Electric Blue Silk

I love getting clothes made. I grew up with a mother who’s a tailor – my tailor, to be specific. Dreaming up pieces from fabric has always been a shared love language between us.

A couple of years ago, I found a piece of electric blue raw silk. The color is so powerful that electric is the only way to describe it. When the sun hits the fabric, it shines brightly and mysteriously at the same time. It’s quite something!

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I got a set from it with a blouse and pleated pants. Here’s a photo of me wearing both:

Over the years, I’ve gotten a ton of wear out of these lovely pieces. I’ve worn them in many different ways: to my graduation, for dinners, the opera, and in everyday life. Especially the pants have turned out to be trusty companions. I’ve also gotten a lot of compliments for them, which is a nice added bonus.

This, to me, is the magic of bespoke clothing: The creativity in making the pieces and the versatility you can imbue them with. 

Picking fabric and building something with that is a direct path to creative self-expression. I adore tailoring for that - and that the clothes just fit you well.

Despite the set being raw silk, it’s held up very well. At first, when we made it, we weren’t quite sure how it would hold up with everyday wear and tear. Silk is a delicate and strong fabric at the same time. You need to be careful to avoid abusing it, though.

Especially the electric blue pants have really come through for me. I’ve worn them many times - casually and in more elevated ways. They’ve been to many different places and travel well, too.

Here are some ways I’ve worn and styled them.

With a wool turtleneck and sneakers on a gray winter’s day in London:

With a rugged, beige sweater, a tiger coat, and sneakers again.

Just look at the color! In broad daylight, it comes out so well!

To a networking event with a structured, white shirt and a bright blue work bag:

I’d probably switch the shoes to something not-banana-yellow in hindsight.

To a dinner with freelancing colleagues while we were all on-site for a client:

And to the opera:

This is the only full-body photo I have from that evening. The sparkly accessories really made it pop; a nice alternative to a cocktail or evening dress for an elevated event.

I maintain the set by dry-cleaning it only and never stepping out in it, when it rains. Other than that, it’s very easy to maintain.

Maybe another of these would be great in a different color…