anything. I don't mind loose clothing. I like being comfortable and I need room for my belly. What I don't want is to feel like I'm swimming in my clothes. My Carhartt hoodies are a good example of what works for me. They're roomy without being completely boxy. There's enough space for my belly, but the whole garment doesn't feel like an enormous rectangle. I like being a big guy, although I have complicated feelings about my belly. It doesn't help that the world can be pretty shitty to fat men. I'm not particularly interested in hiding my body, but I don't necessarily want to draw attention to every part of it, either. Mostly, I'd like clothes that fit my actual proportions and look the way I want them to. Since I sew, I can do something about that.

My taste leans heavily toward classic American workwear and the kind of casual clothing you see all over the Pacific Northwest: flannels, heathered T-shirts, substantial hoodies and practical jackets. I like the general shapes and functionality of that clothing. I just want it in better colors and with a little more personality. I'm interested in taking masculine garments and introducing hints of femininity. That might mean colors you don't usually see in men's clothing, floral prints, lace or a bit of embellishment. I want the core of the wardrobe to be relatively understated, with more overtly decorative pieces or accessories when I feel like making more of a statement. I'm not trying to make every garment elaborate. A good plain T-shirt is still a good plain T-shirt and there's nothing wrong with a straightforward work jacket. I'm also leaning toward a deep, autumnal color palette. Hunter green, maroon, darker golds, purple and dark grey are all colors I want to work with.

Most importantly, I want the clothes to work together. I'd like to be able to get dressed without having to think too hard about whether one particular shirt works with one particular pair of pants. Part of the reason for this project is simply that I don't have much colder-weather clothing. I need to make some things anyway, so it seems like a good opportunity to think about the wardrobe as a whole. I also don't want an enormous closet. I'd rather have a small collection of clothes that I enjoy wearing and that get used regularly. I arrived at the 24-piece plan by thinking about how I actually wear clothes. For example, I don't rewear T-shirts between washes. I'm sweaty and clumsy and that's just not going to work for me. Outerwear is different. I can wear a jacket or overshirt repeatedly, so I don't need nearly as many of those. On the other hand, I do want some variety among the things I wear more often. Having one perfectly serviceable flannel isn't much fun if I'm wearing it constantly. The idea was to figure out what I minimally need, then add enough variety to make the wardrobe interesting. I'm planning to fill the gaps in my current wardrobe first, then gradually replace the rest. Eventually, these 24 garments should make up my colder-weather wardrobe, apart from my raincoat. The number isn't sacred. I think I've come up with a pretty good plan, but I'm willing to adjust it as I go. Here's what I'm planning to make.

Eight T-shirts might sound like a lot for a capsule, but given how I wear and wash them, it's about right. The rest of it I minimized: a couple of outer layers, a handful of shirts I can wear more than once and enough pants that I'm not reaching for jeans every single day. And then there's the kilt. I don't want this wardrobe to be nothing but the most basic, conventional clothes imaginable. Part of the point of making everything myself is being able to include things that reflect my taste, even when they're not what you'd usually find in a standard men's wardrobe. I've been sewing clothing for about two years. In that time, I've made shirts, dresses, jackets and quite a lot of slutty underwear. I've learned a fair amount, but there are definitely areas where I want to improve, particularly drafting and fitting. One of the projects I'm happiest with was a shirt I made recently for a friend. He's a big guy, both tall and thick and I drafted the shirt for his measurements rather than using a commercial pattern. The measurements had been taken by a mutual friend and weren't especially accurate, so the first muslin needed some work. We handled the fitting remotely, with him sending photographs, video and feedback. I corrected the armholes, added room for his belly, shortened the sleeves and lengthened the body. I also developed the collar myself. The finished shirt was cute, comfortable and interesting without being overly complicated. I was pleased with how it turned out.

That's the sort of work I'd eventually like to do for other big guys. I'm interested in making custom garments and I'd like to develop patterns that I can adjust efficiently for different bodies. I don't expect that making clothes for myself will automatically teach me how to fit everyone else, but it's an opportunity to polish my drafting, fitting and construction skills while making things I actually need. The first project will be a base pants block, starting with jeans.

I'm beginning with pants because they're what I need most. I've drafted pants before, with some success, although I've generally had better luck with shorts. My biggest difficulty hasn't necessarily been understanding the drafting process. It's been taking the time to get the fit right. This time, I'm trying to approach the fitting process as something that will take multiple attempts rather than expecting to get a finished pattern in one go. I'd like jeans with a mostly straight leg and a little taper toward the bottom. I'm also considering a higher waist, which is something I haven't worn before. I like the look on slimmer guys and I think I could make it work with a tucked-in T-shirt and a longer, looser overshirt worn open. Whether I actually like that fit on myself remains to be seen. I'm hoping the finished pants block will also be useful for drafting other trousers later in the project. I'll get into the actual drafting and fitting process in the next post. Ultimately, I'd like to end up with a wardrobe that fits, looks good and holds up to regular use. Ideally, by this time next year I'll mostly be mending things rather than replacing them, with maybe two or three new pieces to make or add. That's the plan, anyway. First, I need some pants.