Simplicity - A Step in the Right Direction

In January I wrote a post asking why Simplicity Patterns didn't apologize for some social media snafus regarding People of Color and how they marketed towards them.  Yesterday my girl Marcy, wrote this awesome post about Complicated Thoughts, that made me realize I should circle back around and give credit where credit is due.

See to me Simplicity has done an AMAZING job of adding diversity to their pattern covers for both vintage and regular garment patterns. I recently visited the website and was thrilled with the company's response to the sewists outcry.

Here are some examples:

VINTAGE:

COSTUMES:

MENS:

Now I know to some this was a big addo over nothing and you're wondering why I'm bringing this back up. But to me, if you're going to criticize you should also acknowledge when the company has responded to your criticisms...and I think Simplicity has done a wonderful job of rectifiying this situation. I'm sure that this will be carried over to all aspects of their social media channels now too.  So kudos to Simplicity for thinking enough of the concerns of their consumers to change the optics. 

BTW, I spent quite a bit of time on the website and now I've got a list of patterns that I need to purchase and add to my pattern collection. Just when did Simplicity get so cool! *LOL*

...as always more later!

Why didn't Simplicity Patterns just apologize?

Imma tell you right now that if you only come here for sewing flip out now. I'm getting ready to talk about something that is not all "happiness and sunshine" and recently happened in the sewing community.

Okay if you're still here - let's talk. This was posted on Simplicity's Facebook and Instagram pages this weekend.

UPDATE!!!: 
Simplicity has issued an apology on their Facebook page. Thanks to the Simplicity Team for listening to our objections and taking them seriously!  It is appreciated!

I'm sure if you don't see color or glanced at it quickly, you thought nothing of it. Or if you don't know anything about the movie "Hidden Figures" again it was just a post. However, let me give you a synopsis of the movie.

This is the "Hollywood Bio" of the movie ~
This is the untold story of three brilliant African-American women at NASA - Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson - who serve as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation's confidence, turned around the Space Race and galvanized the world.

Here is the real tip ~
These women were smart and worked in mathematics and science when black women weren't encouraged to be more than maids. They fought to attend college, for positions that should have been theirs because of their knowledge and ability. They didn't have the right to vote. They couldn't go to the bathroom with white women because the bathrooms were segregated - one for white women and another in a different building for black women. They were considered lesser than just about everyone.  

They worked as human "computers" at NASA because white men thought it was a demeaning job when they could be engineers. BUT these women were the actual mathematicians behind the successful launch of the first space shuttle. Their knowledge of math and science figured out the necessary equations to make the trip around the earth work. 

Now the important thing ~ 
Did you know about these women before the movie came out?  Where you taught about this in school?  Did you know that John Glenn trusted "the little black girl" to make sure that he got home safely? If not, you will now understand the name of the movie, "Hidden Figures." So many contributions that People of Color have made to our American society have been shoved to the side, hidden and devalued. 

Look at the picture again...can you see the problem with this picture now?

Of course there was a lot of conversation surrounding the picture, more vicious on Facebook and more moderated on Instagram. When sewists asked Simplicity about the picture, it was removed from Instagram and the post on Facebook with the subsequent conversation was taken down.

Here's the point of my post. Yes the picture on both Facebook and Instagram was insensitive and a very poor marketing attempt of a pattern, but it shouldn't have been removed. Simplicity should have come out and said they made a mistake.  That sewists of color are important to them and that they would try harder in the future to be more inclusive. 

Instead, they HID the picture and tried to ignore the uproar.  If Dairy Queen can apologize for the racist rants of one of their owners or Chili's can apologize for a free meal that was denied to an African-American Veteran, then shouldn't Simplicity, as a corporate entity, apologize also?

More importantly, Simplicity missed an opportunity to talk to their customers white, black, and hispanic.  They missed the opportunity to really support this groundbreaking movie for ALL women. They are probably going to miss some dollars from a group of sewists who were perturbed by how the situation was handled...and they lost the respect of a segment of their community.  A community that's a niche market as it is.

If anyone from Simplicity reads this post, I highly suggest that you rethink your position on this issue. 

If you haven't heard about this movie, here's a clip and an interesting note. Katherine Johnson (played by Taraji P. Henson) was not only a human computer at NASA but she sewed a large amount of her wardrobe.

