This outfit is made for standing all the way out! But I also wore it to fit in.
Curlfest is an annual festival that started in Brooklyn to celebrate Black women and natural hair. I had watched the stylish vibes of the festival on social media for the last few years and was reminded of the early Afropunk vibes that inspired me to chop off my long, relaxed hair and go chemical free. At Curlfest 2019 I sought a community of women who, like me, have had to endure stares of curiosity and derision because we choose to wear our hair the way it grows from our heads. As an expression of our freedom from (Eurocentric) societal pressures, the hair at Curlfest is big and colorful, worn in the thousands of different ways natural hair can be styled. Similarly, the fashion expresses that freedom with color, print and skin – the bolder, the better.
I spent a few weeks sketching different outfit ideas for Curlfest. Bright colors and some exposed skin are the vibe for the festival as the reality of dressing in steaming hot NYC summers. I looked at different fabrics online and considered self-drafting a pattern for a romper that hugged my curves and put my extremely long legs on display.Β Ultimately, I settled on using this fun IKEA fabric I’d bought in London with McCall’s M7937 to create a set with tons of personality. Festival style is supposed to take risks so I took a big one by choosing to wear all white! Though I couldn’t sit down for fear of dirtying the outfit, I’m glad I chose this fun look.Β
Before making this pattern I made a muslin of both the pants and the top. To the pants I added length to the rise, narrowed the thighs, and tapered the leg down a bit along the lengthened inseam. For the top I added length to the shoulder straps, narrowed the bodice at the waist, and hacked in a last-minute zipper (separating zippers are tricky to find!). With all of those fit adjustments I had it working well for my tall frame.
And then good problems hit. I lost several pounds and inches this summer and felt like I was floating a bit in the outfit. I even had to switch bras to get the top to stay in place. The fit issues made me less confident than I had hoped at the event – constantly checking for slipping bra straps instead of making eye contact with cameramen.Β
Loose or not, this outfit is still crazy fun and I’m so proud that I made it. It checks off the style requirements for a festival and is a total sewing feat. Look at how well those lines match up!
I was almost certainly the tallest woman at Curlfest, especially with an extra 6 inches of afro height. I hope maybe my outfit was also the most fun!
Some Photos Credit – Nesta Da Great