Coco Chanel introduced her first tweed jacket in her 1954 collection. Since then, the tweedy bouclé fabric has evoked a sense of understated luxury attainable by only a few lucky people. But what if you could find a piece of fabric that you could manipulate into whatever you wanted and create for yourself the same kind of look—quiet luxury? I know what I would do. I’d buy the fabric and make myself a jacket!

Depending on where you get your seasonal style update, you’ve probably noticed a few themes emerging for this fall and winter. One of those is animal prints—as if they ever went away! It seems to me that every year, there’s some variation of the animal print that designers just can’t seem to get enough of. And if you’re like me and you’re more interested in being classically stylish than trendy, knowing what part of a trending style to embrace gives your wardrobe just that touch of freshness.

I’ve always loved a button-up shirt. My style tends toward the classics: white shirts, jeans, blazers and anything tailored. So, when it comes to transitioning my wardrobe into the warmer weather, I look for ways to add pieces that reflect this classic style without the cold-weather characteristics. Enger the new spring rayon fabrics and a fresh shirt pattern.

I hardly know anyone who doesn’t look forward to “sweater weather” after a hot, humid summer, and cozy weekend wear is just the thing to get me excited about a new season. This fall, my sewing plans took their inspiration from hygge. Hygge is the Danish and Norwegian word for―you guessed it―cozy, but it’s more than that.

Who doesn’t love the timeless style of the traditional Breton-inspired shirt? Introduced initially as the uniform for navy seamen in northern France in 1858, the style has been copied and transformed throughout the years.

I think I’m something of an anomaly among sewing enthusiasts. I don’t believe in hoarding fabric. I have no fabric stash. I can’t stand the idea of all that beautiful fabric just sitting around waiting for me to turn it into something wearable.

Is it spring yet? Every year, we welcome autumn, with its promise of cozy sweaters and fireplaces, but by the time March rolls around, all we can do is dream of warmer weather.

Fashion trends come and go, but style is forever, at least according to Yves St. Laurent, who, in 1975, said, “Fashions fade, style is eternal.” But if you are a follower of fashion, you’ll know that the great Coco Chanel expressed the same opinion years earlier when she famously said, “Fashion changes―style remains.” There are some “trends” that never leave us, which is what puts them in the style category. One of those is stripes.

I’m usually a standard-bearer for slow sewing. I love those long projects like little French Jackets with hand-inserted linings and all that hem-line chain. I also love the process of making tailored shirts that I can work on over a period of weeks.

What comes immediately to your mind when someone says “little black dress”? Do you think classic style? Maybe Audrey Hepburn? Or maybe you think fun and funky?