I hope you will support this movie because it does celebrate one of our own, a sewist!

...as always more later!

Simplicity Early Spring Collection 2017

I don't own a lot of Simplicity patterns. There are several reasons for that but the two main reasons are ~ their online pattern sales aren't as good as Club BMV's and I don't visit Joanns often. Even though I'm trying to get over the grudge, the bad blood runs deep!

So the few Simplicity patterns I own have come from an infrequent online purchase, a Patternreview pattern sale or a trip to the craft store. Because I've purchased online, I'm on their mailing list. 

This popped into my email last week on my 3 hour bus ride home from NYC. Thank goodness it was my last day coming out of the city before Christmas break so I spent quality time surfing the internet.

I was impressed with their offering and will need to make a trip to the craft store to purchase the ones below. I REALLY like these especially since they speak to the "Chicos Chic" style I'm sewing now.

I saw this one - Simplicity 8303 - first and was like "YES!" See my girl, Myra, who blogs at Simple Inspirations, made a version of this using a RTW inspiration, a couple of weeks ago. I was going to copy her version but now I will make one using this pattern!

Simplicity 8297 also spoke to me because I'm always looking to add a structured top/blouse to my collection. I'm still working out what's me where a top is concerned and I really like Version B. I can just see this made up in denim and lace ~ awesome right!?!

Since it's an early spring release, I allowed myself to look at the dress patterns. I like this dress because of it's simple shape and it will look great in a denim. I can add lace, pleather, suede, etc. as the insert. Also it has a great collared jacket included and I'm all about the jacket/topper now. I wear them from December through to May when the weather finally warms up around here. So I will be owning and sewing Simplicity 8302.

The final pattern I'll purchase is the one featured in the email - Simplicity 8295. I really like the grommets and the lacing on the front. I've been wanting something like this ~ just haven't gotten around to it. Hopefully having the pattern will spur me on.

I rarely do pattern reviews now. Other bloggers do them so much better than I do and sew up the patterns faster than I do - so you get a review in real time. Too often I buy patterns and they sit for months or years before I get inspired to sew with them. However, I was so impressed with this collection, (I even liked the MimiG maxidress but don't think or haven't figured out yet if I can make it work on my plus size body) versus the recent release from McCalls which I truly thought was meh.

Have you seen the new Simplicity Patterns? What did you think of them? Or did you like the new McCalls Pattern release better?

...as always more later!  

No fabric buying so I buy patterns instead...

Let's be real.  I'm not a big Simplicity pattern owner or sewist.  Most likely because Simplicity hasn't learned the value of a good online pattern sale the way Butterick/McCalls/Vogue has.  I'm sure I own so many of their patterns because of BMV's amazing sales...but back to the topic on hand.

So over at PatternReview, they are running a sale on Simplicity Patterns for $2.99 each through midnight tonight EST.  Sorry about the short notice but I just read the email late last night/early this morning. Which was enough to make me partake, especially since they've included the Early Fall patterns in the sale.  

So this is what I bought...

You know I have some faux leather waiting to become this dress!

I know this looks like my TNT but the 

maxi version with the cut in armholes!!!

Seriously piping in seams in a dress?

I'm so there!

The Dress - I must have the dress!

This skirt because Anne B. made such a wonderful version of it.

I'm sure quite a few of these will end up in the pattern collection untouched for now...but I always have plans...and it's better to have the materials in house when inspiration strikes...y'know what I mean!?!

I'm starting to get a little antsy with the no sewing that's been done.  I'm missing my sewing zen state and how it smoothes out a week...can't wait until next week when I will have some quality time in my newly cleaned sewing cave!

...as always more later!

A Comparision...

Earlier this week I received an email from Simplicity Patterns that they were putting all of their plus size patterns on sale for $5.99 (the sale ends today btw) so I surfed right over to take a look.  Can I honestly tell you that I was struck by how dowdy everything looks...seriously!  And I'm a huge fan of Simplicity's collection of plus size patterns, to me they have been at the forefront of translating fashionable looks into the plus size range for years...

But I don't know what happened?  Is it that Butterick came out strong with their latest additions?  Or is it the fact that even Vogue upped the number of designer styles they translated into the larger sizes...granted they go no higher than a 24 but at least they are making an effort.

