Burda Style For people who sew

So it’s Springtime and wedding season is in full force. My boyfriend’s sister is getting married this summer and I’ve been going back and forth for weeks over what to wear. To be honest, I haven’t been to many weddings during my adult years and the puffy floral dress with matching dyed shoes I wore to my aunt’s wedding when I was 5 years old doesn’t do much for inspiration today.

Making your own one-of-a-kind garment takes a heck of a lot more time that picking one up at a boutique. With all the hours spent making sure your seams are perfectly aligned and your hem just so, you want to get as much wear out of your sewing project as possible, right? Of course you do! Check out my favorite ideas for extending the life of one of our project patterns – a simple shift dress – and see fun ways you can rock this project all weekend long.

Alexander McQueen has been the name on everyone’s lips for the past few days and all that talk culminated in a celebration of his life and life’s work at last night’s Costume Institute Gala. The Metropolitan Museum’s ode to McQueen entitled “Savage Beauty” opened to great adoration as friends of the designer, including Daphne Guinness and Sarah Jessica Parker, walked the red carpet in his breathtaking creations. Click through to see some of my favorite looks and tell me who you think stole the show.

Now that the focus has shifted (somewhat) from Kate’s dress, suddenly everyone is talking about all those hats at the Royal wedding last week. What did you think of the fancy and potentially dangerous headwear the ladies of European aristocracy were sporting during the festivities? Click through to see a few of my favorites and ones that would have been better off left in the hat box.

After weeks of speculation, new Royal Kate Middleton finally revealed her dress designer choice to the world when she walked down the aisle this afternoon in Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. First let me say that I am not a sucker for weddings, nor do I consider myself a hopeless romantic, but when Ms. Middleton stepped out of that car I couldn’t help but gasp for breath. She looked truly stunning – balancing perfectly between the modesty expected of her by the Royal Family and contemporary style, Middleton was the picture of a princess. See more pictures and videos courtesy of the BBC after the jump.

Last week I poked around a textile show here in New York and was a bit surprised to see how many Hawaiian prints were showcased. I suppose if ever there was a time to go ahead and break out the giant florals, it’s summer.

Seeing how textiles are another barometer for what we can expect in the realms of fashion, home and accessories, it looks as though we’re poised for yet another Hawaiian print revival. What do you think about these prints? Are they outdated or on trend? Do you plan to use Hawaiian prints for any of your sewing projects this summer?

It’s hard not to love Audrey Hepburn. From her gamine looks to her refined air of elegance, she was an icon for the ages. Everyone is well familiar with her creative partnership with designer Hubert de Givenchy, who outfittet her for several movie roles (most notably for her character in Funny Face). While many a book, blog and magazine has covered Audrey’s personal style and influential film characters from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, My Fair Lady and Sabrina, I wanted to take a look at some of the more underrated classics which capture the fun and quirky on-screen style of a few of my favorite film characters that Audrey has brought to life.

Ah, the prom. For high school girls, does the Spring season mean anything else? The dress, the shoes, the date….all in an attempt to make it the most memorable night of your high school life. Well, if you were (or are) anything like me, you generally grabbed your dress at the last minute, asked one of your friends a few days before and tried to hide your parent’s camera so they wouldn’t embarrass you by documenting every movement while you waited for your date to arrive.

Recently Hollywood lost a legend as screen star Elizabeth Taylor passed away at the age of 79. Known as much for her tabloid-making relationships (7 marriages in all) as for her on-screen presence, Taylor was also a noted philanthropist working with amFAR and establishing of the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. Once considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world, she was also a closely watched fashion icon and always the picture of perfect glamour and womanly charms.

When it comes to fashion there are a handful of modern actresses who I think can properly wear the title of “icon”, and with her androgynous cool and penchant for killing it on the red carpet in draped Lanvin gowns and sharp Jil Sander ensembles, Tilda Swinton is one of those actresses. While her choices are a bit less accessible than those of her tinseltown counterparts, Swinton’s appearance is always a fresh contrast to traditional Hollywood garb.

I’ve expressed my love for Tilda before, however this musing is not really about her, per se, but rather about one of best her films – and one of my favorite films in general – I Am Love. To be more specific, it is in reference to Swinton’s costumes for the movie and how they not only create their own sub-story throughout the film, but also translate beautifully into any modern wardrobe.

When you start to get dressed in the morning do you ever have a specific person in mind? Not necessarily someone you want to impress, but someone you want to emulate? I think the same goes for sewing projects too. Whether or not it’s conscious, sometimes when we start making or altering garments we often have an end look in mind and usually that look is attributed to another person – our “muse” if you will.

Everyone has different fashion icons. Whether you’re attracted to the prim and proper looks of Jackie Kennedy or the rock ‘n’ roll rebelliousness of Kate Moss, I guarantee that there is at least one person out there (or in my case 3 or 4) whose style you covet. I thought it would be fun to explore some of the well known style influencers (as well as a few perhaps more obscure names and faces) who have helped define certain aesthetics and created new categories all their own. First up: miss apathy herself, Margot Tenenbaum.

Margot Tenenbaum paper dolls via claudiavarosio on Etsy, film stills via IMDB

The tunic is a great staple piece for any wardrobe. Whether you keep it low key or play more on the flashy side, chances are you can find a tunic style that suits your every mood. Tunics are also quick projects that provide a great basic template to really express your individuality and creativity – make it in a beautiful print, simple cotton or add your own finishing touch with beads and applique – there’s really no limit to the ways you can customize a tunic to make it truly your own.

Spring is right around the corner (and I can’t think of a better season to bring out this style) so check out great ideas for tunic projects – both wild and tame to get you in a creative mood!

Yesterday our resident Menswear expert (and newly minted BurdaStyle contributor) Peter showed you the tools you need to get started sewing menswear. He also offered up a great first project suggestion – the caftan. While you’re getting your bearings using your tailors hams and point pressers, get inspired for future projects by checking out some of my favorite menswear finds from the Spring 2011 shows in Milan.

Whether done with thread, beads, lace or sequins, embellishment adds a luxe texture and dimension to garments or accessories. Are you an embroidery maven or just an admirer? Check out some gorgeous examples including garments by Mary Katrantzou and Oscar de la Renta, as well as loads of tips and how-tos so you can get started.