Winter Kate by Nicole Ritchie Inspired Kimono Cardigan

Whether you like Nicole Ritchie’s  style or not, you have to agree, she’s definitely got an individual look.  I quite like the dressy outfits she puts together, because they look chic but a little “undone”.  As soon as I saw her Winter Kate collection, I was attracted to her colourful draped cardigans.  Immediately, I thought of “happi”, a Japanese kimono-style top that people wear at festivals.  Many fishermen wear them as well, so I never associated them with fashion!  Just recently, my Mum had made more than thirty “happi” for the kids in her Japanese class so that they could perform a traditional fishermen’s dance.  I used the adult version of the sewing pattern she had used for her mass production.  I tried to use a fabric that did not look Japanese at all because I didn’t want to look like I was wearing my national costume…

At the risk of looking nightgown-esque, I chose this satin fabric from Spotlight.  As long as I don’t walk around with slippers, I think the cardigan looks pretty funky.  In this photo it looks very shiny, but in reality it looks much nicer, without the reflective light thing going on!  This “happi” pattern is from the naniIRO’s free pattern page.