Peter at the Manus x Machina Exhibit + New Pattern Book + More Jacket Pics!

Readers, today I finally got my a** over to the Manus x Machina exhibit at the Met Museum Costume Institute.

Things I Don't Get, Vol. 18 -- Red-Carpet Fashion Obsession

Tonight's the night, readers!

It's the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit, which coincides with the opening of the Institute's latest show, "Manus X Machine: Fashion in an Age of Technology."

NOT A JOKE: The "Calchemise" -- YEA or NAY?

So this is now a thing.

"Distressed" New Clothes -- YEA or NAY

Buying (and wearing) weathered-looking or "distressed" clothing has been an on-again/off-again trend for decades now, and seems to be back.

Things I Don't Get, Vol. 17 - People Who Wear Black All the Time

I know them.  You know them.  You may even be one of them!

Readers, what is it with people who wear black, like, all the time?

Glove Me or Leave Me

Here at MPB Inc., we are very pro-glove.

What is a Fashion Designer and Do You Consider Yourself One?

If you sew -- and I'm assuming you do -- you've probably experienced the following:

You're out in public wearing something you made and somebody asks you where you got it.  You explain that you made it.  This person immediately asks "Are you a fashion (or clothing) designer?"

The Worst Way a Man Can Dress (Is Like a Woman)

Readers, why must our clothing be gendered?

The Ethics of the Home-Sewn Designer Knock-Off

Friends, does copying something you've seen on the runway or in a store feel OK to you?

Cultivating a High Fashion Look When You're Not Tall, Thin, Young (or Rich)

Friends, I've been thinking about the Audrey Hepburn post of the other day and trying to identify exactly what it was that set her apart from the rest of us -- in particular, what gave her the high fashion look she was famous for.

Should We Dress Better?

Are we a "nation of slobs"?

The Quantity vs. Quality Clothing Conundrum

You hear the arguments again and again:   

Buy less stuff, but better quality.  

It's cheaper in the long run to purchase the best you can afford.  

Penny-wise, pound-foolish.

Whatever Happened to Aerobics?

Friends, from 1986 to 1990 I was an addict.  I was addicted to aerobics.

Things I Don't Get, Vol. 11 -- Sexy Teen Fashion Hysteria

I am not a parent of teenage girls.  In fact, I am not a parent at all -- unless you count two chihuahuas.

But I find myself wondering if all the brouhaha over teens dressing too sexy -- and it's always the girls we're talking about, never the boys -- isn't misplaced.  Perhaps it's an expression of our larger anxiety about how female sexuality is used in the media to sell us stuff, though anyone with even the most cursory knowledge of advertising history knows this is nothing new.

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES: The 1970's Men's Suit Pattern Explosion!

Readers, there are so many mysteries in the universe: Do dogs go to heaven?  What really happened to Jimmy Hoffa?  Will we ever see a sequel to Imitation of Life?

Finding One's Personal Style When Anything Goes

Readers, I'm in a quandary.

I'm trying to figure out how I want my new gray suit to look and I feel overwhelmed with options.  It seems like nowadays any style can work provided you can pull it off.  I don't even know what's in fashion any more. 

Fit Issues and Self-Esteem

Friends, I'm not sure if I ever said this explicitly, but one of the reasons I was excited about being able to sew my own clothes was that I no longer had to deal with ready-to-wear clothing that almost never fit right.

"Costumey" Dress Style: YEA or NAY?

Costumey.

Is there any more shaming judgement one might make about our choice of clothing?  (I think it's worse than ill-fitting, out-of-date, or cheap-looking.)

The Ethics of Vintage Fur

Readers, I want one of these.  I mean, I really want one.

These type of fur stoles were very popular in the 1940's and can really add a touch of luxury -- and authenticity -- to a vintage outfit.

Fashion on the Far Side of Fifty

Juicy topic today, friends, but first, a little business:

It is with supreme disappointment that I must announce that my latest YouTube puppet video, which I attempted to post here yesterday, was declared in violation of EMI's copyrights or some such thing.