Tiers Without Tears

Words mean everything. That would be "tears" as in an ocular emotional release, not "tears" as in  damaged fabric. 

Working as a layout designer for "Glamour" magazine, I was startled by a headline for a new column on home sewing: "Be a Better Sewer". It looked too much like a column for DYI plumbers hoping to improve waste drainage. The column was changed to "How to Sew Better". 

The English language is not easy, and either is fashion. Sometimes it has a life of its own, and I would say the trend for ruffles, prints and tiers is coming at us with gusto. Fashion has nine lives too, and this is at least the third go-round for tiers in my lifetime.

It all started last summer. While I was searching the internet for a caftan to loll around my pandemic-friendly 500-square-foot backyard, trendsetters had rediscovered the 1970s baby doll and christened it the Nap Dress. I laughed as I simultaneously kicked myself for giving away all those Laura Ashleys. Who would wear that? I thought. Certainly not I, today, when I would look less like an Austen heroine and more like my grandma.

The 2020 Nap Dress

The house dress

Something about the look—soft, feminine, flowy, comfortable, sweet—appeals to us in terms of rebirth and a fresh start. It's surely a damn sight better than more sweats, especially summer sweats. As a woman of a certain age* tiers, ruffles, flounces and flowers require some serious discipline. You can pull it off. At least I am going to try.

Madame suggests the following (I am madame if you didn't guess):

> Keep the patterns simple. Opt for geometrics over florals, but if you go floral, go big and not ditsy.

Floral "do"

Floral "don't"

> Solid colors are more sophisticated and odd-ball hues even more so.

But not the boots...

Better with slip-ons

Perfection!

> Put yourself out there. Let's face it; this look is a costume. If you are going to do it, don't be shy. Accessorize with earrings, strappy sandals, even a belt if you feel so inclined. Whatever you choose to wear, the idea is to wear it like you own it. Because you do.

Ulla Johnson should be very happy this year. She is one designer who has long embraced flounces and tiers in her work, and she creates some of the best. Dresses sell between $400 - 600. Expect to see many ripoffs. One caveat: these frocks demand a lot of fabric, and fabric doesn't come cheap.

This tiered look was such a favorite in Derek Lam's 2008 collection, I made a mental note and snapped up the McCall's pattern when I saw it the next year. It sat, however, unseen and unsewn, for these past 11 years.  Maybe it's time.

* Honestly I can't think of a better way to describe a grown woman who is no spring chicken yet hardly the old grey mare. All suggestions greatly appreciated.