The Sew Weekly Sewing Circle

The second I saw the TV challenge I knew I had to hit up BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. It is not only one of my favorite shows, but a motherlode of bizarre and distinctive fashion statements. Nineties and early 2000s + Southern California + crazy characters = BRILLIANCE.


However, when I sat down to decide what outfit in particular to mimic, things got tougher. Should I go for Cordelia's too-sultry-for-senior-year getups? Faith's tough-girl look? Buffy's mini-miniskirts, or her work look of tight trousers hemmed for heels? And if I went the Willow route, should I hit up the "softer side of Sears," or the later flowy-lesbian-Wicca-wear? And what about other characters? Anya? Tara? The villains? The potentials?

(I have to admit, I was swayed for a few toward putting together a Drusilla gown before I forced myself to admit I would never wear such a thing.)

Eventually, spoilt for choice and remembering suddenly that I'd meant to do something low-key all along (at least until I am done with my other sewalongs! I am a compulsive joiner, trying to improve at follow-through) I settled on a project that hits a couple sweet spots. It's a refashion, it's somewhat of a stashbuster (the original garment has been in my "do something with this, please!" pile for ages, though not strictly my fabric stash), and it pays homage not only to one of my favorite Buffy characters, but to one of my favorite pieces of Funny Internet:

Buffy outfits dot tumblr dot com.

This site is exactly what it says on the tin: screencaps of great BTVS fashion, most with commentary. The author/poster is going through from season one ep one to 7:22 (she's partway through season five now) showing us/reminding us of the best in ridiculous TV fashion from the show. One particular recurring element is of particular interest to me: her focus on Oz and Xander's incredible buttondown shirt collections, with a certain emphasis on Xander's amazing Hawaiian shirts:

(She seems to prefer/love Oz. That's fine. More Xander for me.)

Serendipitously enough (can I even say that?), guess what I had in in my clothes-to-alter pile?

That's right, a ginormous men's Hawaiian shirt (I seamripped the sleeves off a couple weeks before this, for reasons no longer recalled, so bear with this not-quite-"before"-shot). And PURPLE! I love purple. This was meant to be.

Now, giant body-flooding clothes may be Oz's game (see also: every shirt photo of him linked above, and hilarious discussion in the notes here), but it ain't mine, and it ain't Xander's, particularly, either (this may just be because Seth Green is short/small and Nicholas Brendon...isn't--discussion of same in notes here. But again, more Xander for me, right?), so I did a little cutting down to size before I reassembled the shirt, using plain bodice pieces as a guide (I buttoned up the front and cut it all as one piece, to keep the placket and collar doin' its thing), then recut the sleeves to match. Now it's a tad (lot) better fitting,

and I can continue through my summer a) keeping Hawaiian cool and b) daydreaming of strolling through Sunnydale with Xander Harris, holding hands and gazing into one another's eyes--until Buffy needs him to help save the world and I disappear in a puff of pique and jealousy.


(As a sidenote: obviously it was too much to do for a weekly challenge, especially one that has sew and not knit in the title--but I WANT THIS SWEATER.)

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