Welcome back to another Friday Style Diaries feature, where we interview sewing community guests on their me made style inspiration and challenge them to make a Friday pattern and style it in 2 ways.
Meet the awesome Meg from @dinomeg who is part of the Friday team, and is also a close friend of our wonderful founder Chelsea! We love Meg's relaxed, and casual style with a love of textures and knitting added to the mix! Let's get stuck in to the feature and find out more about Meg:
If you had to use 3 words to define your style, what would they be?
The three Cs: Casual, Classic, Comfy!
Where are you finding inspiration these days?
I have always loved nature and texture and color, so I keep an eye out when I’m on my way to work or walking around in my neighborhood or the larger city. People watching to see what other people are doing and noting who’s style I’m drawn to is a really fun exercise that I can engage with literally any time. When walking, I love to look at textures and colors of buildings, neighborhood gardens, nature hike areas, anything. I also spend some (arguably too much) time on social media, and I have a lot of really amazing and fashionable people that I follow and I love to see what they’re up to style-wise and take notes on things I might like to try in my own style practice. Inspiration is truly everywhere, the hard part is focusing on one thing at a time.
What Friday Pattern have you chosen to make and why?
I’ve gone with a classic beauty, the Ilford Jacket! It’s my favorite Friday pattern because it’s so easy to customize with fabric, colors, and design details. I’ve made a few as gifts and a couple for myself and they’re all so different. I love the classic look and timeless style because I know my jacket will be cool and fashionable forever.
Talk us through the ways that you have styled your handmade garment. Ideally you would style the garment multiple ways and break down each outfit:
When I’m just hanging out at home or headed out on a little bit of a warmer day, I would style my Ilford as a medium layer over a t-shirt to head out for errands or whatever. When it’s a little colder like today, I’d throw it over my favorite sweatshirt with comfy jeans and a handknit hat. I took this toasty and casual fit to the grocery store just today!
Where would you wear these looks?
I wear these looks basically everywhere! I could head out for a walk at the lake, a trip to the dog park, hit a museum or just meet a friend for lunch. I’m not a day-to-night girl, I commit to my looks all day. I love a fit where I can grab a backpack or tote bag and be set for a fun day out in the city or nature.
What is the inspiration behind your styling?
Comfort! Timelessness! A little flavor or funk! I’m from coastal California, so I love the easy-breezy casual style that is so prevalent in Santa Cruz. But, I’m now living in Chicago, so I am really inspired by Fall and Winter layering and opportunities to bring out the most handmade and handknit items from my wardrobe at one time! Midwest cozy has been a really fun and inspiring aesthetic.
Do you have any tips and tricks for styling?
The best tip I have is to be comfy, physically and mentally! My first priority for daily styling is comfort, but I try to pick at least one piece that’s cool to mix in with my basics. When making design decisions on a new sewing project, I try to add a little funk, especially if it’s a classic pattern. This might be adding some unexpected color (like my Ilford here), fun buttons, or hack it to add a fun detail. Trying to marry what I like to look at versus what I feel comfortable wearing has been my biggest style challenge. I’ve been trying to push myself to wear some weird earrings, a brighter color top than I might usually go for, or a weird accessory to layer on top of my casual cool outfits. I’m still working on developing my personal style practice though, so if YOU have any tips, please let me know!
What is a song that you have on repeat right now?
Anything by my queen, Neko Case! She really knows storytelling and a lot of her music is perfect for bringing in the Fall vibes. But I have to admit that I’ve been listening to a lot of Smosh Reads Reddit Stories, especially while I’m crafting! They’re very funny people and often offer really thoughtful and good advice.
Where can we find you on socials?
You can find me @dinomeg on pretty much everything I’m on. Say hi! I’d love to be friends :D
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.