Some Clothes that Inspire Me

Over the years, I have collected a "stash" of clothing illustrations and photos which inspire me, and I thought I'd share some of them with you. It's a challenge to dress modestly, beautifully, and femininely these days! So when I see something which sparks a creative thought or a "I love this," I save it!

Some, a detail of the design struck me; others, it was the colors or composition, etc. I'd love to hear your comments! :)

*Quite a few of these outfits are too short -- if I made something like them, I would make it longer, mid-calf or below. But I still include them, because the details of the dress itself catch my fancy. :)

This is the photo that sparked this post. The feminine beauty of the sweater, the collar... all simply leapt out at me (what's amazing is this is from a 2013 fashion show! The designer is Orla Kiely).

*I don't like the heavy eye makeup and purple fingernails, but I like the rest! :)

I'm not a fan of these colors (though I like patterned fabric), but I really like the collar and all the construction details of this dress; the gathers, loose skirt...

Here's a glimpse of the lovely back details of the same dress.

Here's several more; the dress in the middle wouldn't be hard to make, and yet has so many lovely details!

*again, not a fan of the eye makeup, and these are too short

Here's a simple dress, with a lovely full skirt

The puffy sleeves, gathered skirt, and feminine lines make these delightful!

*The neckline's too low, and the dress is a little too tight

And I simply adore this dress (and those matching shoes!)! It also has puffy sleeves and a full skirt -- two things I think are charming in dresses.

I like this jumper! The pleats add so much :)

A whole troupe of jumpers, in a variety of styles! :)

I have always admired Mrs. Smith's feminine, lovely way of dressing.

I've never been a polka-dot fan, but that changed when I saw this picture (it's of Princess Eugenie). Maybe some polka dots I did like, I decided...

...which inspired me to buy this fabric, and make a dress! This dress is more of a 40's style.

I'm still on the lookout for a more widely-spaced polka-dot fabric, like her black & white.

Here's another shot. Which reminds me to remark how Queen Elizabeth's conservative style are, I think so perfect for her -- they convey a healthy sense of decorum and propriety, something I find refreshing!

*again, dresses (Beatrice's and Eugenie's) too short

The following are several different old photos of Queen Elizabeth that I like very much:

Note the full skirt...

One of her engagement photos.

*Shorter skirt than I'd wear

On their honeymoon -- a lovely coat, modest neckline to her dress...

And I love the full skirts of the 40's and 50's!

And even in high society, one doesn't have to be immodest to be in a wedding (here's a picture of her as a bridesmaid to a friend).

And a coat-dress that I love the drape of! :)

Here's a 50's dress that I really like! It's a travel ad, and looks quite a lot like what Queen Elizabeth was wearing. It also reminds me how in those days, people dressed up to travel, to go on errands. They had more respect for others, and wanted to look their best when out and about. Quite inspiring in itself! We should always remember that we are ambassadors for Christ -- what do our clothes and appearance say? That we are cherished members of the Royal Family, or that we are sloppy and slovenly?

*length a little short...

This wrap dress is simply perfect (except for length :) -- I love how it's not tight, yet slimming, and the way the collar is, and the bow on the side... :)

This feminine dress is so delightfully lovely! I'll close with it, and post more inspiring illustrations another time! :) Stay tuned! :)