A Twist on a Trend: Animal Print Goes Paisley

What are you wearing this fall? If you’re anything like me, you’re interested in what’s current. Still, you don’t necessarily want to buy into the craziness of clothes that will be outdated in mere months—or trendy pieces that you have no occasion to wear, based on your lifestyle. What I like to do is to look at the trends to see which of them seems to have actually been around for a while (suggesting it’s something that’s slowly becoming classic) and which ones suit me and my lifestyle. The latter is probably more useful since there are lots of things I could fall in love with, and most of them would never fit into my life these days. I mean, where do these Instagram style influencers for women of a certain age ever wear all those fancy dresses and high heels? *rolls eyes*

And, really, who needs six sweaters, all of the same style but in different colours? Hmm … it just occurred to me that these people may never do laundry, thus the requirement for multiples of the same things. Just a thought.

So, let’s take a gander at what’s new, what’s crazy and what might work.

Country house chic (from Glamour magazine): Can you do plaid in such large amounts? I can’t, so this is a hard pass for me.

They’re also showing lots of Boho. Will this annoying trend never go away? Just imagine someone my age wearing Boho ruffles and fringes. I’m snorting with laughter at the thought.

And then there is all that denim on denim. There was a time when this look was called the “Canadian Tuxedo,” and not in a good way.

And then there is leopard, leopard and more animal print.

My question is this: Despite animal prints becoming “classic” in their way, how much animal print do you really want to wear? Or, more precisely, how much animal print do I want to wear? The answer is a bit, and it depends.

I want a touch of it in my wardrobe, but I’m not an all-over animal print kind of gal. I like it in small doses. And it depends on how it’s interpreted. That’s why, when I came across this paisley knit that reads like animal print (if you squint), I realized I could add a useful piece to my 2024 fall and winter wardrobe and feel just a bit on trend. And it was made from 95% viscose and 5% spandex, a combination that’s soft, drapeable and not overly synthetic (I’ll talk more about viscose a bit later).

The pattern is Simplicity 9451. It offers four different styles of top that beg for a drapey, buttery fabric to do justice to the draped shoulder and waist.

Views A and B drape from both the shoulder and the waist, while Views C and D drape only from the shoulder. There are also two neckline options and three sleeve (or lack thereof) options. This is a nice one for future projects.

I love a boat neckline (I have waxed rapturous about bateaux in several earlier posts), so I decided the mock neck (that some pattern reviewers said was choking) wasn’t an option for me. Pattern reviewers also said that the opening at the back gaped, so I sewed it right to the top. I know a boat neckline in this kind of fabric doesn’t need a keyhole opening to get it on. Despite opinions to the contrary, my head isn’t that big. 😅

Now, let’s talk about the fabric. You may be more familiar with viscose by its alternative name: rayon. Rayon (or viscose) is manufactured cellulosic fibre (MMCF), which means that it is created from trees. It’s referred to as a semi-synthetic since it does require significant treatment in its production. Since it’s made from a natural source, it has advantages over synthetics like polyester, another possible choice for this pattern.

Rayon is softer, more durable and has a buttery drape that most polyester can’t beat, and polyester cannot beat rayon’s breathability, that’s for sure. However, as a side note, if you’re really into sustainability and look only for fabrics that are created in a way that is gentler to the environment, you’ll need to do your homework. Not all rayons are created equal. Rayon (viscose) is indeed less toxic since it’s made from trees, but it uses chemicals in its production and like even cotton production, it uses a lot of water.

Also, rayon/viscose varies widely in its quality. Modal and lyocell (tencel) are both types of rayon but are not manufactured in precisely the same way or from exactly the same material, giving them slightly different qualities and qualities. In addition, “Viscose production also involves using caustic soda, carbon disulphide, and other toxic chemicals. Compared to certain types of rayon like lyocell, the viscose production process involves using more harsh chemicals.”[1]

This fabric was as smooth as silk and had to be treated that way. If you want to read about the technicalities and where I got this fabric, my piece on the Fabricville blog is HERE.[2]

So, how did it turn out? Well, I now have a comfy little piece that I might wear all day going about the business of life at this age, but I suppose if I dress it up a bit, I could wear it out to dinner—depending on the place, of course. *bats eyes*

[1] Viscose vs Rayon: A Comprehensive Comparison. https://www.greenhive.io/blog/viscose-vs-rayon

[2]Sewing the Trends: When Fabric and Design Work Together https://blog.fabricville.com/en/sewing-the-trends-when-fabric-and-design-work-together/