Short(s) story

When I was a child, we always went on camping trips during the summer holidays. We would spend several weeks traveling around some nice bit of European countryside, going on long walks, taking in the sights, visiting local sites of interest and sleeping in our small tents on campsites in the middle of nowhere. As long as the weather wasn't too cold or wet, it was great.

Because there were five of us and all our camping gear, including the tents, had to fit into one car, packing for these trips was a special kind of operation. As one would expect, my mother was in charge of that.

She had made special packing list on the computer including all the things we would need. We, kids, were trusted to pack our clothes, books and toys as listed (NO bringing extra toys unless you were prepared to hold those in your lap for the entire trip ;)

The clothes listed would be practical ones. The kind that made sense for outdoor activities and would allow us to cope with unpredictable weather. There would be so many t-shirts, so many sweaters, trousers and shorts...

But shorts were getting extremely unfashionable...

When I was about 14 years old, my sister (who is two years younger) and I were sent to the shop to buy some shorts for each of us, for the summer holidays. We each bought one pair of shorts and two summer skirts. Those were the last shorts I ever bought. They were aqua-blue with a whiter check print. They didn't fit great, I didn't like them and didn't wear them much...

Fast forward ehm... many years, and I've just done the unthinkable and made a short legged jumpsuit. And I like the look.

So, I gave it a go. Shorts.

Made from the same black twill which I used for my boyfriend's bermuda shorts, with scoop pockets at the front and single welt pockets at the back. Vintage-inspired high waistline.

Photographed here at their most vintage-y: with a wide (vintage) silk blouse tucked into that waistband.

I enjoy this look but they work equally well with t-shirts. I may even be tempted to try and style these with tights and a jacket in autumn.

It's finished!

And here is the little jumpsuit!

First of all: I like the look (please ignore my less-than-happy facial expressions in the pictures. It's a very hot day, I'm using a self-timer and I had very little time to take these pictures). There may be more jumpsuits and shorts in my immediate future... (especially since the hot summer weather seems to have started today) The colour is also something I hadn't tried before and I really like.

There are some minor flaws: I would have liked to make wider front facings but I had to make do with a very limited amount of fabric, as a result this is the lowest I cut put the top button if I wanted to avoid showing the edges of the facing. I might have put it a little lower otherwise.

I'm also wondering whether I should have added a little more lengthwise ease. I can sit down without hurting myself, but only just. I think I will ask M about this, she's a jumpsuit-making expert.

As I mentioned before, this is a jumpsuit without waist seam. Those seam lines some of you commented on in the sketch are armhole princess seams which end in pockets. The back has simple darts.

I started out with longer legs but decided they looked best hemmed this short (making this the shortest thing I've worn in years, or at least my shortest pair of trousers of the past decade).

The first look, with the belt, is the one I was going for. As I put it on however, I realised the second look, un-belted and un-buttoned at the top worked as well. In fact, I think that would also look quite cool with full-length legs...

And, if I feel like using this thing for layering when the weather cools down again, I also like the look with a jacket.