Then there are all of the RTW sites that are providing some amazing inspiration for us plus size sewists...I'm personally enamoured of these sites:

Lord & Taylor's

Macy's

Talbots

Dress Barn

I think these retail outlets, as well as Butterick & Vogue pattern collections have truly attempted to bring the hottest trends of summer to the plus size woman. 

Bright colors...Florals...Neutrals...the safari look...a great feminine and sexy dress...so what happened to Simplicity?  It's not that there aren't some great looks here but we've seen them now for quite a few pattern cycles.

I want some of this:

Vogue 8726

...and this:

Butterick 5618

but there's nuthin' that I want from the Simplicity site...so is it just me?  Or does Simplicity need to step up their game...

...more later!

Simplicity and Khaliah Ali Patterns

When I was first learning to sew, Simplicity Patterns were the ish to me! They were stylish, inexpensive and what my first sewing teacher taught me to work with. They fulfilled the needs of a young sewist who had no pattern alterations to make besides length changes.

Several years into sewing, about my 20s, Simplicity and I fell out of harmony. The patterns seemed dowdy, the styling on the pattern envelopes was corny and I now could afford Vogue Patterns so a new love affair was born. It was almost two decades before I looked at a Simplicity pattern again.

And even then it was waayyyy after others had jumped on the "NEW" Simplicity bandwagon because by then I was using a plus size pattern....and those offerings were still dowdy. Then miraculously Simplicity hired Khaliah Ali, drafted some current and stylish patterns in plus sizes and styled the hell out of the pattern covers. I bought a lot of those patterns for myself and for my daughter.

I have to admit that I loved the new direction that Simplicity went in and was a little upset when Khaliah Ali had weight reduction surgery. Now before you start throwing tomatoes, I know that she did it for health reasons but I was worried about the plus size pattern line at Simplicity...and in the last couple of years that concern has been borne out. The attention paid to plus size patterns has decreased. I have purchased fewer and fewer patterns from Simplicity because I don't need a Project Runway pattern to tell me how to change designs on a pattern...no matter that some of them are graded up to a size 24!

Also, since I don't frequent the craft store masquerading as a fabric store (the yellow embroidered linen came from them), I rarely purchase patterns at brick and mortar stores...so in this regard Butterick/Vogues/McCalls is kicking Simplicity's butt because I can buy any pattern from them online at very reduced prices. Simplicity really needs to get on the bandwagon and offer some online sales at their pattern site. Seriously, how many patterns can they be selling online with only a 40% discount...but I digress!

Back to Khaliah Ali...I've been very disappointed in the offerings. Yes, Simplicity is now grading more of their regular size patterns up to a size 24, but they are still missing the size 24W - 38W woman that the Khaliah Ali patterns served. Or how about the fact that not every woman who sews is confident enough to grade up or fit a smaller pattern...so once again "The Fat Girls" market is being underserved.

*sigh* As the self-appointed "Ambassador of Fat Girls Who Sew", I've been trying not to put Simplicity on blast because even though Simplicity hasn't been updating the Khaliah Ali line, you could still find the patterns online at various vintage spots and eBay.

However, lately I have noticed that the Khaliah Ali patterns are making a resurgence...and for this I am happy and hopeful! Seriously, Simplicity if you knew how many plus size women who sew write me about what I make and how it inspires them, you would invest a little more time and effort into your plus size line - with or without Khaliah Ali as your spokesperson.

Now I've said all of that...are you all still with me?! *LOL*...I need to tell you that I absolutely adore this new Khaliah Ali pattern.

I would pay the $10.15 for the pattern from the website, if I didn't want 5 other patterns! *LOL* Seriously, this pattern works for plus size women in a lot of different lifestyles...and it has a vest in it! A plus size vest! Ohmygoodness, be still my little fashionista heart!

I'm also really loving the blouse/top/jacket in this pattern...so Simplicity is NOT going on blast...but they are definitely on probation with me. Please invest a little more time on the plus size line. Go back to where you were...we fat girls who sew would truly appreciate it! And by the way, if you added some sewing instructions online for altering and fitting your plus size patterns, we would love you forever....okay maybe not forever...but darn near close! *LOL*

I will have updates on the yellow wardrobe soon and as always, more later!