Fashion Forward? Or Fashion Victim?

Every month, I look at BurdaStyle, and every month I pass over more than half the styles as "too edgy for me." I adore Burda, and love that they are fashion forward, but more than half the issues go unused because I tend to be much more conservative in my style. But, I often feel that I need to break out of that "Everything is Grey" kind of style that I have been cultivating. To that end, I have decided to sacrifice one of the 45 pieces of gray wool suiting that I have in my stash and make Burda 08-2010-137:


Yes, not only is that a pleated pant (bane of my existence), there is a huge flap that folds over the front crotch. This is the closest I will ever come to harem pants:


And of course, in the Burda fashion photo, you can't see the details of the garment, so here is the photo from the website:


Every time I come back to this issue, I always stop and look at this pattern. And every time I think "I should make those" and then I think "Never in a thousand years." And then I think "Oh, give it a try" and then I think "You are going to end up in a magazine with a black bar over your eyes."

But, why not? What is the reason for not doing it? Because they will make me look fat? Hey, news flash...I'm fat. There are no magic pants that make me not fat. Not my style? Really, do I even have a style? Everything in my closet is either white, black, or grey. I'm not sure you can classify "waiter at catered event" as an actual "style."

Plus, it's not like I don't have plenty of fabric that can be sacrificed in a potential fashion disaster (and let's face it, in the 5 years since I have revived my sewing, this would not be the first fashion disaster I have cooked up). So....I am going to sew it. Right now my biggest concern is whether or not that front flap will be uncomfortable, since much like Gilda Radner, the majority of my fashion decisions are based on what doesn't itch.

Second, I have grave concerns that that huge pleat will just become a polter-wang when I sit. And let's face it, with all my other fashion handicaps, the last thing that I need is to look like I have a peen.

Although talk about polterwang:


At least I am not paying $830.00 for some Alexander McQueen pants to make me look like I have an impressive package. And, I am not making the pants from sequins like this $795.00 Phillip Lim version:


And the pleat is not hugely exaggerated like this Vivienne Westwood version ($340.00):


I am making mine in a very sedate grey wool suiting, that I had left in the stash because it was very thin...but, since the pleat on the front is extra bulk, the thin wool will be better for this pattern. Hopefully it won't show any hail damage on the back side.

So, what say you? Fashion victim? Or stepping out of my rut (not all they way, they are still grey)?

I will keep you posted on the progress.....