PATTERN PLAY year of the Tiger Brazilian-born sewing blogger, Rachel Pinheiro takes inspiration from Chinese zodiac and the new hem length for her next sewing project!
WHAT’S THE TREND! Have you wanted to take a walk on the wild side with your wardrobe? Then this trend is written in the stars for you! We’re just about to enter the Year of the Tiger. Known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, Chinese New Year (Tuesday, February 1st) is celebrated at the second new moon following the Winter Solstice. The zodiac sign, the Tiger is a symbol of strength, exorcising evils, and braveness. According to the Chinese horoscope for 2022, the New Year of the Water Tiger symbolises determinism, spontaneity and novelty. It’s a period, which draws its strength and growth, despite adversity, from dynamism and enthusiasm. Astrologists are predicting a year full of changes, and with those changes come opportunities. All very inspiring after what we all lived though in 2020/2021. The Chinese horoscope offers four main lucky colours during the Year of the Water Tiger: blue, green, red and yellow. If you follow fashion trend reports, you probably have seen leopard prints featured heavy, and tigers are promised to be the most popular animal in 2022. There has been an undeniable tug-of-war between the concepts of major trends and my personal style progression over the last few years, but I’m happy to continue to grow and experiment. As I look ahead, with the same values of comfort, longevity and drama, I find myself feeling inspired but not overwhelmed by trends. It all comes down to picking classic silhouettes and shapes that pair well with items that I already own and updating them accordingly.
PATTERN CHOICE The pattern I have chosen is uncomplicated, easyto-wear, casual yet elegant – I can’t deny my love for wrap dress patterns. Its graceful silhouette stands the test of time as one of the most iconic designs. The dress not only fits the body well, it also fits perfectly into the lifestyle of the modern workingwoman. It combines elegance and practicality, which is more important than ever in my current busy lifestyle. When you pick a very classic shape, all you have to do to update is to make a simple change to fit within the current fashion aesthetic.
WHAT CHANGES FOR 2022? Hemlines, when you thought the hemlines couldn’t go higher, well, designers are raising the hemlines to miniscule lengths and so did I! Classic and Flirty!
