Dear readers,
I bought shoes for this pattern before it even existed, and matching socks, so you can imagine how long I have been waiting to write this post. The Karlie Skort is out today, and since a skort is not the most obvious thing to find in a tailored wardrobe, I thought I would tell you where it comes from.
It all started with an image from a Celine show, a short A-line skirt worn over a long shirt, that I could not get out of my head. It's quite tailored but at the same time, you feel like you could be looking at a fancy utility belt or short apron. I wanted to replicate it in a more practical way, and I was also thinking about those extremely short Miu Miu chino skirts that were everywhere online a couple years ago, the ones with the pocket bags peeking out from under the hem. But they were so short that I never saw one in real life 🤣 What I love in both is the mix between something utilitarian and tailored on one side and mini length and practicality on the other, and the Karlie Skort is exactly that.
Karlie is a semi-fitted mini A-line skort with a clean, minimalist line and a nod to tailoring. The A-line skirt is attached at the waist to a pair of shorts that extend below the skirt hem, which is the distinctive detail of the design, and the hem itself is slightly shaped for a more fun silhouette. Karlie sits below the natural waist and features back darts and an invisible zipper in the left side seam.
The same pattern gives you three garments. View A is the skort, View B is the skirt on its own and View C is the shorts on their own. Two waist finishes are included for all views, a straight waistband closing with a button on an extension or a clean facing secured with a hook and eye, and two optional pocket styles are included for the front, functional double welt pockets or bluff patch pockets with rounded corners. With that many combinations I did not want you to get lost, so there is a roadmap of the steps for each view and finish at the beginning of the instructions.
Fabric suggestions
The cover sample is made from striped wool suiting. For this pattern, I recommend light to medium-weight woven fabrics with body such as wool suiting, crepe, cotton twill, linen and linen blends, or lightweight denim. The other samples are a wool plaid for the skirt, a corduroy for the shorts and a lightweight denim for the second skort.
Playing with different fabrics for the skirt and the shorts is an easy way to make the skort your own, and I could not resist it myself: the denim version has shorts in a contrasting striped shirting, so they look like a shirt peeking out, and Pauline's wax cotton version has chambray shorts matching her Giselle Shirt. The fabric estimates are calculated cutting on a single layer for maximum efficiency and include both waist finishes and both pocket styles, so you will need slightly less than the chart says once you have made your choices.
Sizing and samples
Karlie is available in two size ranges, 34-46 and 46-60 (H: 86-152cm/34-60"), drafted for a height of 5'5" / 1m65. Choose your size closest to your hip measurement, taken over the fullest part including the stomach, and expect the waist to sit lower than you may be used to, because that is the design.
I am 5'3" / 1m60 and wear all my samples in size 36 graded to 40 at the hip, with no length alterations. Pauline is 5'7" / 1m70 and wears View A in a cotton wax print from La Petite Maison Couture in size 44 graded to 48 at the waist. Stephanie is 5'8" / 1m73 and wears View A in red wool in size 48 at the hip and 46 at the waist, with 3/8" / 1cm added to the crotch length.
Lilli could not model this time, so I asked the gorgeous Stephanie of @sewing.withvisuals to step in. I have admired her pictures and her sense of style for a long time, so I was thrilled when she agreed, and since she had never modelled before, we made her the top version of the Kiara Dress for the occasion. It looks so good on her that I am a little jealous.
What's included
Just like all my patterns, Karlie comes with everything you need to create a high-quality, professional-looking garment:
- Layered PDFs: Print-at-home (A4 and US Letter), A0, and Projector formats
- Cutter's Must
- Cutting layouts for each size and fabric width
- Order of operations
- Step-by-step illustrated instructions in English and French
- Seam allowances included and indicated at every step
Launch sale
To celebrate the release, the Karlie Skort is 15% off until Saturday 10 October, no code needed. Newsletter subscribers get an additional 10% off their entire order with the code JUSTKARLIE, so if you are not subscribed yet, now is a good time.
I think you will have a lot of fun sewing it, and I would love to know which view you will cut first, the skort, the skirt or the shorts. If you share your make on social media, tag it with #JPKarlieSkort, #JustPatterns and #MadeWithJustPatterns so I can admire your creations.
Happy sewing,
Delphine