Red Lady
Since I’m still suffering from PCSD (Post-Coat Stress Disorder) and can’t quite look at my sewing machine yet, I’m going to throw in a bit of blog padding :). To start with, I wanted to talk about the Lady (Grey) In Red Club. (And yes, I am shamelessly stealing the name from Ali.)
Did you know this club existed? You do now. I made it up myself. And if you made your Lady Grey in red, you’re a member! Isn’t that exciting? 😉 Membership benefits include, well, having an awesome red statement coat.
The Lady Grey really is a statement coat—not for the faint of heart, nor for the shrinking violet. It thus really deserves a statement colour (although there’s some lovely more restrained versions, too). And while there’s some terribly striking versions in teal and mustard (AKA blue and yellow, the other primary colours 😉 ), I have to say, when it comes to a statement colour, for me red takes the cake. And probably the ice-cream and the sprinkles, too.
As of this moment, other people who’ve agreed with me on the awesomeness of red members of the L(G)IRC (okay, not the catchiest acronym, I know) I’m aware of include:
If you made one and I’ve missed you, or know of another one out there, let me know! Now it’s conceivable that some of you will argue that we’re being trendy (or just terribly obvious) in our colour choice, but really—there are not many colours out there more awesome than red. Seriously.
My first day of school... I remember picking out the outfit so carefully.
Okay, I’m not dissing on the other colours of the rainbow, I’m really not. There are fabulous Lady Greys in plenty of other colours, as I said above. I don’t think less of any of these coats for their colour, and many of them are probably more original than red.
It’s just, none of them would feel quite as much me.
My fondness for red goes back for as long as I’ve had the power to choose my own clothing. The picture at right is from my first day of school, way back in 1985 (behind the big yellow bag you can just see bits of the red skirt and socks. Probably knee-highs). Back in early Uni I gloried in my original HBC blanket coat. I love red for its intensity; I love the ambiguity of its symbolism—blood and sex; violence and passion; left-wing and right.
My old HBC blanket coat, c. 1999
Do you have a signature colour (or palette?) One of my friends is all brown and teal, all the way. My mom thrives on the classic autumn palette. When I’m feeling summery I toy with cream and pale blue, as in the blog theme (but it was a bit of a wrench to change it away from the old reddish theme), and other colours catch my fancy again and again, but I always come back to red.
Tanit-Isis Sews 
I remember those No Name bags!! Good luck with that PCSD – it will go away. Just be sure to do some drinking!
Red coat, pretty girl can’t go wrong with that!!!
Ha! PCSD. I have that, too.
I’m in to opposites right now. Color pairings that are directly across the color wheel. I’m a fan of red, too. And a proud member of L(G)IRC.
I like purples and greens. I can’t help myself, I go to them over and over for everything from coat colors to bedroom decor (pale fern walls, walnut furniture, white carpet, white quilt, white sheer curtains and white paint trim…). I feel a definite desire for a purple-ly statement coat, maybe a Lady Grey, but I have to figure out how to justify it. I can’t in my climate, unless she’s made of silk boucle instead of wool.
Hmm… yummy… there’s an idea.
It feels weird to finish a big project. On the up side, finishing something big tends to dwarf other projects, I feel like I can take on anything after a coat. You’ll be fine. 🙂 Are you doing the vintage sewalong? Please do.
Red and Black have always been go-to colors for me. But as I’ve gone a darker shade of red from my natural red its harder to find a red that looks OK on me. So lately its been blue. COBALT blue is best.
I think wearing red when you have red hair can be tricky! Cobalt blue is lovely 🙂
ooooh gorgeous!!! i’m definitely a blue girl, as in any shade except pastel!
I love the Lady (Grey) in Red! I love the fit (princess seaming) and the flippy bottom. I would probably make it in a darkish olive green, or perhaps a deep reddish-rust (or both?). And I think I would shrink the original lapels and raise the neckline, like you did, since it would be easier to stay warm. So if you haven’t had your fill of coats (hint, hint). Maybe for next winter?
You come visit long enough to do the fitting and we have a deal, Mom 😉 😉
My go-to colour is red too, but darker. True red doesn’t quite do it for me, but I love burgundy, raspberry, garnet.
I love those ones, too 🙂 But any red will do, as long as it doesn’t stray too far into orange…
Red does look amazing on you, no wonder you wear it a lot and feel good doing so!
The first time I wore red it was one of those chinese silk brocades so was quite bright, and I distinctly remember that people looked at me more. I normally wore black or dark colours, and the different reaction was really noticeable. Bright red is not for the shy!
I like and wear most colours, as long as they have some intensity and are not wishy-washy. I love mid to dark greens/emeralds, but they are not easy to find!
Red is my favourite colour, too!
We both have dark hair and are fair complected, so it really works dramatically with our colouring. You’re a Winter, baby! Pale blue is in our shared colour palette, too.
I hear you on the dark hair and fair skin—though I was draped (granted, long ago) as a Spring. Can your colour season change over time? I know hair colour changes, but skin tone not so much, I would’ve thought. That being said, I probably like most of the winter colours better than the spring ones ;).
I’m a sucka for red too. Red and black. Sometimes I feel like a broken record so I substitute purple for red. It seems like in the summer I wear less red and more from the indigo blue realm.
Your coat is fab, you must be so happy with it!
I loooove your version! I’m excited to be part of your “club” too!
Ah, I love you! Not only have you created a club (of which I’m a proud member!) but you’ve created PCSD. Yes, that’s my excuse, that’s why I haven’t been sewing 😉
I totally agree, for as long as I can remember I’ve been drawn to red. I’ve got a red car, numerous red bags, and I’m pushing for a red sofa now. Or red carpet, whatever. Some sort of red statement in the living room. I’ll probably capitulate to something softer, you know, in the spirit of peaceful cohabitation with the dude, but in sewing, it’s a completely selfish endeavor. 😉
I’m loving the 70s dress by the way. A lovely cut on your frame. As a fellow SBAer, I love gathers!
Oh god I would love a red sofa. But it will totally never happen, sigh. My sweetie dislikes red about as much as I like it. His only comment about those awesome red boots was “they’d be sexier if they were black.” *head desk*
Hmm, I’m thinking I’ll have to make one of those in red at some point, too… Looks so awesome! Although a bright azure might be lovely, too. Red, azure and grass green are my statement colors, but no yellow for me, mustard or otherwise. Totally makes me look washed out. 😉
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