Meow

Really. Seriously. Like the best kind of secret cat's pyjamas.

Better still hubby thinks I look like a supermodel in this outfit. His words. I did ask for clarification because looking like a supermodel is not a personal goal for me...

I mean you look edgy, quirky, hot and super, super confident. You look exactly like you.

And he's got something there. Not necessarily the hot, edgy, quirky thing. But I can definitely see his point about finally being all me.

Oh my lord I have got a badonkadonk. I reckon I could almost balance a glass of champagne off that.

"I" have arrived friends. It's been a bit of a process, a process I didn't even realise was happening. But looking back I can see it culminating in the last year, or even in the last 6 months.

You see, inside me is a woman of bright colours and gregarious prints. A bit like my personality.

SEWN: THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE COVETTED CULOTTES

It started with Debbie, then Kirsty, then all manner of other inspired makers. I swore I would not be swayed from my belief that these babies would look nothing but awful on me.

You see I remember them from last time they were cool - they were so not cool on me, thank you very much 1980s. But Debbie kept chipping away at me and damn it if I didn't start to covet a pair of my very own.

Humble pie, anyone? Mmmmm, tastes yummy!

I just kept seeing more and more covetable versions popping up in blogland and in the coolest of RTW stores. So I thought...only one way to find out... and I headed out to my local Gorman to try some on. Well, I'll be damned... pick the right style and you might just be able to make it work for you! I took some sneaky measurements in the changeroom (don't you all do that?), hem width, leg length. A speedy side trip to Spotlight later and I was set.

But which pattern? Hello stash!

Behold Vintage Vogue 9661, at a guess dated from the 80's. This was part of a massive bag of vintage patterns I was gifted by an old work colleague. I don't need office or corporate wear, so I'd never looked twice at it. But looky there on the left. It might just work.

I'm obsessing culottes... Inspiration

I completely blame Kirsty and Debbie for this and I think I might have to eat my words and a little humble pie. You see they have both made awesome culottes recently and whilst I love them on those ladies, I was convinced they'd be hideous on me. I announced they'd never get me into culottes, no way, no how. Then I saw these babies from Gorman...

Photo source

...and I thought now there's a pair that might completely sway me. Then I went to Gorman and tried them on and now I'm a goner. I hope I'm not completely deluded, and they don't in fact make me look like an Oompa Loompa.

That said, I bought this amazing cotton/linen (85/15, I think) fabric and I'm committed.

Then Myra of MyZeeMoo very rightly warned me on Instagram: that print is gonna make for some potentially awful pattern placement faux pas. Oh lord, I'm not sure I can avoid it...

But I neeeeeeeeed culottes.

Are you falling head over heels for the culotte trend or are you happily avoiding it?