The goal of the EF Core Eight is to give you a mix and match wardrobe that works as a foundational layer, clothing that is the cake of your wardrobe not the icing. EF picks eight basic pieces (four pants shapes and four tops) along with a dress, to create the foundation. Then she adds icing pieces. One of the reasons people love this concept is that it works. The shapes are basic enough to work with a lot of ages and personal styles.
I love this concept and I really wanted to play with it last year and I wasn't the only one. One of my sewing buddies on Artisan Square talked about the videos by Silhouette Patterns looking at sewing an Eileen Inspired basic wardrobe. If you have never tried to sew SWAP and want some basic concepts, these videos are a really good place to start.
EF Core 8, episode one:
EF Core 8, episode 2:
The Plan:
If you break the EF core garment shapes down into a list, the basic eight are taken from this list of basic garments, usually four tops and four bottoms.
- woven tank top, long or cropped (high hip length), usually dark
- knit layering tank top or tank dress, dark knit
- slim pull on pencil pants (dark, stretch woven)
- slim leg jeans (denim)
- cropped wide leg pants (light, usually woven or stretch woven)
- leggings (dark)
- woven joggers (your basic every day silk sweat pants, usually dark)
- pull on pencil skirt, stretch woven
As long as you start with pattern shapes that actually flatter your body and fabrics that work with your lifestyle, this is a fantastic formula to work from.
Two things really struck me when I watched the two videos from Silhouette patterns. One, they switched the knit and wovens for the tanks. And two, they picked patterns for bottoms that were more reflective of the lifestyle of the person they were sewing for. I don't know why this option never occurred to me when I was putting together my EF basic 8 wardrobe last year. I think I was trying to level it up with that wardrobe in a way that really didn't work for me.
One of my few big sewing successes last year was the emergency TRI wardrobe I made: two knit tanks from the Free Spirit Tank pattern that are organic bamboo knits, a pair of black pencil pants in stretch crepe with pockets and a pair of black full legged yoga pants. They fit my lifestyle (wash and wear) and my body shape. The fabric makes them just dressy enough I don't look like I am wearing pjs to work. And they mix and match with everything I already own.
Isn't that the point of EF's basic eight and SWAP--to have clothes that work with everything you wear and already own?
This year with SWAP, I am using the lessons I learned from my SWAP fail last year and sewing for my real life, not my imaginary life or body.
Outfit One:
Bateau Layering Tank which is a woven boxy shell in silk crepe, and a pair of stretch crepe slim pants, aka pencil pants in a basic dark colour. The grey and navy EF uses come and go but there are always black and natural/white basics in the core.
EF slim leg pants are generally ankle length pants but they can be cropped in summer.
Readers at home will recognize that any pull on slim pant can be used as a base for the pant pattern. I am going to use the Mama Can Do It Fit Pants pattern found here: https://mammacandoit.com/collections/women/products/fit-pants-pattern-women-sizes-00-20. It has pockets and I already have the pattern adjusted to fit me. But, honestly, any slim leg pants pattern that fits you will work. (Let me repeat for long time readers of this blog: if you need the StyleArc Flat bottom Flo pants, you will probably not like my pattern choices so with what works for you.)
The System woven layering shell comes in two lengths: a high hip length (the boxy shell) and a low hip length (the long layering shell which currently has a high low straight hem) but they are essentially the same pattern shape.
Last year I stuck to the EF concept really closely. The closest I came to finding a pattern that works as a woven tank top was the tank from the Mixit Pattern from Sewing Workshop, found here:
https://www.sewingworkshop.com/shop/MixIt-p38307633
I am going to be brutally honest: I made three tops from this pattern last year a white one, a black high/low one and hip length black one). I do not wear them. They do not work for my body shape. The tops are too straight and they are not flattering or comfortable. You can get a better idea about how straight the pattern is from the pattern flat:
It is a great pattern and it works for the concept. I recommend it if it will work for your body shape.
It made me sad it didn't work for mine and it was one of the reasons I didn't finish SWAP last year.
My body shape is more Sophia Loren but six inches shorter and thirty pounds heavier with the beginning of a menopause waist. I have curves. I am not fashion model straight and tall and willowy, all of which seem to be the current focus of fashion. EF is no exception to this trend. Her vibe fits her target market: wealthy, older women starting to have menopause body with a very straight silhouette.
Too straight for my body shape really sums up my whole wardrobe sewing experience last year. This wasn't my only pattern fail. Between the too straight and the inflated size issues, I didn't sew a lot of winners.
This year for my woven tanks, I am going to start with the Silhouette Tank Top pattern.
It may take some work to get my head around the way these patterns are sized (from clothing you love to wear, not from body measurements). But this pattern is closer to my body shape, and it comes with the D cup pattern work already done.
Basic Outfit Two:
This
is a knit layering tank, a
pair of straight leg pull on pants in crepe and a nice sweater with
texture. I may sew a coloured sweater, depending on what I have in the Fabric Resource Closet.Most of the time the layering tank is made in organic knit (natural or black) but EF sometime recreates the tank in interesting fabrics like stretch velvet and silk knits. If the top is created in colours, there is often an interesting layer top made of a coordinating fabric (think interesting twin set). Here is a neutral coloured example of a 'twin set':
I have two different options for patterns for the knit layering tank. Both are Patterns for Pirates patterns. P4P drafts for a 5'4" hourglass/curvy figure with an ample behind which means I don't need to do a lot of work except for shorten the pattern to the right point for my body. When I say curvy figure, I mean a figure with curves, not a plus sized figure. Patterns for Pirates patterns come size 2 to size 24. Your body shape doesn't really change that much with adding or subtracting weight; it gets wider, not differently proportioned. This is one of the things I hate about the use of Curvy to indicate plus sized.
I prefer the Free Spirit tank top because it is fitted at the bust but not so fitted at the waist and it is easy to change all the other things about the hem lengths but the Essential Tank pattern is closer to the EF concept.
Essential Tank Pattern: https://www.patternsforpirates.com/product/essential-tank/
Free Spirit Tank Pattern: https://www.patternsforpirates.com/product/free-spirit-tank/
For the straight leg pants (which are made of stretch crepe or stretch organic cotton or linen, depending on the season), I have two options. The Mama Can Do It Fit Pants Pattern, possibly sizing up one size depending on the stretch of the fabric since pattern includes all the leg styles you could ever want and all the leg lengths, and pockets and it already fits me. Or I will walk on the wild side and try the Silhouette Stretch Woven Pant.
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