According to Tim...

I read Tim Gunn's article on wardrobe essentials, and I clearly lack essentials.

1. Little Black Dress - I have, umm, atleast 8 in my closet, none of which get worn because (a) they make me look fat and (b) they are all strapless and summery.

2. Trench coat - I've never owned one. Never. And I'd like one.

3. Classic dress pants - I've many of these, but again, mostly summer versions (or they don't fit, or are a bit too tight, and I'm hoping to lose 10 pounds to fit into them.)

4. Versatile Skirt - finally, something I own. My red suede skirt definitely qualifies, as far as I'm concerned. But I would like a black wool version (I own one I bought a while back at Banana Republic, but keeping with the theme above, its a bit snug.)

5. Fitted Blazer - hmm. I own suit jackets, and one plaid blazer. I think the plaid one qualifies.

6. Classic White Shirt - I own just one, it makes me look fat. I don't really wear shirts a lot, since I don't like tucking in. Do I need one? Probably.

7. Day Dress - I own a few, like this mock-wrap dress. More summery than winter. I'd like a shift dress though.

So, according to Tim, I lack essentials.

Filling in the gaps in the essentials should dictate February and March sewing, so let's commit.

The February & March sewing list:

1. This little black dress, in a black sweater knit from stash.

2. Classic dress pants - I need to experiment with a few pants patterns, but I'm making a commitment here - 4 pairs of lined pants by March. I'm sick and tired of the 3-4 pairs I own that get non-stop rotation in winter. Plus, I tried shopping for them, and couldn't find them anywhere under $80.

3. This BWOF 01-2008 top in white eyelet from stash, which is going to be as classic as I'm ever going to get with a white shirt. Or maybe I'll make this BWOF 12-2008 shirt instead?

4. This 05-2008 BWOF dress will serve as my day dress entry. I've a few fabric choices for this, including a nice brown plaid. This dress is unlined, and I'll have to figure out how to line it (I'd break out into all kinds of hives if the wool-like fabric touches my skin...)

5. This BWOF 12-2008 skirt will be my versatile skirt entry. I've a rust/brown striped fabric that I can make it with.

Which leaves a trench coat and a blazer, both of which involve me being a LOT braver about sewing than I am. Let's see. I'll be pretty happy if I get all of the above list done.