skirtcafe.org

Right! Most of the time I see skirts or dresses in catalogues on pretty models and think: I reckon I can turn that into a good blokey item.
In this case, I already had the Silkbody swing skirt. In fact I am sure I can dredge up a photo of me in it.
But I thought that if I got their mens Silkbody short sleeve crew top and sewed it to the swing skirt I would have a marvellous dress.
Their dye did not match the quality of the garments as a whole I thought, as rubbing to remove a spill, for instance, took out some of the colour. Another thing was that the black colour of the top was not really the same as that of the skirt.
Solution: redye the whole thing with good black RIT dye. Problem solved.
Here is a shot of the Silkbody dress I thus created.

Piccie? no see um!

Curses! Sprung still digging up photos. On other computer!
First two:Silkbody skirt as original.
Third: added to the Silkbody mens short sleeve crew.

Looking great as always!

Thanks Big and Bashful. Have other members got anything you've transformed to add?
The "Silkbody" material is a special blend of 72% silk, 15% cotton and 13% "marino" wool. Designed as a "baselayer" material for not becoming sticky when trecking or climbing etc, they have produced top layer garments from it of course, as it is a wonderful material.
One of the things they made was a dress with a knitted Silkbody bodice and pure silk "crepe-de-chine "skirt with very high waist. I took that skirt off and added it to another of their short sleeve crew mens tops. Another great dress!

Jack Williams wrote: The "Silkbody" material is a special blend of 72% silk, 15% cotton and 13% "marino" wool.

I checked out the history of Merino wool on wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merino

...and found "one of the earliest depictions of a Merino".
It is called "El Buen Pastor" (The Good Shepherd) circa 1650 by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1618-82)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:El_Buen_Pastor.jpg
This is how some 17th Century shepherds dressed.

Yes, marino is a breed of high country sheep with finer fibre wool.

pleated wrote:I ... found "one of the earliest depictions of a Merino".
It is called "El Buen Pastor" (The Good Shepherd) circa 1650 by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1618-82)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:El_Buen_Pastor.jpg
This is how some 17th Century shepherds dressed.

No wonder, I bet it gets damn hot running about on a Spanish hillside, rounding up sheep. A bit of ventilation round the nether regions would be most welcome!

Jack Williams wrote:Yes, marino is a breed of high country sheep with finer fibre wool.

Indeed. With me having sensitive skin, 'normal' wool worn next to my skin makes me itch something rotten.
Merino wool was the only wool I could tolerate for a long time.

In actual fact I usually wear a Silkbody singlet-dress next to my skin, or sometimes cotton. Never found wool good right on my skin. A cotton t-shirt is always a good idea so one can often change it if "pits" get sweaty! I put one over the sleeveless Silkbody.

Another "Modified catalogue item":
Got a couple of "New Zealand Nature Co" 'Silk Little Black Dresses' which were "boat neck" and cut the neck as a singlet shape, had seamstress hem them and now I have a couple of really nice silk under dresses for next to the skin. Also really nice to sleep in.

Also here is the Silkbody singlet dress.

Both are available worldwide from "New Zealand Nature Co" and "Silkbody" respecively.

Those last two are a very good idea and would be perfect as an "underdress" and as an extra insulating layer in the cold weather ( which I am looking forward to with great longing) What was the costing-including seamstress?

Just noticed my last post seems to have not got up, but the Silkbody is available for $190 (just Google Silkbody sleeveless dress), and the New Zealand Nature silk LBD (available world-wide) is $120, and seemstress hemmed my cutout for $12.00. I got two of each.

out of my price range - definitely

Uncle Al

Most of my dresses and skirts cost a fraction of that although the Silkbody dresses I constructed (see above) added up to a lot more. Some four or five hundred dollars. And worth every penny I reckon.
My everlovin' cotton knit dresses were $50 and those great tailored skirts, which take me anywhere, from court to gigs were $60 but I see they are $50 dollars now. I've ordered a SILVER one from the latest catalogue! They are 62% polyester, 34% viscose, and %4 elastine. Seems to be a perfect mix to make a good solid smart no maintainence all pupose skirt for more serious occasions. Side pockets.
http://www.damart.co.nz/Product_Detail. ... ctID=82311
I have the black, natural (painted up!), and navy to date.
Here is the painted Damart "natural' skirt:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44894889@N ... hotostream
Another Modified Catalogue Item!