Bows and Backs

I like clothes to be fitted, especially jackets. What is up with the perpetual box-shaped phenomena? Clearly none of us need to walk around giving off the illusion that we don't have a waist. And if that happens to be the case, a box around the midriff will only make matters worse. In order to escape the box fate, I rip open the side seams of my coats and jackets and take them in a few inches on each side. I draw a half-moon down from under the armpit to the hip area. Voila! Elegant and fitted.  

But, while I'm at it, I might as well improve the jackets in some other ways as well. Since I've always had a weak spot for 50's and 60's clothes, I tend to look for ways of vintagefying my outfits. 

A really easy trick is to make some kind of bow and attached it to the back of the jacket. It can be a proper Minnie Mouse bow, square bow, just a band going across the back, big, small, whatever looks the best to you. The bow can be made in a contrasting colour, different type of fabric, just use whatever you have at hand. We want to be eco-friendly, so rummage through your drawers and closets until you find something suitable. I often make bows from clothes I no longer use. Just because the outfit is ugly doesn't mean the fabric can't be used for something else. 

Here are a few examples of my bow-improved jackets:

I could get into all the technical details of each of these pretty bows, but for now I want the posts to be mostly inspirational. If someone has a specific question, I'll be more than happy to assist in any way I can.