A Well Placed Ruffle...

There seem to be a multitude of ruffles everywhere you look this season.  It's as if someone has sampled the fabled potato chips and you know, no one can eat just one (sorry for putting that jingle into your head, you may lambaste me in the comments) Apparently you can neither eat just one, or put just one on a top.  Or pants, jackets, shoes, pants...or like the special frock I'm wearing today...a dress.

I would love to show myself off, but darned if I can find my little point and shoot.  She is indeed lost at the moment, and I am scouring around thinking that she'll pop back in or is staring at me from somewhere, honestly I am at a total loss here.

As it is, picture this in your mind:  A black cotton knee lenght dress with a high pleated stand up collar cascading into ruffles down the front on either side of a buttoned front.  Pleated skirt with a tie belt around the waistline.  It is pretty awesome.  Pretty classic.  And looks great with my straight hair.  I am also wearing it in honor of Arthur's Birthday.

Happy Birthday Sweet Arthur...

But really, this seasons obsessions with ruffles is sweet...if it wasn't so, well...ruffly.  I tried on many a top this weekend (and mostly all at Anthropologie) and while they were cut lovely with some of the most fantastic patterned fabric...there were these crazy ruffles, and ones that were usually placed right at the chest area.  Which is cute as a bugs ear on the hanger, but makes one look a little boobalicious when you put them on and they stand straight out, launching themselves off the girls and arriving a full minute before the rest of you does.

We all laughed a bit.

I mean, I have been known to take a fashion risk or two in my day, but seriously?

Ruffles.

I quickly realized that need to be pleated just so, and not too many inches thick or you've got problems.

Serious problems.

A small cluster of ruffles is feminine and fun...a large one makes you look like Austin Powers.  In a bad way, not the shagadellic way you want to look.  (If that is what one is after...)  I saw garments with huge ruffles on the chest of course, but what got me was the ones down by the stomach and hips.  Unless you are a serious stick insect, ruffles on your tummy or sticking out from your hips is not a flattering look.  Nor is the whole other style we noticed of weird scraps of fabric just sewn willy nilly to the front of a tee-shirt...all crazy like.  I kept thinking they were just large pieces of lint that had attached themselves to these garments by mistake and kept trying to pick them off.

Although now I think all of us who sew now have ideas of what to do with our scrap bags.