Or The Story of what was supposed to be the “Jedi Jumper”

Now, you may look at this thing and see Jedi, you may not. When I showed my sister my mock up of this jumpsuit, the first thing she did is tell me it looked like I was a Jedi. It was made from a cheap, ivory-colored bed sheet, which is super cost-effective when testing new patterns, and I’m sure that’s what sparked her belief it was Jedi-esque. And while I’m not usually one to argue the level of comfort that a Jedi feels in their “standard uniform apparel”, I can tell you that this thing is COMFORTABLE. Probably more comfortable and definitely more fashionable than the Jedi Order.

I had fought long and hard with getting a good boob fit in conjunction with a nice flow to the kimono sleeve and I was very proud of the skirt-like width of the pants legs still being functional but flowy. Mom’s biggest critique; how much cleavage appeared after I finally landed on the perfection of the darts creating a slightly more tailored look. A side effect of the process and one easily fixed when updating the pattern, though I don’t mind a good show of cleavage.

Never tell her this…but she was right. At least in terms of what I was aiming for in this garments usability. So what to do? That’s when I had the idea to do a hook-and-eye system at two different levels* where you’re free to cover them up or let ’em loose. Whatever makes you comfortable.

Originally, I had thought the monochromatic ivory look was actually pretty chic, but part of me also hated the idea of having a one-color jumpsuit; it’s been done a hundred times over. In fact, I almost couldn’t find a jumpsuit that wasn’t. I’m not saying they don’t look good, but one thing to consider in plus size is that if you have only one color, the eye has nowhere to “move to” and it can sometimes trick the brain into seeing one giant, tent-like blob. And we do not want blobbiness.

My first real iteration of the garment was going to be from a cotton sateen, however; when my fabric arrived, I realized that just…didn’t do it. The weight, the hand, and the wrinkle factor didn’t give me the look of easy-going loungewear you didn’t have to change out of to hit up the grocery store. So, I found a nice bamboo/rayon jersey knit and because of Sister’s comment, I went for an almost white and a sandy beige to match the Jedi style. But when I completed my prototype the feedback was that it “looked Asian not Jedi” and someone else said it “looked Amish”. Not that either are insulting, but honestly, sometimes you just can’t win with people. “Ma’am,” I said. “It’s always been kinda Asian looking…” to which she replied, “I don’t know…it just looks different now.”

You know, at the start of this design, I never really intended for it to be even remotely related to a Jedi, but it did sound pretty funny as soon as my sister said it. This garment is not flashy, certainly not to my usual standards of theatrical glitz and drama. She’s relatively plain and uncomplicated, but she’s comfortable and cute. Perfect for an “around the house but also a quick errand running” outfit.

This knit material feels amazing; it has enough weight to it that it’s not completely sheer and the stretch ratio is pajama-like. The drawstrings, being on the side seam, means you can tie them in several different ways. In my prototype image above, I have them tied over my hips, but they’re also long enough that I could pull them to tie in the front and back, both on the front, or both on the back depending on what you want it to look like. It has pockets large enough to hold a phone, loose enough to not feel constricted, stretchy enough to give when you sit down, long and flowy sleeves if your self-conscious about your arms, but not so long as to get in the way of everything you’re doing, the drape of the pant section does a good job camouflaging some tummy but also still showing some booty, and it’s length is just a hair above the ground barefoot (I am 5’6″).

Anyways, I will be getting better pictures soon enough that do more to make it look than it does in my tired mirror selfie!

*The two levels for the hook-and-eye doesn’t seem to work as well on the knit material as it did on the woven.