Tried-and-True Outfits

I recently purchased two dresses of the exact same style as a dress I already have.  On my last trip to LA, my fiance convinced me to buy a Patagonia Bandha Dress in an indigo blue.  It ended up being the dress of the summer; I wear it at least two or three times a week after work.
I had the spare clothes hangers in my closet, so I splurged recently and purchased the Bandha dress in black and teal.  Unfortunately it's only available as an extra-small in pink on Patagonia's website, but you can find it in other sizes and colors around the web.  I just know it's the kind of thing that I'll get a lot of use out of.  I already plan on packing the black dress to Europe later this fall.

A lot of sewists use the same concept when they develop TNT, or tried-and-true, patterns.  You put all of this work into getting a pattern to fit you just right that you have to capitalize on it somehow!  If it looks great on you and fits perfectly, why not make a few in different colors?  The only thing I've made that has become a TNT for me is Vogue's recent lingerie release (Vogue 8888); the bias-cut tap pants are delightful to lounge in.  I love that you can make them using french seams, and with a little change to the elastic insertion, they are very ready-to-wear and fit me well out of the envelope.

Eventually I'd like to make all of my outfits "tried and true", where I love them and feel like a million bucks just to put them on.  I think a big key in finding a TNT pattern is picking a classic style.  I hope to find the right button-down shirt pattern, woven shell, wrap dress, sheath dress, jeans, and trouser patterns.  It's going to take a lot of time for me - I don't sew very fast!

I'm making good progress on the white linen pants; hopefully I'll finish them up this weekend and do a review.  They're not fitting as well as the muslin did, but I did learn some stuff about fitting pants and will be able to take that to the next pant project.  My fiance says they show off my butt pretty good, and they're comfortable, so it's not a total loss.  They definitely look better than a lot of the ready-to-wear pants I see out there!  The facing is flipping out in the back, so I will probably tack it down and maybe insert some elastic to keep it snug against my body.

I'm also making progress on my Hello Kitty Pajamas; I'm hoping I'll have the top finished by the end of this weekend also.  I'll attach the collar next, then sew up the sides and sleeves.  Then buttonholes.